I know in my heart of hearts that it shouldn’t limit his RSS and won’t now for you RSS Readers (Astin, Wawfuls etc). But I need people to visit the site and comment there, not just on Twitter or Facebook. Well at least until Wawfuls helps me with the blog intergration.
Other things that I know:
No matter how hard I try, the garage door will have to be looked at after the first of the year. The stopping in the middle of the way up is annoying as hell!
Big Win for the Red Raiders last night versus Washington. But it means NOTHING unless you follow it up with a win versus TCU on Tuesday. Winning at home is expected. Winning on the road is where you make your RPI look good for the NCAA’s.
It’s not the holidays. It’s CHRISTMAS DAMMIT! I’m so tired of people filled to the brim with political correctness. The holiday that causes people to wait for deals at 4 in the morning isn’t Kwanzaa, it isn’t Festivus, it’s Christmas. Stop wasting my time with “Happy Holidays”. It’s either Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah. All the other imitators need to go away now.
I know that if it takes a paid subscription to read your stuff , I won’t be subscribing.
I’ve wanted it to snow more and more and every time I hear 1- 3 inches expected we get nothing. It’s kinda disappointing. All I want them to say is “this storm won’t drop much” , and then we’ll get three feet.
That the wedding is closer and what needs to be done are the little things. But those little things are KILLING Joanna and I now. If we had a weekend to get it all done it would be easy. But it isn’t . Joanna leaves in 8 days to go home for her final wedding preparations.
I will say it for the record. I am NOT NERVOUS! Just depending on other people to take care of certain things are driving me crazy! The wedding planner for the site is horrendous.
Alot of work this week for the wedding with wedding music. I’m putting together the list and the computer with the music on it. I refuse to have the following songs played at my wedding :
We aren’t having a DJ at the wedding reception because :
A. We don’t have the room in the room to have a DJ.
B. I’m not listening to crap at my wedding. I remember some of the music that the “Alleged DJ” thought would be “perfect” for my first wedding, and watched as the dance floor stayed empty. We’ll have a great mix of rock , country , a little hip hop. But unfortunately, I can’t have Steel Panther played at the wedding reception otherwise I’d offend the offensive.
C. We have a former XM Satellite PD as our official button pusher/programmer. Thanks John for helping us out!
D. The usual requests at the wedding are so esoteric that we would rather listen to music that we like rather than what other people like. Maybe that’s a bit selfish, but it is our day. I have no desire to listen to anyone that I can’t stand ie The Macarena, Anything by Vince Gill, Joanna has banned U2 and I’m still wavering on the chicken dance. It may be on the play list but it won’t be pulled out unless I’m feeling right!
One last reunion…
In a way , this may be the last time I’m going to be seeing this group of my good friends together again ever. Each of the wedding party on my side has a special purpose. In Alphabetical Order:
My best goat blowing friend Joe… What can I say? We toughed out some of the toughest years of our lives with the other encouraging the other. When he was dealing with Family Auto Spots, I was laughing along with him. When I was dealing with divorce, he was there to tell me that I would find love again. As for the goat blowing, its a inside joke. I was honored to be Joe’s best man at the wedding of him and Ann.
My brother Liam… He is my tie to my family, been there for the last 29 years supporting me when I wanted to pull away from everyone and hide in Lubbock. He’s the one who told me to go play cards after Pat died and started me back onto the road of self strength. I know when the phone is ringing at 1 in the morning that it could be only one man. My brother. I can depend on him.
My college friend Mitchell… who has been there since college, doling out the advice on a when I really needed it basis. Stayed quiet when I discussed Angie before I got married the first time, but now tells me how Joanna is such a good fit for me. If he approves someone, he will back them up. Also knows where the bodies are hidden and where to hide them !
My work friend Reid… host of donahue.org, instanttragedy.com and my first friend in radio in Lubbock. We worked overnights , him at FM 99, me at KLLL and yet we’d talk to each other to keep each other awake. Bring the term Eleanor Roosevelt up to him and he’ll tell you a sidesplitting story about screwing with Kelli the overnight woman at Mix. Don’t forget the chicken call and some of the more interesting .
My brother from another mother Shawn… What can I say about Shawn? We played cards, and helped each other with our poker play. Him to a world series seat, me to a top 6 finish in the APL National Championships. I knew he was a great guy when him and Curtis just listened to me talk to my kids one time back from the lake to Oklahoma City and pulled me aside to say that he knew my pain and he would always be behind me. Unquestioned friendship. I’d tell you more, but he’d ask for a dollar for the bad beat story.
And there are many other people that I could substitute in there for almost each of them. People that have made an impact in my life; Dalby, Hyatt, Ken, Jon, McDermott and the list would continue on and on. But I chose this fabulous five for this moment. At this time I needed them, and they will be there.
The days approach to the wedding, and I have no fears. Except the one where the wedding planner doesn’t call us back.
I found out that I have to be at work at 5A on Friday. Joy. I’m SOOOOOO Excited. Maybe I can get some shopping done before my shift at 9A.
When it rains it pours…
A week ago I didn’t think Joanna and I would have Thanksgiving plans. Since I work at the aforementioned 5A on Black Friday, I would be unable to have Thanksgiving with either of our families in Hurst and Fredricksburg.
We’ve been busy doing things for other people and getting Jewelry parties set up as well as wedding showers for Joanna and we’ve been too busy to think of what we are going to do for Thanksgiving. Just Sunday night, her parents asked us what we were doing for T-Day.
I just stared at her as I held her on the couch and said…
“Right now we don’t have any solid plans,” I said clueless to the Big Guy’s plan.
Because my usual single place for Thanksgiving – Dennis and Kristi Simmons , well, he’s the wide receivers coach for Tech and I had it in my mind that he would have practice in preparation for the FRIDAY game and not holding Thanksgiving this year. Except the game is on Saturday at Jimmy World in Dallas.
So they kindly invited us back for yet another year of shenanigans starting at 2. BTW Kristi cheats at cards. I’m not kidding, just ask Dee Brown. But I still hold the Turkey Bowl Trophy for spades against her and my wife to be. (Have I mentioned that they cheat horribly?)
COOL! We are normally done at 7 or so and I usually rolls myself into bed for a nice winters nap.
WRONG
Yesterday we were invited at 7 to the Dalby’s for a Thanksgiving Feast. I love Kym and Mike Dalby. She’s a nurse, he’s a firefighter and there isn’t a bad time that we have EVER had with them. Every year I find a way to sneak out a Fantasy Football win against him and he is always yelling my name in vain.
By the way GO NEW YORK NASTY BOYS!!!!!
SCORE! So we get baby Ava time with the Dalby’s because Mike won’t get home from the Fire Station till after 6-6:30. Every man needs to wind down a bit before he has to carve turkey!
Then this morning at 7:45 in the morning… we were invited to the Kruegers for a Thanksgiving shot of goodwill Thanksgiving morning.
A couple of days ago I was cursing because I felt that Thanksgiving would be a quiet one between Joanna and I.
Now , we will be surrounded by our friends being very thankful that they are in our lives.
Tonight it will be “Go to the wine store and figure out what Lubbock wine will go the best with Turkey!”
I’m a blessed man.
ERROR ! DOES NOT COMPUTE
Now I admit last night I got very frustrated because I was working on an accounting issue for someone I love. However my English and her English were not meshing.
Because she LEFT SOMETHING OUT!
Now the logical part of me is going crazy because she doesn’t give me all the facts. It was like this…
“How does 2 +1 = 4? Because it doesn’t!”
“But 2 + 1 + 1 = 4!”
“Where did the other 1 come from?”
“Didn’t I tell you about the other 1?”
“NO!” (red angry face)
“Oops!”
I’m a logical person but in every equation you can’t solve for X if there isn’t a X to solve for.
25 days and I can’t wait.
Each day we get closer and closer, and each day I look more forward to it all being done and she being mine…
It’s a business I tell you, relationships with my ex is just a business, just pay the money, smile and laugh.
And I have, but lately Shelby is asking to live with me and I’m so tempted to say, “YES, come down here. Joanna and I can take care of you.”
But that isn’t true. I can’t take care of her because my hours are far from steady and normal. Hell neither of Joanna and my hours are.
Take last night, I was at a remote at Buffalo Wild Wings, something that hasn’t happened for a long time and I wanted to just prove that I could deliver for them. And I did, converting their QB1 from 2 players on Sunday (ALL DAY) to 20 in one night. I felt good and I didn’t get home till 8 P.
Now it’s hard when you have limited local friends and family members are 5 hours away. I didn’t think that it would be good for Shelby and Ryan to be living in my unpredictable life back when Angie left.
Now I could have gotten a court order to keep her in a nine country range, but I let her go. I did what I thought was best and karma would pay me back.
“Daddy, do you think you’d mind if I could come live with you after my cat dies? I know you are allergic to cats and I don’t want you to get sick,” Shelby told me last week.
I just looked at the phone and a tear fell, “When the time is right you will be here, Shelby.”
“Maybe I can go to Texas Tech and live with you.”
“I’d like that,” I said as I started to shut down.
That’s when I got sick. I had worked the last two weeks preparing for the Eddie Money show and I ran myself down.
Thus when yesterday I started the phlegm and puke parade I wasn’t surprised.
But I wasn’t sad. It wasn’t tragic. It was life. And Johnny, life isn’t miserable. I have a great woman who loves me and offers me opportunities to grow, love and fight for things that mean something to me.
I’m playing poker again. And winning.
I’m writing on the second half of the novel… and I think I’m seeing clearer than I ever have.
Finances still suck. And last night an opportunity presented itself.
When I left the bar I checked the envelope that had my pay from the event.
And it was double what it was supposed to be.
And a moment presented itself.
I could :
A. Take the extra money, say nothing, think that it was a bonus that was earned for my hard work.
B. Take the extra money, and thank the poor shmuck who is going to have to pay it back.
C. Take the extra money, and think that it was karma paying me back for the $100 that I lost in the Texas Tech press box at the Rice game.
I’ve been working on the house a lot and it’s almost finished. I’m really proud of the work and the handyness that I have discovered in me. Maybe it was latent in me and I just had to do it on my own. Maybe it wasn’t my hands doing the handy stuff.
Maybe it was Patricks.
Never the less, I’ve reached the point of what is done is done, and what can’t be done won’t be. (more…)
Part two will be finished in the morning, all ready by Sunday DROP DEAD Deadline.
I love it when a plan comes together.
I gotta crash, shift in the morning and then I get to play.
BTW Major props out to Carol who made a run at a big poker tourney and fell a little short. Crubs always make it dear. You’ll get em next time, I believe in you.
But I believe in a lot of things. I should have done this long ago.
Today was a great day, because Joanna and I got up on time and met Kristi at church. I sat through the message and let it sit in me and at the end of his speech he mentioned the Super Bowl. I was saddened that the Pittsburgh Squealers made it and later this evening I was saddened further when the NFL gave them the Super Bowl.
We went home, changed clothes and then went off to the store to get last minute supplies for the Super Bowl party that I go to every year. We made calls to many of our friends and I was disappointed when Woodyard had “better things to do ” than talk to us. He sucks and he can start a bus.
I did talk to OOOSSSUU and Riggstad, I was hoping that I could get a reverse jinx by having Waffles (Marshall) call for Pittsburgh to win but it wasn’t to be. That should have been an omen.
I’m in charge of the 50 or so prop bets that keep me busy throughout the game. Otherwise, when its two teams I don’t like, I tend to get bored easily.
I was excited that Arizona made the miraculous comeback but angry at the conservative playcalling at the end defensively. If you have a lead , the prevent is the easiest way to lose. And lose they did.
At the end of the night Joanna and I went home and found out that Kristi had a Level 2 ankle sprain from tripping on a acorn at Tech and we almost rushed her to the emergency room if her ankle had swollen up at any time.
We almost crashed at 10 o’clock but I had some things I needed to do for the office. I am glad that we are so close to CMN but yet I feel that we are so far away from getting what I need done accomplished.
The wounds are almost all healed and I am at 95% of operation.
The countdown to Ireland has begun, I have my passport and I can’t wait.
Well tonight Jo and I went to see Brian Regan at the Civic Center.
Funny guy but was more impressed with the opening act Kermit Apio!
Jo and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings cause I was craving buffalo wings and I’ve been good on my diet that I started after the surgery.
We came home and watched the new Burn Notice and decided that Saturday we’d clean the garage and I’d spend 3 hours doing nothing but writing.
I miss writing, but I have been working on some projects and spending more time thinking and writing stuff that I don’t want anyone to read.
The sites on my stomach are getting better I just need to give them more time. I heal fast, but I’m so damn impatient.
Still waiting for my “revised” passport to show up. Still surprised when I sent a New York birth certificate that they would put Lubbock, TX as my birthplace. Hell, I love this place but sheesh.
Hoping my friends are doing well. I’ve been lurking around, busy at work, my busy time of year preparing for my major event. Then I get to go to Ireland.
!
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