Won't Get Fooled Again - Phil

On this date in history, September 30, 1955, Actor James Dean was killed when his Porsche 550 Spyder crashed head-on into another car.  Andy Warhol called him “the damaged but beautiful soul of our time”.  Also, in 1889, Wyoming legislatures approve a state constitution that gives women the right to vote, the first of its kind in the Western U.S.  Ladies, rejoice.

 

Like the minions before me, I headed out of Houston late last Wednesday night with the intent of traveling to Austin.  This, however, was no evacuation.  Granted a weekend reprieve by the grace of God, we were headed to ACL.  One night spent at a gas station later, we arrived in time to catch all of the festival we cared to see.  Do yourself a favor, get up, shower, feed the dog/cat and head to your favorite record store to pick up any album from The Decemberists.  Trust me, you will not be disappointed. 

 

Playoff fever is in the air, if you haven’t noticed.  (A mostly male disease contracted in late-September and sometimes lasting until early November; symptoms include loss of female companionship, increased reading of ESPN.com, and the constant use of the “previous channel” button the remote control.  For those with more severe symptoms please seek medical assistance, or attempt to self-medicate at your favorite watering hole.)  I don’t consider myself to be a bandwagon fan, but I’m driving the cart on this one.  Go ‘Stros!  Bruntlett Jihad!

 

This just in from the I.T. department – Don’t count your eggs before they’ve hatched.  Feel free to count them before you leave the grocery store. 

 

Enough for now, for those concerned the answer is “Yes, I am still alive”, and for those not concerned, the answer is “D – all of the above”.

 

Rock'N Roll Star - LG

I usually like to have a title first, but there can't be just one way
to describe this post without writing it first. Last wednesday,
Houston government officials decided to give me a 5 day weekend/holiday
courtesy of hurricane rita. So at ten till thursday, I joined the
ranks and files and fled to the first place that came to my
mind...austin, texas. Ha Haaa! Austin, Texas! I was extremely lucky
in the time I made, but o.. how I was mad to see, a young man, with a
back pack, waiting on the bus. I had driven, all night. I get 3.5
hours sleep to recover from the all-nighter before I threw myself into
a whirlwind that would beat me down as I am STILL feeling the effects.

The schedule for the next 4 days goes like this. Thursday night i took
full advantage of one hour and thirty minutes down the street. After
the recovery (1) I slid down the road to Zilker park...ACL in full
effect. For three days 120 thousand people (thats what i heard) walked
a dust bowl into the ground watching bands on multple, multiple stages.
Awsome! I walked around without a shirt for three days. Did not
sunburn!?! What? The scenery? Magnificent! A lot of Texas Talent on
the grounds, I will say that. When I was done for the day, I made a
trip back to Eric, Mike, and Tobin's place to clean up for the next
round. Friday Night? ha haaa (much more time to play with an after
party at robs) recovery(2)-ACL (its a fumble!). Saturday Night? Ha ha
haaa. (please, do not take me to the warehouse district and not know
where you want to go) recovery(3)-ACL. Sunday Night? Now I know that
I said '4 Night Bender' when I got there but no, no way can I pound
myself one more time. Damn peer pressure! Sunday night ended up being
the most intoxicating one of them all. Ooo, that one left a mark. (4)

I can't say enough about all the water I drank at ACL. Definetly kept
me in the best possible health for what I would be doing later. If
you've never been to ACL, do it. Even if for one day, do it. Allman
Brothers, Buddy Guy, Wilco, Blues Traveler, The Decemberists, Oasis,
Coldplay and the South Austin Jug Band (too bad they played soo early!)
Just some of my highlights.

Now, to talk about the 'fumble'. Saturday night Wally was a better
wingman than the Iceman. I come back from the beer run before Oasis
(so sweet) and Wally had me set up. Before it starts we're chattin.
Close quarters you know, a hundred thousand people trying to crowd into
45 ft from stage, 15 ft left of center(stage right). After the show I
hear the kicker as she's talking to her friend and friend's
boyfriend...'but he's leaving with his friends' ...{head shaking} ...
I have no excuses. I had the in, I had the connection, I got the vibe,
and nothing. I felt like a dog chasing a car. I had the car. "hey
uh....whats next?" Now I know whats next. But I balked. It did,
however, pump my ego a little. I saw the signs that some lady was
attracted to me. I had been topless all day and an attractive young
lady is digging on me? Ha haaa!

Cuz in my mind my dreams are real, are you concerned about the way i
feel, Tonight, I'm a ...

A Loss For Words

During a conversation I had with my friend Eric this past weekend, I mentioned that I find adult life (beginning at age 22, roughly the age of most college graduates) to be surprisingly boring and predictable. I remember Chris Rock mentioning that good relationships, for example, are boring in part because the couple talks about the same shit every conversation. Therefore, Rock says he'd want some fantastic event to happen (his example was being kidnapped) for no other reason than to have a new topic to discuss.

I say all this to explain the topic of this post...there is none. The past two weeks have been so uneventful that I am driven to posting random thoughts on here.

I thought about discussing politics given that at least 3 big stories are in the news (hurricanes, Roberts, Delay). But that would be boring, and I honestly don't know enough to provide more than an elementary level of detail on my thoughts.

I thought about football. But no one really wants to know why I think Central Florida will beat Louisiana-Lafayette on the road this weekend and win its second game in 18 tries. Well, no one besides Matt. But we can have that conversation tomorrow.

I thought about talking about my online sports betting hobby. However, I don't really know my audience here so I can't dismiss the possibility that some IRS Federales read this. And you can be damn sure I don't pay taxes on my winnings.

I could always talk about my women issues. But people read this to get away from their problems, not take on mine, so that's out of the question....for now.

So I'll ramble on about interesting stuff that has been on my mind lately...

Last night I had a small discussion with Brenna. I told her about my experience at Exodus, an 18+ club in Austin, last week. I mentioned that for the first time in a long time, a girl (bedies Les) grabbed my ass on the dance floor. I was overjoyed. She was pretty hot, too. 5'6, dirty blonde, skinny, nice face - definitely my type. But, I was with hotter girls so I didn't pursue it. I told Brenna that most girls would consider that sexual harassment. I told her she could sexually harass me anytime.

My friend Lindsey turned 22 the other day, and I promised to buy her 22 scratch off tickets as a gift. I am really tempted to say that I want a cut (say 15%) of winnings in excess of $1,000. But I don't know if that would be appropriate. I'll figure this out. Anyone remember the movie starring Nick Cage where he gives a waitress a lottery ticket because he can't tip her? Wonder if this will be a similar situation...

Double D sent me this link to a webpage entitled "Ode to the Nice Guys." After reading, I have decided to become less nice. Women, no longer will I listen to bitching about guys who have screwed you over. Sorry. Don't want to hear it...

"Bitch, you know what I want, hahahaha..." - Mr. Nice Guy

Rita

I went to Austin this past Wednesday to escape hurricane Rita. A good time was definitely had by all involved. It was good to see friends I had not seen in a while. I also met some new ones, which is always good. Partied a lot. Watched HD tv all weekend, which was sweet. I need to get HD.

Now its back to the grind of getting applications out.

I had to cancel my PF Chang's dining experience from last Friday, so I am rescheduling it for this Friday. 7 or 8pm. Any takers?

In other news, I learned recently that Geena Davis is starring in a new political drama in which she is the president. Are you fucking kidding me? Is anyone going to watch this?

Long Time Coming - LG

In the past month since Vegas, I've seen more of the inside of my
office than I have of anything else. Most people think tax season is
only before April 15th. Naw son! All those extensions that get filed
before then come due in September and some in October, so I've been
humpin it at the office. That, of course, leads to me having no desire
to look at a computer screen while I enjoy my precious few hours at the
house.

During these three to four weeks, I have had a few more interesting
experiences I'd like to share. To begin, people, do not talk bad about
someone else's family just because you're mad about the way things are
working out, especially when you are the person who put yourself, and
whoever else you dragged along, in your current situation. Some
background: When all this blew up, she wants to keep the families out
of it because its between her and me. "You are correct sir!" Now why
does the tune change and my family gets insulted. If you don't have
room to talk, do not talk. I believe she has no room. I also believe
that the person who gave her the 411 has no room to talk....hows that
high school student with your grandchild? In a fit of anger, I let her
know who was really getting the raw end of the stick.

Moving on, I learned another lesson to apply on the road from
heartache. My vibe has been off. I rib people alot and get joshed
back alot, all in fun. Some say I'm an easy target, but i bring much
of it on myself. For so long I have had no problems taking back what I
dished, until recently when I felt like I was in grade school again.
What I use to brush of my shoulder was now sticking me like a knife.
After a conversation with Dale, I called the pal at work to discuss
things. What I've come to understand is that right now I'm as
emotionally stable as a woman at the end of her lunar cycle, and I have
to let those around me know what is going on. Obviously the guy
understands and the weeks since have been much easier. Some of the fun
is still there, but I can really tell that he's been holding some
things back and I can't thank him enough during this time. Thanks
Michael!

A few things I'd like to touch on.......Boo-ya! The cowboys from hell
walked into the Horseshoe and struted back out. To all the UT 'fans'
that couldn't say we'd win....get a healthy wiff from that pile behind
BEVO. To all the UT haters who didn't believe or bet against
us.....eat it! OU and CHris Simms are the only two things that can
stop our machine.

"yeah i'm gonna break. i'm gonna break my rusty cage ....and run"

Ruminations

There's no storyline to this post, just a couple of random thoughts I had over the weekend.

First, my weekend was boring as hell. Allow me to explain: I get back in town on Friday at 2:30pm. I had an asshole cab driver from the airport, so I tipped him 50 cents on a 26.50 fare and called in a complaint to his company. Anyway, I don't leave my apartment until 9:30pm Saturday night. Thats 31 hours straight without leaving my 1 bedroom apartment. I didn't even leave to check my mailbox. I watched college football all day- literally. Then today (Sunday) I watched pro football. Also did a little work on applications. This week will suck because I was out of town all last week and made no progress the apps. I also decided to apply to UCLA today. I stayed in my underwear for 46 out of the 48 hours of the weekend. I also cooked myself two steaks, took 5 showers (mostly out of boredom), and washed my sheets.

Second, I spent the 2 hours this weekend not in my underwear at a party for my friend David. It was his 23rd bday. David is Colombian. I've met a lot of his friends. He had a party at his apartment, and I felt extremely awkward becase he had a ton of friends over, and they're all Latin, which is cool but for that they ALL speak spanich around each other. So feel left out and alienated. Anyway, I got drunk and left after about an hour and a half. I wanted to stick around, but I wasn't talking to anyone, and not having fun.

Third, I am going to PF Changs this upcoming Friday night (the 23rd) for dinner. Looking for someone (or more) to join me. If not, I'll have a table for 1 and a Newsweek magazine. 7 or 8 o'clock-ish.

-Chris

Epistemilogical Suffciency

Ms. Angela posted a rather pertinent comment to the Mr. Big post from yesterday. Apparently I did not pay close enough attention to Sex and the City (SATC). She's right. Carrie does always want Mr. Big, which probably makes this situation a closer parallel. But my pledge to all who read this is as follows: I happen to have access to all 6 seasons of SATC on dvd. Over the next 6 months, I will rewatch every episode so I don't make a mistake like this again. I will know my SATC like the back of my hand. However, I will still know college football better. Anyone have tickets to the Texas vs Rice game this weekend?

Honk if you like this blog.

Mr. Big

Ok, many of you are confused as to why I am still not back in Houston yet. I was supposed to return this past Monday. Well, here is the explanation: I am in Chicago hanging out with my ex-girlfriend. Yes girls, I am helping her in a time of need (i.e. not being a complete asshole).

Les is moving to France to work as an au pair, or nanny for us English speaking people, and she needs a work visa to be a "legal" worker while she is there. To do this, she has to submit an application to the Chicago French consulate because its the official consulate for her state of residence, Kansas. But thus far she's run into some hangups and we've had to stay a couple of extra days. So we've seen the sights, major museums, the John Hancock building (which is cool as shit for those of you who have yet to experience the skydeck). All in all it has been pretty nice.

I must admit, I do feel like Mr. Big from Sex And The City in his relationship with Carrie. I am basically the most magnificent dude on the planet, and my Carrie (i.e. Leslie) kind of comes in and out of my life. We dated, then broke up, then starting sleeping with each other, now I don't know. It's like we want to date but the girl (like in the real series) doesn't know what she wants. Strange.

Anyway, I hope to be back in Houston on Friday or Saturday. I'll catch up with y'all then. By the way, I know that people outside my Houston friends are reading this blog (Jenny, Tim, etc). Post a comment or e-mail me already!!!

Columbus, Ohio

For those of you who don't know, I travelled to Columbus, Ohio this past weekend for a football game between the University of Texas and Ohio State. My wonderful cousin Drew graciously offered me housing during my stay there. I must say, the entire weekend rocked.

As most of you know by now, Texas won. People, I had been to Ohio Stadium before, but I didn't experience the crazed atmospere before this past Saurday night. The stadum attendance record was set that night. 105,565 people packed in for what was the greatest game of the season thus far and what was probably the best game of all season. College football fans will understand the feeling I am talking about. This was awesome. I will never forget this game as long as I live. The Ohio State fans were rabid; downright brutal. I, as a Texas fan, was called everything from a rich pretentious Texan to a flaming homosexual (because, according to the OSU fans, only steers and queers come from Texas). I attended ESPN's College Gameday on Saturday morning, the game that night (I will post pictures soon) and Gameday Final after the game.

On the social side of things, I went out on Friday night to a place called Brother's, a big ass bar. It was teeming with Texas fans and a few lost OSU fans. Best part of the night: some random Texas fans offers to buy the ENTIRE bar drinks for 30 minutes. Word has it he ran up a $10,000 bar tab. Awesome.

Back at home, I partied with Drew a lot. It was tons of fun. I still can't believe Drew is only 18. I met her roomates, all of whom were cool as shit. Pretty hot too, especially Kim. Damn girl, you are smokin. I'm coming back in November. Drew should warn you...I am hard to resist :)

All in all, it was among the best 4 days I've had all summer. Drew, Kim, Alyssa, and Robin, thank you for having me. I loved every minute (although I don't really like y'alls parking situation; it's kinda fucked up), and I can't wait to see you all again soon! O-H-I-O!

Discovery

It's really late and I have to catch a plane in about 10 hours, but I feel the need to spread the good word. I recently happened upon what may be the funniest (if not most mysogynistic) website I have ever seen. TuckerMax.com is classic. Everyone check this out. Read the Austin road trip story. I'll post more stuff later.

For those of you who don't know, the University of Texas is playing Ohio State in a much anticipated football game this weekend. I have a cousin who will be a sophomore at Ohio State in the fall, and decided to visit her this weekend. I also have tickets to the game. Anyway, my cousin is 18 and lives in a house with 3 other girls, the oldest of which (whom?) is 20. Should be a good time. I'll be sure to log my experiences. I'll definitely drink alot. Combatively, perhaps.

Vegas

Vegas was a great time for all of us. You can find pictures of my sexy ass here.

I do apologize for the delay, as I have really begun to focus on my applications and they are taking up a great deal of time.