Sunday, April 30, 2006

Expect the Unexpected

What a week! It's been filled with unexpected quirks, which I would call highs and lows. It started out somewhat tumultuous, things just sort of piled on to each other and stuck. After Family Weekend last weekend, we didn't get much of a day off, so it seemed like we had pretty much 2 straight weeks of work, which in the summer isn't a big deal, because we'll go 10 or 11 weeks non-stop then. These weekend groups though, are kind of like a warm up for that long stretch though. Anyway, when last Monday rolled around, we were just dotting the i's and crossing the t's of a great family weekend, and that day and the next seemed to fly by.

Tuesday night poker games always go pretty well. Last week was no exception. It was pretty exciting, and of course I lost all my money, but I seemed to got a little agitated in an instance when usually I just cast things off. It seems that even the best of friends can get under your skin sometimes. I'm sure I'll head back this Tuesday though, even though I lose, the fellowship is actually what I'm there for.

Wednesday morning is really when the proverbial caca hit the fan. In a matter of two hours I was hit with two cases of pretty bad news. One not directly affecting me, but the other might have a profound effect on the summer. The first of those still to my knowledge isn't taken care of, and the second wasn't really one of those things that can be taken care of. It's the kind of news that you hear and just have to take. We'll see how things turn out though. Everything is in capable hands, and things always seem to work out for the best. It's just the initial shock that got to me. That day pretty much was the bane of the week.

Things didn't get worse the rest of the week, but it made me think a lot. I think of myself as an extremely level headed person, and when people want my input on their problems I usually tell them straight up. It bothers me though when it's one of my best friends with a pretty large problem, and me, the level headed person can only think of physical means of solving that dilemma. I'd like to see what goes through some people's heads. I usually don't know exactly what's going through my own head, I can't imagine being one of these folks who never has a sane thought at all. Enough about that I guess.

So after the long week, was the last weekend I have until August when there isn't something going on. It seems like it's a barrage of weddings and camp until the 11th of August. I'm not complaining, this is what we're working towards, but it's nice now and then not to have things planned out. Just kind of fly by the seat of your pants and take things as they will come.

Going from having nothing planned, to such an exciting weekend was awesome. One of my friends invited me out to the YO ranch on Saturday for the exotics sale that they have every spring. It was a neat experience because I got to see a bunch of animals that I'd either never seen in person, or never seen up close. I didn't buy anything though, I had my eye on a pair of spotted donkeys, but really though, what the hell am I gonna' do with 2 spotted donkeys. I wasn't seriously considering them, that was pretty much all I could have afforded though.

The guy I went out there with has seen pretty much all there is in the exotic business, so it's interesting to sit next to him at a sale and listen to what he has to say. He knows quite a few of the people who were there buying, and told me that one of the buyers had likened the sale/trading of exotics to playing the stock market, only a bit more exciting. Which, if you think about it, makes perfect sense. It's more hands on than calling up your broker and buying this stock, or that stock. I imagine the gratification one feels after doubling your investment on one animal is hard to compare to anything else. Unless that is of course making millions of dollars overnight, like some of those lucky stock traders have done. Anyway, pretty exciting stuff.

After the auction was a dance/dinner. That was pretty much the highlight of the whole deal. Like I've said on here before, I won't go into my drunken weekend escapades because I don't want everyone to hear about them, but open bars make the night a bit more enjoyable. Saturday night was one of the most fun nights I've had in the last year. Getting to hang out with some people, and just not have a worry in the world is a fantastic event! The weddings/camp stuff that is coming up is going to be awesome, but it'll be hard to top this past weekend! PS, I'm still looking for a summer secretary if anyone is interested!

I actually had someone comment to me Saturday night that they ran across my blog. That's pretty cool. When I started this, I kind of just hoped that anyone that found it would be people I didn't know. It's all good I guess though, with the advent of myspace and facebook there really isn't much in the way keeping things to yourself anymore. Anyway, I felt like maybe I should start updating on here more often because after people check back 2 or 3 times and see the same old thing posted they'll lose interest.

That's where my problem arises though. There for a while I had absolutely nothing to talk about. I don't want to bore y'all when I've got a whole lot of nothing going on. Maybe it's good when I do that. Perhaps my personal anecdotes, or my antidotes to the little problems life throws my way, humor those of you who take the time to read what I've got to say.

Well I guess that's it for now. Warren G just came on my itunes, it's fan friggin' tastic. What ever happened to these guys who put out the old classics. Regulators, mount up, dang I'm dork. I'm sure you all have gathered that by now.

I'm out like a boxer after 10 rounds with Tyson...

Now for some really upsetting news, I missed Gray's tonight. Doesn't that fire you up? I dig that show..Have a good one...

Monday, April 10, 2006

Off the Face of the Earth!

One of my resolutions this year was to do a better job at keeping in touch with friends from the past, and friends that I have now. I've done somewhat of a decent job, well until a few weeks ago when we started getting pretty busy at work, and have since then gone a little lax. I can't explain why I am the way I am. It seems as if though I've got those 4 or 5 friends that I talk to nearly every day, then those that I should talk to at least weekly. I don't though. I'm bad about calling people back, and I'm bad about calling people first. I talked to my Mom tonight for the first time in about 2 months probably. There's more there than me just being bad about calling people, but I feel bad about it afterwards. Well with her, most of the time. There are some times when I don't think I should call back for another two months. Like I said earlier though, there's more behind that.

I don't know if I'd call myself moody, or what. Probably not that, but maybe a little anti-social, or introverted. Which is weird with the job I have, because I'm basically paid to communicate. Which I feel I do a pretty good job with. Anyway, for those of you who feel that I've just fallen off the face of the earth, I haven't. I'm still here, around somewhere.

Saturday night I went to a wedding shower for some friends in Hunt. It was a pretty cool deal because they had it out at Crider's. Which is an outdoor dancehall about 5 miles outside of Hunt. Well there were a bunch of us young folk (If I can still call myself that) there. Then there were some older folks. Mostly the parental units of the young folk, but a few others here and there. I struck up a conversation with a man who I've known since I was probably 5 or so. He was a baseball coach of mine in little league, and I played baseball with his son until my Junior year of High School. He used to work with one of the electric companies here in town, but retired a few years ago to be a foreman at a ranch about 45 minutes to an hour southwest of here.

We got to talking about how he likes being that far away, and he said a lot of things that made me think. He works and lives out there 7 days a week. He rarely comes into town. I asked him how the transition was from what he used to do, to what he's doing now, and he said that it's his dream job. He says that out there, he just wants to forget English and enjoy the company of one. He said he's not the kind of person that likes to be around large crowds, and he enjoys being able to walk outside and not have to worry about running into any problems he can't fix. It seems that what one person sees as introverted is actually another man's perfect life. You'll never find a more sincere and all around nice man, so I don't think it's introverted.

I think I'm somewhere between those two types of people. I like to go out, but I don't need to. I like to stay at home and read or do something interesting by myself, but I don't need to do that. I like to go out on the weekends, and if some nights I don't feel like it, I like to stay at home and read my book. The funny thing, is that I usually don't know what the heck I want to do until maybe an hour before. By that time, I'm usually already committed to whatever is going on.

Anyway, nothing deep here tonight, just a little self-reflection brought on by a conversation with one of the good ole' boys that indirectly played a part in me growing up. It's ironic that a conversation with someone who thinks of himself as a lone wolf makes me want to get out and talk to more folks like him. Then at the same time, makes me admire the way that he's chosen to do things and wonder if I'll be that way in the future.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Once in a lifetime

I know I haven't been blogging much lately, I've been busy. Actually I have 2 saved that I might or might not put up some time in the next few days. Anyway, I got this email yesterday, and thought I'd put the information on here before it's irrelevant.

Only in our life time

On Wednesday of this week, at two minutes and three seconds after 1:00, the time and date will be:

01:02:03 04/05/06 This will never happen again in our life time.


I'm actually thinking that it's gonna happen twice if you don't do military time. Once in the AM and once in the PM. Kind of a neat deal 'eh? Have a good one!