As I have mentioned, Wife is back in our hometown and running into all sorts of people. Because of her new titles, she is getting a bunch of new trainings, and for example, today (Thursday), she was in San Antonio at a conference. Through random selection, she sat at the same table as my old room mate from the UT days.
When I went to UT, there was one other guy from Crystal City that was going to come up, but his parents wanted him staying in the dorms, mostly because he had no car. I knew I did not want to stay in the dorms, I had last shared a room with somebody when I was in 6th grade, I was not going to share a room as I turned twenty. Luckily, while getting transcripts and last minute paperwork at the Junior College, I ran into this guy. Turns out, he was also headed to Austin to UT and he also didn't have a roommate locked down. We were both hesitant, we had had many run-ins at the different silly games we played, such as Pictionary (our team won the three semesters it was held), disk golf, and other shenanigans. I was kind of cocky and smart-ass, walking out of the junior college with a 4.0. He was a couple years older and had a different coolness and always needed to be in control.
We actually clicked, and had an awesome three years at UT. We were inseparable, waited for each other after classes if it was reasonable, worked out together every day, went out on the weekends to the same places. He was even godfather to Boy, I thought we would be friends for life. Then we graduated. After a couple months or maybe a couple years, we had moved into our first house, I had just bought our boat, since the boat was a 1998 and we graduated in 1994, it was a good four years, he came over with his usual posse. He always traveled with a group, his brother, sister, wife, and maybe another friend or two. Instead of having a good time, maybe planning to go out to the lake, he was belligerent, already drunk when he came by. He kept calling me a pussy this and faggot that to Boy who was four or five. It doesn't hurt me to call me whatever, but I also didn't understand why the anger towards me, I had about held this guy as a role model. He helped me break free of my introvertedness. He made me more confidant to talk to girls. I just said okay, he left very drunk, and never called to apologize or say anything else about it, so I moved on.
Fast forward to today, Wife is sitting across from him, asked him are you so and so? He says yeah, did we meet at another conference? Wife said uh no. You were my husband's roommate for three years, we know each other. She said he just agreed with her and excused himself from the table. This is very odd behavior to me. I can still envision the Depeche Mode playing in the background, that was his kind of music, to our Metallica. He came around, but there were a lot of great nights we ran around with the windows down enjoying new music he exposed me to and vice versa.
From what I have gathered from Wife, she has run into other people that know him. He is Director of a private school down there, and one of the teachers at Wife's school worked with him. She was saying that he claimed to have been roommates with Mathew McConaughey while we went to school. He can claim him and Michael Dell if he wants, but I never saw either in our shitty apartments off Riverside (Royal Crest Apartments) or Oltorf (big 4 bedroom apartment) when the other guy from Crystal City changed his mind and wanted to stay with us the second year, and another guy from Uvalde also joined us.
It is funny to me to recreate yourself like that. I have always accepted me as I was. We have good qualities and shitty qualities, we all do. Some of us that are driven might not have foresight to slow down and smell the roses. Others that spend too much time partying forget time is moving along and get left behind. Some of us settle for a simple life, some of us are never quite content and we keep moving and searching for riches we might never acquire. Whatever mission we are on in our given time, keep it real, why fabricate stories to make yourself sound more interesting than what your original story was? If he needs to keep selling the story of having a famous roommate, go ahead, again, I don't care, but what does that accomplish? I could tell people I drive a Lamborghini, but I really don't have that experience, and I doubt my fat ass would even fit in a tiny car like that.
Monday, October 31, 2016
Saturday, October 29, 2016
10/30/16 A Tummy Ache For Chubs?
Part of the past week's woes was Chubs getting a little upset stomach. Normally, I would just chuckle at Wife having to get all Florence Nightingale and seeing her come back with half of CVS in the kitchen. I, on the other hand, take a let's see if we can just wait and have a fart release the pressure. I hate dealing with a sick kid, but I know Chubs rarely gets sick and he was not enjoying any of this, although...
We figured this was mostly his fault. We went Sunday afternoon to Costco and bought a huge pumpkin pie for like $5.99. I thought it was a pretty good price, but I had a sliver when we got it home and just found it a little meh. It wasn't liquidy, but it wasn't as firm as pumpkin pie should be for me. Wife left town, I didn't like it, Judas eats like a bird, so it was Chub's pie for the killing. He had a good sized serving after dinner Sunday and then complained he didn't feel well. I just figured it was his way of staying up late, since it is rare for Wife to be in town Sunday nights. Monday night was a similar song and dance. He cut his own slice while I was at work, so it was him and bro-bro. Boy has no mercy and would rather yell at him to go to bed, than act like a human. You would think our little Einstein Junior candidate would maybe say "hmm, since the pie came in the door, it has been hurting me." Nope, he had another slice on Tuesday and this one came back and bit him in the esophagus, or wherever pies bite you when they win.
Chubs called me saying he felt like throwing up. Boy had just gotten home, so I told him to let him know what was happening and get a glass of water and do the dance in front of the toilet. It didn't take long for the pie and whatever else he ate to come out the wrong way. He was still up and fidgeting that he felt sick and weak when I got home around 11:00pm. I told him to just take it easy, if he felt bad in the morning, I would let him stay home.
In the morning, I went and checked on him and he said he still felt weak and his body felt nauseas but he didn't throw up anymore during the night. I told him not to worry about it, he could stay home, and I would write him a note for school. Wednesday night, after I suggested maybe no more pie, they went to throw it away and found that it had gone past its expiration on Monday. Maybe it made him sick, maybe not, but ever since we threw the pie away, he has not felt sick, so I am going to call it, Bad Pumpkin Pie.
We figured this was mostly his fault. We went Sunday afternoon to Costco and bought a huge pumpkin pie for like $5.99. I thought it was a pretty good price, but I had a sliver when we got it home and just found it a little meh. It wasn't liquidy, but it wasn't as firm as pumpkin pie should be for me. Wife left town, I didn't like it, Judas eats like a bird, so it was Chub's pie for the killing. He had a good sized serving after dinner Sunday and then complained he didn't feel well. I just figured it was his way of staying up late, since it is rare for Wife to be in town Sunday nights. Monday night was a similar song and dance. He cut his own slice while I was at work, so it was him and bro-bro. Boy has no mercy and would rather yell at him to go to bed, than act like a human. You would think our little Einstein Junior candidate would maybe say "hmm, since the pie came in the door, it has been hurting me." Nope, he had another slice on Tuesday and this one came back and bit him in the esophagus, or wherever pies bite you when they win.
Chubs called me saying he felt like throwing up. Boy had just gotten home, so I told him to let him know what was happening and get a glass of water and do the dance in front of the toilet. It didn't take long for the pie and whatever else he ate to come out the wrong way. He was still up and fidgeting that he felt sick and weak when I got home around 11:00pm. I told him to just take it easy, if he felt bad in the morning, I would let him stay home.
In the morning, I went and checked on him and he said he still felt weak and his body felt nauseas but he didn't throw up anymore during the night. I told him not to worry about it, he could stay home, and I would write him a note for school. Wednesday night, after I suggested maybe no more pie, they went to throw it away and found that it had gone past its expiration on Monday. Maybe it made him sick, maybe not, but ever since we threw the pie away, he has not felt sick, so I am going to call it, Bad Pumpkin Pie.
Friday, October 28, 2016
10/29/16 A Flat Tire, Now!!?
Every day seems to be marked by some new bullshit. Today (Thursday) was going to suck because they were to re-pave our street. I left to drop off Chubs at 7:45am, thinking by the time I come back, the road will probably be closed. They had posted signs that the street was closed from 7:00am to 5:00pm. I got back at 8:05 or so and nothing had changed. I discussed with Boy that I would probably park at the house and since he would be at school, when he got back, the street would be closed and he would have to park on a side street. I was a little worried if my truck was out on the street all day, it might get scratched or vandalized.
Since things were running too smoothly, life through us a curve and Boy called that he had gotten a blow out on the freeway on his way to class, for a test.. This is one of my fears and the main reason I went and traded his old ass Jeep for a much newer Ford Edge. The age of the vehicle does not guarantee whether a car gets a flat or not I know, but the tires are much newer. They are back to fucking with the freeway, for the next four years they will be expanding and improving the part we use from Ben White to south of Slaughter Lane. He probably ran over some shrapnel due to this. I was impressed with Boy, he said he felt a wobble and vibration so he started slowing down and making his way over to the right. He was already slowing down and on the shoulder when it blew. He drove off the freeway and changed the flat by himself on the frontage road. He even mentioned tightening the nuts in a star pattern, finishing tightening when the vehicle was on the ground.
He went to class, I tried sleeping, Fed Ex woke me with a package that had been damaged, so I needed to sign for it. It was Chub's Halloween costume, and it was not damaged, just the bag it came in was a little open.
Eventually, we went and picked up Chubs, ran to Discount Tire, I chose a "Best" Pirelli tire from the selections, remembered Wife's new car did not come with a spare so I bought one for her too. Not bad, but I had not planned on spending $360 on a couple tires on a random Thursday when I started out just hoping I would be able to drive out of my property in time to pick up my son. Now I am bothered that his car has one new tire and three others that have 17,000 miles on them. Oh well, I can't do much about that now. I am just glad it was not like the Firestone crap where cars were flipping over a few years ago.
Since things were running too smoothly, life through us a curve and Boy called that he had gotten a blow out on the freeway on his way to class, for a test.. This is one of my fears and the main reason I went and traded his old ass Jeep for a much newer Ford Edge. The age of the vehicle does not guarantee whether a car gets a flat or not I know, but the tires are much newer. They are back to fucking with the freeway, for the next four years they will be expanding and improving the part we use from Ben White to south of Slaughter Lane. He probably ran over some shrapnel due to this. I was impressed with Boy, he said he felt a wobble and vibration so he started slowing down and making his way over to the right. He was already slowing down and on the shoulder when it blew. He drove off the freeway and changed the flat by himself on the frontage road. He even mentioned tightening the nuts in a star pattern, finishing tightening when the vehicle was on the ground.
He went to class, I tried sleeping, Fed Ex woke me with a package that had been damaged, so I needed to sign for it. It was Chub's Halloween costume, and it was not damaged, just the bag it came in was a little open.
Eventually, we went and picked up Chubs, ran to Discount Tire, I chose a "Best" Pirelli tire from the selections, remembered Wife's new car did not come with a spare so I bought one for her too. Not bad, but I had not planned on spending $360 on a couple tires on a random Thursday when I started out just hoping I would be able to drive out of my property in time to pick up my son. Now I am bothered that his car has one new tire and three others that have 17,000 miles on them. Oh well, I can't do much about that now. I am just glad it was not like the Firestone crap where cars were flipping over a few years ago.
10/28/16 Why Are People Scared Of Driving?
I was lucky in that I started driving around twelve. It was one of the few things my dad seemed to enjoy doing with us as youngsters. If we weren't doing much on a weekend, he would even suggest let's go for a drive. Maybe it was his way of getting out of the house, maybe I was being a pain in the ass, I'll leave it at that. By the time I was fourteen, I was able to drive to high school by myself. I didn't have a reason to drive by myself since my mom worked there, I just rode with her, but for band practice and stuff after school, I would take our old 1979 Cougar. It was a cool car until my dad hit a deer with it, and it was never the same. But still, it was my car for a good while, then I graduated to driving my folk's truck, which was an F-150 Supercab. That was the start of my love affair with driving a truck, plus men in Texas are supposed to drive trucks, it should be a law.
My complaint today is not that, it's more of an observation on small town people being afraid to drive in the big cities. I always thought it was weird growing up, it was a conversation piece. One of my aunts still will not drive to San Antonio. In high school, I was taunted with the wait until you have to navigate in those big cities, get off on wrong exit and you are going to be lost or sent to the wrong side of town. I have missed exits, but I always figure out how to get back. I don't even think about the fact that we are driving in a big town and there are more challenges. I was and still am worried for Boy, but a parent always worries.
I learned to drive manual transmission with the commuter bus that went between Crystal City and Uvalde, which is about a 45 minute drive. I started asking questions to the driver who was one of the students and within five minutes he said do you want to drive, and before I knew it with the bus going 55, he stood up and I jumped in the driver's seat and before I knew it, I was driving probably 30-40 students with absolutely no skills on how to drive stick shift. By the time we got home, I was doing OK. He let me drive it a couple more times and then I volunteered to drive the commuter bus the second year. Why not? I was going to be in the bus either way, why not get paid to get to school? I considered myself the most responsible person on that bus anyway, so it was a good fit. This also made it much easier on my folks to buy me a vehicle to come to UT. I got a very well priced new 1991 Ford Ranger when I was ready to leave home, and it was a manual, advertised for $7995.
I bring this up because Wife was telling me she is taking some coworkers with her to a conference in San Antonio and both the ladies do not like to drive in the big city. Even more fun for Wife, she called on her way back home that each of them had taken a row in the suburban she was driving and they were both asleep, not even bothering to keep her company on the way back, like Wife wasn't tired. She told them, they are on their own Friday, because she is driving in her car, so she can head up to Austin afterwards. She is not going to chauffer both of them and then turn around and do another three hours to get up here.
My complaint today is not that, it's more of an observation on small town people being afraid to drive in the big cities. I always thought it was weird growing up, it was a conversation piece. One of my aunts still will not drive to San Antonio. In high school, I was taunted with the wait until you have to navigate in those big cities, get off on wrong exit and you are going to be lost or sent to the wrong side of town. I have missed exits, but I always figure out how to get back. I don't even think about the fact that we are driving in a big town and there are more challenges. I was and still am worried for Boy, but a parent always worries.
I learned to drive manual transmission with the commuter bus that went between Crystal City and Uvalde, which is about a 45 minute drive. I started asking questions to the driver who was one of the students and within five minutes he said do you want to drive, and before I knew it with the bus going 55, he stood up and I jumped in the driver's seat and before I knew it, I was driving probably 30-40 students with absolutely no skills on how to drive stick shift. By the time we got home, I was doing OK. He let me drive it a couple more times and then I volunteered to drive the commuter bus the second year. Why not? I was going to be in the bus either way, why not get paid to get to school? I considered myself the most responsible person on that bus anyway, so it was a good fit. This also made it much easier on my folks to buy me a vehicle to come to UT. I got a very well priced new 1991 Ford Ranger when I was ready to leave home, and it was a manual, advertised for $7995.
I bring this up because Wife was telling me she is taking some coworkers with her to a conference in San Antonio and both the ladies do not like to drive in the big city. Even more fun for Wife, she called on her way back home that each of them had taken a row in the suburban she was driving and they were both asleep, not even bothering to keep her company on the way back, like Wife wasn't tired. She told them, they are on their own Friday, because she is driving in her car, so she can head up to Austin afterwards. She is not going to chauffer both of them and then turn around and do another three hours to get up here.
Thursday, October 27, 2016
10/27/16 I Remember "Subtle"?
Wife is in a conference this week and said she ran into one of my old teachers from high school English class. I thought it was a little weird for a couple of reasons. First off, I don't remember any of the other teachers that did English back in the day. Crystal City High School is 99% Hispanic students and even the teachers were mostly Hispanic. For some reason, the English teachers were usually white ladies that didn't last. I believe this lady is married to a prominent business guy, so she set up roots and stayed there.
Another reason I thought it was weird Wife mentioned her is that I still remember a game where we were all put up against the wall and we had some sort of competition spelling wise, we just went around and around and we got random words. Although I was the last guy, which was cool, I stumbled on "subtle", I had not heard the word before and I remember feeling like I had been stabbed because I was sure I was the best speller in that class and such a simple word took me out. I don't know why, but that is one of those memories I can't forget, and it was supposed to be a game. I was thinking deeply on it as I was dressing for work the day before.
The teacher was very nice with Wife, she knows my mom and said something like "you're Mrs. Gallegos's daughter-in-law, which of her boys did you marry? Wife said the oldest, and she remembered having me in her class, which I thought was pretty impressive. Wife was in a stretch driving back from San Antonio and there are sections where the phone cuts in and out, but I am sure the exchange was something like "I knew that boy was something special, you must feel blessed to have married such an excellent human being." I do love my ego stroked but Wife was in the car with a couple coworkers, I was not going to be demanding she repeat herself over and over (I'll wait until the weekend).
It's a little weird with Wife working next to our old hometown, she is now in a higher position of authority than say one of my old math teachers, he moved over to the town she works in and she stopped by and said hi. He also remembered me and also spoke nothing but glowing words, something like "If only everyone was like your husband, I swear that guy is one in a million. I hope you cherish him every day."
Another reason I thought it was weird Wife mentioned her is that I still remember a game where we were all put up against the wall and we had some sort of competition spelling wise, we just went around and around and we got random words. Although I was the last guy, which was cool, I stumbled on "subtle", I had not heard the word before and I remember feeling like I had been stabbed because I was sure I was the best speller in that class and such a simple word took me out. I don't know why, but that is one of those memories I can't forget, and it was supposed to be a game. I was thinking deeply on it as I was dressing for work the day before.
The teacher was very nice with Wife, she knows my mom and said something like "you're Mrs. Gallegos's daughter-in-law, which of her boys did you marry? Wife said the oldest, and she remembered having me in her class, which I thought was pretty impressive. Wife was in a stretch driving back from San Antonio and there are sections where the phone cuts in and out, but I am sure the exchange was something like "I knew that boy was something special, you must feel blessed to have married such an excellent human being." I do love my ego stroked but Wife was in the car with a couple coworkers, I was not going to be demanding she repeat herself over and over (I'll wait until the weekend).
It's a little weird with Wife working next to our old hometown, she is now in a higher position of authority than say one of my old math teachers, he moved over to the town she works in and she stopped by and said hi. He also remembered me and also spoke nothing but glowing words, something like "If only everyone was like your husband, I swear that guy is one in a million. I hope you cherish him every day."
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
10/26/16 Boys Growing Up Into Little "Bitches"?
Recently, I saw a few videos with Judge Joe Brown handling cases on Youtube. Judge Joe Brown was on TV as one of those TV judges who handle arbitration cases. His show ran from 1998 to 2012. In one of the episodes he went into a tirade about how he had noticed over the last twelve years how lacking a man in the house, young men are growing up and acting more like women than men. He then went on and points out all the jewelry the guy is wearing, how he is standing there fidgeting, and constantly rolling his eyes. Judge Joe goes into trying to explain that men don't need all the bling and shiny jewelry, that when a man is addressing you, you should stand firm and give the elder your undivided attention, and that rolling your eyes and fidgeting about is behavior best suited to a young girl.
I have never understood the need for a man, as a man, to carry on with jewelry, I find guys that do a little suspect. I will occasionally wear a watch, but I consider that functional. I tell my boys all the time, not every adult is worth respecting, they must respect themselves first, but definitely if standing before an authority such as a police officer or judge, shut up and listen.
The series I am currently hooked on Highway Thru Hell has a kid fixing to turn 19, and he is also a little shit. The owner of the towing company is his step-dad, and the kid just doesn't want to get it. There are clashes between the kid and almost every adult male on the show. For the third season, half of the crew has relocated 700 miles away near some oil fields. Of course, the kid has decided he is going to go over there and drive one of the tow trucks. This worries the hell out of the lead driver who has been made manager of the crew working over there. No way he wants to babysit the brat. The step-dad trying to help the kid out had him driving a regular city tow truck so he could learn the ropes and become used to doing the work. He was not happy with this, he thought he was ready and worthy of driving one of the big rigs. Every time he doesn't like the task given to him, such as dragging cables here and there, he will walk off and leave. To me, this just screams spoiled little shit.
I could speak of other examples I have seen in the real world, but I will keep it civil. I only know both my boys benefit from having me around. Whereas mama wants to sit and coddle them, and hug them and insist they are each the most special things ever put on this green earth. I remind both of them they haven't accomplished anything other than eat my food and each is barely able to clean their own asses. Respect will come when they are productive members of society and that means making sure that the government isn't carrying your lazy ass.
I have never understood the need for a man, as a man, to carry on with jewelry, I find guys that do a little suspect. I will occasionally wear a watch, but I consider that functional. I tell my boys all the time, not every adult is worth respecting, they must respect themselves first, but definitely if standing before an authority such as a police officer or judge, shut up and listen.
The series I am currently hooked on Highway Thru Hell has a kid fixing to turn 19, and he is also a little shit. The owner of the towing company is his step-dad, and the kid just doesn't want to get it. There are clashes between the kid and almost every adult male on the show. For the third season, half of the crew has relocated 700 miles away near some oil fields. Of course, the kid has decided he is going to go over there and drive one of the tow trucks. This worries the hell out of the lead driver who has been made manager of the crew working over there. No way he wants to babysit the brat. The step-dad trying to help the kid out had him driving a regular city tow truck so he could learn the ropes and become used to doing the work. He was not happy with this, he thought he was ready and worthy of driving one of the big rigs. Every time he doesn't like the task given to him, such as dragging cables here and there, he will walk off and leave. To me, this just screams spoiled little shit.
I could speak of other examples I have seen in the real world, but I will keep it civil. I only know both my boys benefit from having me around. Whereas mama wants to sit and coddle them, and hug them and insist they are each the most special things ever put on this green earth. I remind both of them they haven't accomplished anything other than eat my food and each is barely able to clean their own asses. Respect will come when they are productive members of society and that means making sure that the government isn't carrying your lazy ass.
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
10/25/16 Starting The Week Off Super Busy?
For the next few weeks I am supposed to be going to the Wound Care Clinic to have my wound tended to. When I went in there last week for initial visit, they told me to come by twice a week to have my dressings changed and I guess monitor the healing process. Today, I went in there at 8:30am, after dropping off Chubs at his school at 7:50am. There was more waiting than I wanted to do, but oh well. This facility is really for old people and half dead. Everyone is in worst shape than me, that I have seen come in, and that is not a compliment. But at least my gash is looking a lot better according to the nurse. As a consequence, I only have to show up once a week to change my dressings and have the wound looked at. After getting it all wrapped up, I rushed home to get back in bed, but I stopped by the Shell on the way home, I was down to 3.5 gallons judging by my miles left to empty. I filled it up, clenching my sphincter. There was a police officer looking at the cars in the body shop next to the gas station, and I have an expired sticker on my window. I was expecting him to walk on over and do me the favor of ticketing me. He did not, but I did not hang out to wave at him. I finally went home and got in bed right before 10:00am.
I then got up at 3:20pm to go pick up Chubs and go eat, when Wife called to re-arrange my day. She started harassing me to call Concentra, the urgent care place to get an itemized bill, this while I had already planned to go to the UPS store to return a bad cable box. I hated doing it, but I got Judas to call in my truck while I drove, then stood on hold for about fifteen minutes, while we drove to the UPS store. I finally talked to a lady right before getting into the parking lot to return the cable box. Since there was a McDonald's right there, we went inside to have lunch. Wife called right as I bit into my burger, I answered, told her nope, we are fixing to eat, I'll call you in a bit. I know it's kind of dick-ish, but I already was uncomfortable with the clientele eating/hanging out at the McDonald's. There were four homeless people by four different outlets charging their phones.
We finished eating before 4:00pm, ran home, I got ready for work, showered, covering my leg which takes longer and is such a nuisance. I was at work right before 6:00pm, and here I sit, at 2:30am, trying to stay awake by writing my little blog.
I then got up at 3:20pm to go pick up Chubs and go eat, when Wife called to re-arrange my day. She started harassing me to call Concentra, the urgent care place to get an itemized bill, this while I had already planned to go to the UPS store to return a bad cable box. I hated doing it, but I got Judas to call in my truck while I drove, then stood on hold for about fifteen minutes, while we drove to the UPS store. I finally talked to a lady right before getting into the parking lot to return the cable box. Since there was a McDonald's right there, we went inside to have lunch. Wife called right as I bit into my burger, I answered, told her nope, we are fixing to eat, I'll call you in a bit. I know it's kind of dick-ish, but I already was uncomfortable with the clientele eating/hanging out at the McDonald's. There were four homeless people by four different outlets charging their phones.
We finished eating before 4:00pm, ran home, I got ready for work, showered, covering my leg which takes longer and is such a nuisance. I was at work right before 6:00pm, and here I sit, at 2:30am, trying to stay awake by writing my little blog.
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