Live Music Guy

I had my new year's eve post all figured out. I went on my trail walk to begin my new year and as usual I get into heavy thought while walking. I started thinking about how everyone dives into Spring Cleaning discarding all the things they don't need. So I had this whole post figured out discussing how we should do Spring Cleaning in our hearts, souls and lives each New Years.

But then....things happen to change your mind.

SO there I am on my last leg of the trail and it's kicking my butt cos I haven't exercised in about 4 months. All of a sudden I hear music....Live Music! I can't figure out what or where it's coming from....I round the curve and there stands this man with guitar in hand and harmonica in mouth playing his heart out. It's got a real jazzy flavah. I'm thinking to myself "if he thinks he's gonna make some change...no one has their wallets!" But then as I get closer I realize there is no bucket or hat for money. I realize that he's just simply playing for OUR Pleasure! Someone giving with no hopes of anything in return. People are buzzing by on their bikes, running in pairs, or like me just walking. Live Music Guy is playing his heart out...but I don't see no one saying anything. I see a big ole guy come up the trail towards him running...Live Music Guy takes his mouth off the harmonica and says in the most friendly voice possible "SMILE". The runner smiles really big. By then I am almost to Live Music Guy...and I am smiling big at him...again Live Music Guy takes his mouth off his harmonica for just a sec and says "Happy New Year" I return the salutation to him and turn back to walking away. All he wanted was to make me smile.

But then I turn my head back and shout back to him "Thank You!" He keeps playing that harmonica simply nodding at me with a smile.

I think my new year just started off on the right foot on the walking trail.

NYR

res·o·lu·tion (rěz'ə-lōō'shən)
1. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination.
2. A resolving to do something.
3. A course of action determined or decided on.






New Year's Resolutions


Ok I have to say that I HATE New Year's Resolutions....not because I hate making them....I just hate keeping them. Something Always Gets in Your Way in keeping promises to yourself. For expedience, I am using an acronym to discuss them. Most NYR's get made cos of guilt self-induced by the preceding religious holiday. Examples could be:

I resolve to be nicer to my family.

I resolve to not curse in front of my kids.

I resolve not to drink.

I resolve not to get arrested.





I could go on and on...Failure to keep those resolutions typically are because The Resolver did not decide on a specific Course of Action...meaning A Plan. If you want to reach a goal, you need to follow some simple steps:

* write it down ... cos you'll forget it

* be specific...ya can't just say "I'm gonna lose weight" HOW MUCH??

* make sure it is attainable...i mean can YOU really lose 50 lbs in 1 month??

* make sure it is a goal YOU want to reach...meaning don't do it for someone else!!

* have a long range goal with short range goals.....so you feel like you ARE accomplishing something till you get to the Finish Line.

* Reward yourself...no one else will!

* have a friend who will encourage and support you...as well as make you accountable....cos you'll make excuses!



See you expected silliness from me today....but I was just thinking how I reached this goal of mine a few years back....only to let it go to the wayside and now I'm in the same position I was in then. So it's back to the drawing board for this ole' gal!



I refuse to call it a New Year's Resolution though. I'm making a New Life Statement!!

If you do that...you don't have to make New Year's Resolutions each year and break them.

Redneck Christmas

Yah we did it! We went to Waffle House for breakfast on Christmas Morn in our PJ's. My sis and her family have been doing this tradition for years now and I joined them this year. My brother-in-law eats breakfast there on a fairly regular basis so the waitress knows them. As we walked in about 8am...Angie(their personal waitress) met them at the door with drinks in hand as we waited for a table. Me not being a regular had to put in my order.

As soon as we were seated she began taking food orders...I asked for a menu since I'm not a regular..soon as I put my order in...she said "That's your usual now" and smiled. Of course, family pics are taken before leaving and all. Angie says her family wishes she didn't have to work Christmas morning but she says she wouldn't miss it for the world! (course she wouldn't...she made about $200 in tips from about 4 families that morning)

Several families join us and we take up one side of the diner..finally we finish and head back to the house to Open Gifts! oh didn't I tell ya...the kids have to wait to open presents AFTER breakfast. It's the tradition now.

They've learned to eat fast.

and so it is Christmas....

It's Christmas time and while all are scurrying about grabbing sweaters off the rack and bumping elbows to get the last DiceK shirt....I'm happy sitting behind this screen writing. You see a few years back my family decided that we had lost our way in the meaning of Christmas. So we don't do the gift swapping between all of us. Don't get me wrong...the kids get gifts at our family gathering. We buy our parents gifts. With 5 kids in my family and so many grandkids, we don't buy for one another because we would be going either broke or receiving some stupid gift we wouldn't use. So now...we have our food, drink and fun gathering and play the game..."what's that baby's name and who's the daddy?" (don't ask...it'd take me a couple of blogs to explain it)

and so tonight I am headed off to buy me PJ's I can wear in public to eat breakfast in as my sis and her family eat at the local Waffle House on Christmas Morn before opening presents.

Ok bought some PJ's but not happy with them...so I think I am bringing them back today and buy some more. I don't recall being so obsessed with a New Year's outfit as this!!

ok Back with new PJ's! so I went all out...pj's, houseshoes and a new fluffy robe!! I will be the smartest PJ dresser at Waffle House.

Thanks Baggie for Everything!

It's not easy saying goodbye, especially when you still have so much more to give. Jeff Bagwell, affectionately known as 'Baggie', is retiring because his body says it's time to go home. His heart, spirit and soul are still very much on fire for the game but his body is telling him it's time. It's hard to admit that you're actually getting too old to play anymore so I admire Baggie for saying "I don't want to embarrass myself..". At least he gets it so that he goes out with a bang and memories for all of us to live on.

I remember him coming onto the team as I was excited that Texas got a Boston player since I was just becoming a fan of the team with Roger there. Bagwell wasn't sure about moving here but he became one of Houston's most beloved and admired players.

Baggie isn't going far as he will continue to work with the Astros in some capacity for their minor league teams in Round Rock and Corpus. I hope to catch a closer glimpse of him and perhaps get an autograph of a future HOFer hopeful.

Goodbye to one of the most devoted Astro players Houston will possibly ever have...he played with heart and soul. I know that Baggie will pass on this trait to the newer younger players in the minor league.

Would someone please tell me........

Why does Texas get such a bad rap?? I mean we have this glorious state that can fit a hundred Rhode Islands in (ok maybe not a hundred) But it's a BIG ASS state. We have beaches (maybe not the best), mountains (maybe not the highest), rolling hills ( THE Prettiest), a canyon (2nd largest in Nation), tons of rivers, caprock and flatlands. I mean EVERY type of geographical land.

We have So many ethnic groups who settled here: the Germans and Czechs, the French and Indians, hell our population of Hispanics are most likely outnumbering the Caucasians. We have Houston and Dallas for big city life. We have El Paso, San Antonio and Corpus for the mexicano flavor. The Golden Triangle (Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange) in Southeast Texas is full of Cajun laissez bon temps rouller.

Head out to West Texas and North Texas and you'll find oil and ranchers. The Panhandle of Texas boast of the best beef raised. And we can't forget those cowboys...NO I am NOT talking about Football. I am talking about those beautiful lanky fillintheirwranglerjeans men with cowboy hats to boot (pun intended). Yiiiiiii HAW! and of course there are us bigger than life Texas Gals who just LOVE to laugh.

Remember the Alamo!! our state Capitol is taller than the US Capitol!

I am damn proud to be from Texas so I wish the rest of the world would just leave us alone and quit stereotyping us as dumb country folk.

and for YOUR information "W" was born in Connecticut.

Migraines....suck like waiting on Winter Meetings

Anyone have a hammer? Dealing with migraines are a bitch! it's like this heavy foot pushing against your brain and your mind's in a fog. I try to make sure I keep my meds on hand but apparently I fell down on the job with that this weekend. No meds around and 3 shots of expresso ain't seeming to do it either. I swear there's an invisible vice grip on my head. Now would someone kick Boras' ass and maybe THAT would relieve some of this pressure. yeah THAT's it! The stress of waiting on Dice-K getting signed is causing this migraine! I hope Boras gets a freaking Migraine after causing us Red Sox fans so much stress!! here's a little haiku:

Winter Meetings suck
like a vice grip on my brain
Boras sign Dice-K.

I'd rather freeze my ass off than sweat like a pig

Well it seems like Winter is finally approaching Texas. Bout Damn TIME!!! I know you New Englanders loathe dealing with the winter snow but oh how I wish I could deal with it one winter. To smell the fresh clean air and not feel like I'm being smothered by heat. To feel the coolness on my skin and not sweat dripping down my back. To see the leaves turn their colors on a slow basis would be nice. I mean you can put on more clothes but you can get arrested if you try to take off too much.

Winter
Give me cold
it keeps me warm

Santa's making his list.......

Ok so Christmas is on it's way and Santa is making his list of who's naughty and nice. Which one are you? Will Santa bring you gifts a plenty or a bag of coal? Well for starters, Tek is first on my list. I mean I could just sit and drool I mean look at him all day long. He could be my own personal Santa with those thighs of his. He looks like he's getting ready to take off in flight with those thighs...mmmmm

So what's on your list of Christmas wishes? Perhaps you'd like to see this again?


I just can't wait till Spring...that's what I want for Christmas....Springtime so I can watch baseball again. Until then, I'll just post and publish

Thanksgiving........

So it's Thanksgiving AGAIN already. I know we should giving thanks instead of complaining...but think about it for a bit. What are you unthankful for?

I am unthankful for:

1. rude people

2. war

3. violence

4. poverty

5. racist attitudes STILL

6. discrimination

7. it's still about WHO you know not what you know

8. lazy people

9. condescending attitudes

10. holidays without your loved ones

What I AM Thankful for:

1. Vodka

2. my long distance booty call

3. my only son

4. Sweet Potato Pie w/ whip cream

5. mmmm Whip Cream

6. Ice Cream

7. Coffee

8. Living in Austin on townlake

9. Weekends

10. Men

162 Games

April seems so long ago with October

Bringing on the fall. So many games

That brought us joy, frustration, tears and smiles.

Seeing the light fading against the green wall

While players knock fists, doing their handshakes

Smiles amid man hugs.

It ends as it should, with the rain washing away

The pain.

Rain hiding tears that you don’t bother forcing back.

Standing waiting for someone to tell them

“it’s over, Go home.”

But wait Neil didn’t get to sing his song,

no one got to stretch,

no ‘Take me out to the Ballgame’,

no cracker jack,

no One, Two, Three Strikes you’reout?

Just rain pouring over the seats,

the pen, the tarp,

Dripping over Ted’s seat

and the Monster.

Fans sit, stand, smile and cry.

Not wanting to

Leave their team,

their love.

But one by one,

they file out of Fenway,

their second home.

Spilling out into the streets

singing ‘Sweet Caroline

Bah bah bah good times never

seemed so good, so

Good, so good, so good’

heading to the T.

Baseball may be over for our boys,

So we sit and wait for spring.

After becoming a Red Sox fan during Roger's era at Boston, I finally made my trek to "the church of baseball": Fenway about 3 years ago. I put together a baseball trip for 3 friends and myself. We attended games at "The Vet" in Philly, Yankee Stadium in New York and Fenway Park in Boston. Although I was not looking forward to going to The Toilet, I was please to find out that MY Roger was pitching! But words could not describe my feelings and how my heart jumped when I walked down the ramp for the first time to see The Green Monster. Below is a short poem I wrote for my trio of girls on the day we flew to the east coast. It epitomizes my love for baseball.

Diamonds

They say diamonds are a girls’ best friend
perfect in shape, form,
brilliant color reflecting in the admirers’ eyes.
Each one different than the next;
Yet all bring the same feelings,
the same joy, the same smile
When a man steps up to the plate and
Finally says, “Play Ball!”