Over 6.45 inches of rain today.
The remains of Tropical Storm Ike wont hit us, but Tropical Storm Lowell has continued to send moisture to interface with a low that was stuck over the South Plains to cause mass cancellations.
So I might not have to deal with Joanna’s Dad. OW.
I do. I guess.
I have a story to tell you all but I may just cross post it to Instanttragedy.com too. I’ve been busy with the home repairs/renovation process.
Slowly but surely we are making progress. Pictures when I get further along.
That, as well as the five day forecast coming up… 
Categories: My Family, What's on my mind Tags:
When I look out the window, I see a world of possibilities.
I see an almost empty parking lot that dreams of being full on a Texas Tech football game day. The smells of grilling meat, stale beer and anticipation hanging in the air. The sounds of rowdy Tech fans laughing and debating which player is going to be the star of the game. The sights of various tailgate parties with big screen TVs hooked up to a random satellite dish in the back of someone’s truck. Young children dressed in their favorite player’s jersey (custom made to fit a 4 year old aspiring quarterback) or the newest size 6 fashion in Tech cheerleader uniforms. College students dressed in what they feel is the most impressive piece of Tech gear they own. (and ladies, not all of us look attractive in the flour sack dress with the cowboy or UGG boots!) The parents and grandparents running herd on all of the kids, and drunk college students. Every person brought together for a common goal, to see Tech GO, FIGHT, WIN!!! And after the game, when all of the vehicles have left until the next game, the parking lot looks a bit bare. Like all of the life has been removed, but just so it could rest. But it still has the dream, as the leftover trash blows in the West Texas wind, that the next football game could be the one.
I see a field that has just been harvested. The crops have been cut and stored or shipped off. The field will now be plowed under to allow it to rest for the winter. Like everything else in life, it too needs a rest. Until the last frost, when it will begin to grow once more.
I see the West Texas sky, though dark at this very moment, held a beautiful sunset a few hours ago. The sun set in a sky which held hues of red, gold and orange, like fall leaves. It reminded me that no matter what happens in the day, ‘this too shall pass’, like the sunset. The night sky, which I love in Lubbock, far surpasses almost anywhere else I have ever lived. My parents have the advantage of living outside of town, and even though I can see the Milky Way from their house, it’s just not the same as the stars in West Texas. We can drive out 10 miles in almost any direction and face away from town and see all the stars we want.
These are just a few of the reasons that I really do LOVE Lubbock. It hasn’t always been my favorite place on Earth, and that has to do with the things that I didn’t mention, such as the allergies, but over the last 3 year, it has been really good to me. I have made friends here that will last me a lifetime. I know that no matter where we are in the world, as long as there’s a phone, I have my friends right there with me.
Lubbock wasn’t my “number one” choice for ‘life after graduation’, it was my number two. It was that, long before I realized that my reason for moving back to Austin had nothing to do with the fact that I wanted to go back to Austin, just that I had no reason to stay in Lubbock. There were no ties for me to stay in a great place, where I have been happy.
All but one of my friends had left the area, and I didn’t feel like I wanted to go to the ‘trouble’ of making new ones. Then I realized that I wouldn’t be happy here for the 9 months that I was going to be here ‘by myself’ if I didn’t at least make the effort to find a friend or two. My one friend from what we refer to as the ‘past’ tried to get me involved in Junior League and Young Professionals of Lubbock, and my excuse was ‘I’m leaving in December”. That’s been the excuse for as long as I can remember.
Enter Sean. Through him I have made at least 3 new friends in the last 3 weeks. And guess what, I already consider them good friends. They accepted me for who and what I am, and for that I am grateful. It will make staying in Lubbock even better.
I got even better news last week! Another friend of mine is moving back to Lubbock, and one more might come back too!
So, all in all, even though staying in Lubbock had become my back-up plan…I think it was probably always my original plan. I had already looked into a job, which I got good news about yesterday.(yes, they are still hiring, and I should go ahead and apply, since I will be a Tech graduate, they will probably hold a job open for me to start after I graduate. And if I get my commission reactivated before I get hired, there are positions open at the airport immediately…can we say off at 2200?!) I had looked into buying a house, but now, I can be an answer to a friend’s prayer and help her with rent. (instead of paying $1000 a month in rent alone!) As far as my family is concerned, back when I had talked of the possibility of staying in LBK, my dad did a little research on returning to Lubbock when they retire. (My parents went to Tech, back in the day.) So, to all the nay-sayers, I will tell you a secret…I plan on staying in LUBBOCK!!! =)
Categories: Guest Post, Hate is bad, Instant Tragedy, My Family Tags:
Then I talked to Mom, and I’m going to take “The Deputy” to see the family next weekend while Texas Tech is away at Nevada.
GULP.
Then the following weekend I get to meet her dad. She says “it won’t be that bad, my god I’m scared of your parents.”
Wow, mutually destructive thoughts.
Well since I am going to be unable to visit with Kerri this weekend, I guess we will see an old friend. Jeff Strahan is going to be playing at the Spoon and I haven’t missed a Friday Night Show yet.
Why start now?
Laundry and breakfast for “The Deputy” then we will go tailgate at the game. PLEASE TECH WIN!
I’ve self censored myself on some topics that I would have covered in the past with people who have been my sunshine and been HUGE DISAPPOINTMENTS. But it serves nothing to air out all my fun. I think that the last month has tempered me.
There is a difference is what SHOULD be said. And what I NEED to say.
And that’s the difference between Tragedy and Happiness.
Stay Strong, Live Brave!
Have a great one, and I’ll check in later.
Categories: Hate is bad, Instant Sean, My Family Tags:
When I came to Lubbock in 1992 I had dreams and hopes of getting that elusive degree. I spent he first two and 1/2 years in the dorms. My first stint was with my roommate Larry at the ORIGINAL non air-conditioned Carpenter Hall. We spent a week in August in that hell hole playing Madden. Larry was good enough to play with one hand. We had all the game systems in our dorm and our dorm room was the home of various contests, all with Larry winning while we all tried to catch up to his excellence.
From there Larry and I moved over to Murdough Hall, which had air-conditioning, a key during the 100 degree days in August. The only room that they had available was a room on the “Intensive Study Floor” on the seventh floor. What the hell we said, because anything was better than the sweat that was pouring down our faces at Carpenter.
We headed over to the floor, moving our stuff, with the intent of finding people, horribly stuffy people that we would have nothing in common with.
Au Contraire my friends, we found fun “off” people who seemed to march to the beat of a different drummer. That’s what Larry and I were looking for.
One weeknight Larry and I were walking by to see some friends on the third floor when we passed a room with a man sitting in a hammock in a bathrobe watching baseball. I could tell more but that’s a Mitch story for another day, the point of this story was after a crushing defeat (9-5 ) for Hall Council President by a girl who will only to be referred to as perky “I’ll show you my tits for your vote in hall council” Lisa, I decided that I was going to move off Tech property.
And so I did, I moved away to The Intern, a property at 4th and Indiana. It was such a nice place (sarcasm thick isn’t it?). And such good memories were had there. When we couldn’t get student tickets for A&M @ Tech, we watched the Pay Per View at my apartment. Christy became my psuedo-roommate so I could get cable so she could watch her soaps while I was at class.
Or the adventure of watching it dust storm, followed by mud storm, rain storm , hail, more wind, and snow… all in the matter of thirty minutes. I watched the storms come in at the Intern.
My dad listened to me get on the radio from the Intern, I proposed to my ex-wife Angela at The Intern. My friend Mitchell, got an apartment at The Intern, during the dark days that aren’t mentioned. I was Mitchell’s wing man at the Intern. West LA anyone? Ah the memories.
But then this year the “Marsha Sharp Freeway to Nowhere” (tm 2008 Donahue.org) project caused people to rethink that area and it was torn down to be rebuilt in a gaudier and more expensive fashion to overcharge students for close housing to Tech.
But in a way, I am glad. That portion of my life had to be torn down. And rebuilt.
So goodbye Intern. Hello future.
Categories: Friends, Instant Comedy, Instant Happiness, Life, My thoughts, What's on my mind Tags: My Friends, The Past, What's on
Categories: My Family Tags:
Posts
