Oh, the fucking weekend.

Alaya slept with us Friday night, so color me surprised when I didn’t wake up Saturday morning with a kick to my face. Al thought she was on the bottom of the bed. Somehow.

I got up and mowed the dirt that is currently a large part of my yard. I didn’t want to do it, but the areas that I do water needed it. It was either do it before or after the homecoming parade, which we were going to and Yvette was judging. The yard was a task that needed completion.

The homecoming parade was what I’ve come to expect. Nothing jaw-dropping and over before you even know it. But Jesus, after the terrible previous years, the bar was low, so it could only be better. Yvette said the judging was a joke, though.

That afternoon, we went to the Ram Jam. Not nearly as cool as the one prior, but still a worthy time. Hagan’s parents once again met up with us. I seem to like them, but damnit, this was our thing. They get to see Alaya all the time!! Besides, I was going to get flagged for having too many guests accompany me.

What really got me was that everyone left me with them. Alaya and Hagan took off almost immediately, and later Yvette had her nail appointment. I was not prepared to entertain strangers. So I didn’t. I talked for a little while but politely excused myself to roam around the grounds and talk to my friends from Parrots Head Tavern. Hell, Art was in our wedding. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to chat with him some.

So I roamed and roamed. I had a good amount of hooch in me by the time I left. When I got home, the dinner I had cooking in the crockpot smelled amazing. Even though the last thing I should have been thinking about was food. I had another beer and sat outside as the evening arrived.

Eventually, Yvette got home, and we watched a show called East of Eden. Dear God, we burned through five hours that night. It was a period drama, not my usual cup of tea. Oh well, it turned out to be very thrilling.

The main characters… One was a blundering fool, and the other was an evil, murderous bitch. When I say evil, I fucking mean it. This was an awful person, played with such a delightful performance by Florence Pugh. I was captivated by her, which made it all the more terrifying.

Sunday rolled around, and we just hung around the house all morning. A late breakfast was in store. I took off to the library around 1:30 for a few hours of studying. Made a 100 on another quiz. Had to make up for last week’s 80. Push on that grade.

At four o’clock, Yvette and I met up with Lola, Hagan, and Alaya out at the Lake House Pizzeria. It was a beautiful day for a patio meal on the lake. Lola had been wanting the cauliflower-crust, dairy-free pizza for a little while, so her idea turned out to be a damn good one. Yvette and I shared our usual buffalo chicken pizza. I might have hit my buffalo sauce max after having buffalo chicken pasta and wings within the last few days.

After the late lunch or early dinner, we ran by my mother’s to visit for a little while. I felt like a proper asshole after our conversation late Saturday, when I told her she was “old” and shouldn’t be driving six hours to Houston so often. She might have the years, but she doesn’t act them. And that’s really what makes you old. She isn’t old at heart. I just worry about her on the damn roads, is all.

That night, we finished our show, East of Eden. Lots of tragedy. Jesus. Spoiler for a 75-year-old story: not a single character that the show began with lives to make it to the end.

It was a good weekend.

Monday, unfortunately, was still going to be Monday.

Walking into the office Monday morning, the doors were open and the fan was blowing once again. That was not a good sign. The smell of death was more subtle than it had been the previous week, but it was still lingering. Of course it was. What else should one expect on a Monday?

I had a few things at work that I wasn’t able to complete on Friday, so I took the opportunity to leave the office and get them done. I wasn’t wanting Troy to cry a river because I left him work. Naturally, he would complain to someone because that is his MO. Best to nip it in the bud.

Once that was complete, it was on to my main duties. They had me all over the damn Northside of town. It was weird that I was frequenting the very few vendors we have on that side. It was weird how unfamiliar I am with that part of town, having lived here for most of my 45 years. It feels like undiscovered territory. A completely different town. I can get lost out there. I have gotten lost out there.

It did not take long for the day to end. I felt like a visit to my mom’s to see how she was doing. She is going to watch the dogs for us this weekend while we are in Aggieland.

That night, I started a new show called Below, starring Josh Hartnett. I suppose it would be considered a horror show, although it wasn’t scary at all. It had just enough Lovecraftian elements to hook me. A small coastal fishing town, a massive ancient aquatic monster, government relocation, secrets, and childhood trauma. What more could you ask for? It was good, but nothing special. A rainy-day show.

Tuesday was more of the same at work. I was once again all over the bloody town. I guess that’s a good thing because it gets the day going. I am strongly in favor of being busy as opposed to having nothing to do.

That evening, I went to the library to do more studying, a day ahead of my usual Wednesday sessions. We had a dinner obligation Wednesday, so I needed to get a head start. Well, that and I also wanted all the week’s work done so I could focus on my midterms. Unfortunately, midterms had to be right after a weekend when I would be out of town. Damn the luck, really.

I was able to get most of the chapter behind me before I went home to eat pizza and finish the show Below. It took me two nights to finish all six episodes.

Hump day started with a medical appointment downtown. I was participating in an experimental study. They draw my blood, give me a flu shot, and pay me $100. Three weeks later, I come back for more blood work and another $100. Not a bad deal if you don’t mind needles. It takes about an hour of my time, so why not? I’ve been doing the study for three years now.

It’s always fun because the people who work there get really into Halloween decorations, so I enjoy seeing what they will have out.

The day was mostly uneventful, with me again bouncing around town like a ping-pong ball. I was happy to be busy. I went to the library to check out my computer again. I have gotten very lucky so far. You are only allowed to check one out twice, and so far I have had various computers since August 26. I think the technology fee was waived; otherwise, I sure would be getting my money’s worth out of it.

It was my sweet dog Hazel’s 11th birthday. That right there baffles the mind. I honestly can’t believe so much time has passed. So many good damn years with her. I hate that she is getting old, but she still has spunk to her. For her big day, she got treats and a raw egg with her dinner. She also received extra loving.

That evening, after work, it was off to the dinner party that Yvette’s boss was throwing. They had a big cybersecurity event on campus, and this dinner was kind of a welcome and relax before the big day. Vendors from all over the country were coming in. I hate these kinds of things.

I say that, but I almost always have fun. This was my second year attending one. Last year, I talked to the mayor off and on. I guess a lot of it feels like brown-nosing, which I don’t do. Maybe I just feel out of place. Maybe I just don’t care.

The one normal thing about these events is that Yvette’s boss’s husband, Windle, always seeks me out. We get along. Maybe it’s because I don’t harass him, and he doesn’t harass me. We just talk about random shit without caring who the other person is or what they do.. So that’s what happened for a brief bit on this evening. I was grateful for that because I sure was feeling uncomfortable.

The food was good, catered by the same crew that did our wedding, and the mariachi band was a lot of fun.

On Thursday, I saw very little of Yvette because she was involved in the big all-day conference that the dinner party was for. She was out of the house before seven o’clock. My work was also busy, so I didn’t really even get to stop by and see her, and the one time I tried, I could never find her. I was just trying to get everything I needed knocked out before the end of the day so as not to leave anything for my coworkers.

The morning was supposed to have been a wet one, but the rain was delayed, and it was just overcast and considerably cooler. I was happy with that alone.

For lunch, I decided to try a place on campus called Einstein Bros. Bagels. Having passed by the joint for years, I decided a nice day like Thursday would be perfect to wait for my food outside and have a little picnic. The pizza bagel was really fucking good. I was impressed and only wished the place were open during hours when I could enjoy it while not at work.  It’s funny how something as simple as a good pizza bagel and a little time outside can make an otherwise ordinary workday feel pretty damn good.

That evening it finally cooled down. Like, the cold front hit. We did get some precipitation, but not what I was hoping for. Beggars can’t be choosers. I guess….

Yvette and I made dinner and packed our bags for the roadtrip to Aggieland the next morning. I enjoyed a nice Oktoberfest beer outside and listened to some rain. Crossed off another horror movie from my watchlist. It was a good end to a week. I was looking forward to the weekend.

Jalapeño

Carnitas tacos, beans and rice.

Carnitas bowl.

Tempura and coconut shrimp with a baked potato.

Dinosaur nuggets, tatters and dipping sauce (ketchup, BBQ & honey mustard).

Tapatios and fideo.

Saturday was beautiful. The weather was finally on our side. Lola and Alaya came over early for breakfast. Yvette made them some French toast while I made myself an Eggs la Mexicana taco with jalapeño poppers and hash browns. I took my breakfast outside and ate while watching Alaya play.

That afternoon was Ram Jam, so I had some errands to knock out before we went tailgating. Dear God, was the town ever so fucking busy! I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but all the stores I visited were madhouses. It took great strength to maintain my sanity.

After the craziness of shopping, I came home to an empty house. Everyone had disappeared off to do their own shopping. What I wanted to do was meal prep for the evening so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything after tailgating. I prepped some King Ranch Chicken. I don’t think I’d made that in years, but damn if it didn’t sound really fucking good.

I met my family at Ram Jam around three. IT WAS PARENTS WEEKEND, and it was happening! It also helped that the temperature was nice and cool. The last one we attended was terribly hot. So hot that four members of the catering crew had to be hospitalized during the football game due to heat exhaustion. That’s scary hot.

We really enjoyed ourselves this time around. How could we not? The only thing this one was lacking was food. Aside from the always-excellent ribs, for some reason, the food just wasn’t that great.

That evening, I got dinner going, and Yvette and I watched some horror movie. It was a very nice Saturday.

Sunday was the day the Halloween decor went up. The spooky fall decorations came out. That means jack-o’-lanterns, ghosts, and lights on the front porch. I had a lot of fun finally getting all our Halloween stuff out of storage and scattered around the house. I even put up more outdoor decorations than I did before Yvette moved them. Our DIY witches from last year still look good.

That afternoon, while Yvette was off at her parents’ house, I did a little yard work, pulling weeds, and ran some errands. Afterwards, I went to the library to do some studying. I needed to get some work done, even though I really wasn’t in the mood. Some days, it’s hard to find that groove.

I think that’s why I didn’t get a 100 on my first quiz. I was really pissed with myself for getting an 80. Which is kind of weird because when I was in school years ago, I would have been satisfied with that 80. Now I seem to have become some sort of perfectionist.

I needed to go easy on myself. It was bound to happen. Eventually, during the week, I found the right answers, and I beat myself up even more over the sloppy mistakes. What can you do but try harder next time?

Monday, I woke up with a tummy bug from hell. Starting the week off right with a vomit session. Great.

It was Homecoming week, and I really didn’t want to miss work. I wasn’t really sure what had gotten the better of me, but it sucked. I texted my boss and opted to sleep it off. I took some meds and dozed the day away. Whenever I was awake, I was in the bathroom. Really rather sad.

Tuesday wasn’t much better. I couldn’t spend another day in bed, so I curled up on the couch for hours. I was able to keep some saltine crackers down, and I had a grocery delivery from my mom. She basically sent everything she would want if she were in my shoes. Very kind of her.

I was getting stir-crazy by the afternoon. There is only so much lying around I can put up with. I took a walk down the alleyway, and it exhausted me. Time to go lie down again. At least I was done vomiting.

Wednesday, I decided to go back to work. I still didn’t feel 100%, but I was tired of being at the house. I had to get out. Plus, like I said, it was Homecoming week, which is one of my favorite weeks on campus.

The mornings were now down to the upper 50s. As I was walking across the parking lot to the office, I noticed all the doors were open. I figured they were just letting the cool morning air refresh the office. That was until I noticed the giant fan blowing air out from inside the office.

In that moment, I almost turned around and went back home. I was still a little queasy, anyway. But I didn’t want to miss any more of the week’s festivities.

It turned out something had died in our office. They were trying to fumigate the place as best they could. I can only imagine what it would have done to me had I not taken Pepto before leaving the house.

The stink was something awful. They had searched and searched all Tuesday to no avail. My coworker even called in Wednesday morning to avoid working in that stink another day after what he had endured on Tuesday. He has a sensitive nose, so I can understand.

Thank God I was able to get away. I spent most of the morning out of the office, catching up on things across campus. I had no intention of spending my first day back after a vomiting sickness stuck in an office that smelled like a dead, decaying animal.

The morning was beautiful, so I had no problem with that. Anything was better than the alternative. Even in my weakened state, keeping busy was better than dealing with that putrid stink. So I made myself do all the work. Even the stuff that could have waited went out of the office.

It was also Homecoming week, so while I was out and about, I made a point of checking out the door decorations. Every year, departments can sign up for a decorating contest, and this year, some of them went all out.

Yvette even had a little stake in it this year, since two of the three departments she works for decided to decorate. She even lent her student workers to the cause. I’m not biased when I say that both departments did a damn good job.

When I returned that afternoon, the heat of the day was having an effect on the carcass rotting away somewhere in our office. The stink was even worse. It certainly wasn’t getting better, and it had us all wondering where the hell it could be coming from and what the hell had died. We were starting to think that maybe it was something larger than a mouse.

Thursday morning, the stink was even worse, and it was only 58 degrees outside. What the hell was the heat of the day going to do?

My coworker, Troy, was back, and he was almost hysterical about working in such conditions. He made a fuss to everyone about it, but again, they had looked. Just not well enough.

Instead of going through the proper channels, he decided on his own to go straight to the top of the chain of command. He called our boss’s boss and, in a state of outrage, made a point of telling him that if this were happening somewhere else on campus, it would have been taken care of, but because of who we were, no one cared. He said he shouldn’t have to use sick or vacation time to stay home. He even slammed the phone down on him.

It was a nice and proper little temper tantrum. Embarrassing, really. Although he had a point, and it was what we were all thinking. Something would have been done on Tuesday if it were happening in the President’s Office.

The results came about rather quickly. The Big Boss Man came back to our office himself to address the problem. Troy kept his distance. I don’t blame him. He hadn’t used the proper tone when addressing a superior and could face a write-up.

Big Boss got himself a twelve-foot ladder and started removing ceiling tiles, searching for the source of the rot. Eventually, he traced it to the wall in our break room behind the fridge. With the help of a hammer, he beat out the drywall and found what was causing all of us to want to puke.

A dead fox.

I would have never thought that one of the poor campus foxes was the source of the odor in our office. The poor bastard had somehow gotten stuck inside our wall and couldn’t get out. A truly horrible way to die. I felt so sad for it, but relieved that we could eventually get our office back to smelling normal again.

Again, that day, I spent most of my time out and about, trying to keep away from my ripe office. It was fortunate that I had things to do as an excuse to stay away. And the weather was just perfect. Fall is truly my favorite time of year. The nice, crisp morning air smelled so refreshing after spending even a little time inside the office.

I made a trip to the museum to check out a new exhibit on campus. One of my favorite things to do while on the clock is check out a new exhibit. It’s a blessing, really. Just one other perk of the job.

The week slipped away, and Friday was finally upon us. The office was still a stink hole, but not nearly as bad as it had been in the preceding days. The smell of rotting flesh lingers a little longer than anyone would wish it to.

Once again, I was busy and able to keep my nose out of the office, where the cool autumn air was fresh. Yvette’s mom had a little procedure done, so Yvette was off work with her. I was kind of lonesome without her. Does that sound pathetic? It probably does.

The monarch butterflies were migrating, and I was lucky enough to see them all over campus. That’s a sure sign that fall is actually here to stay. They have that built-in knowledge to know when it’s time to migrate.

That night, we went to the Bonfire and Bash. It was the first of its kind. The inaugural event. Small turnout, mellow vibes, but free booze and snacks. We actually enjoyed it. For a first event, I’d say maybe 75 people showed up. That’s not bad.

The bonfire was about what you’d expect. Alaya was dancing and having fun until she started to feel the heat coming off it. I suppose that’s when you call it a night.

Happy Friday.

Jalapeño

King ranch chicken.

King ranch chicken with homemade hot sauce.

Rotisserie bbq chicken over sticky rice.

Teriyaki pork tenderloin with sticky rice and snap peas.

Yvette made buffalo chive pasta.

Grilled bbq sausage veggies and beans.

Thank god for the weekend. I slept in a little late Saturday morning. I slept till nine! That’s actually about three hours later than I normally get up. The reason for that is I stayed up too late Friday night.

So Teegan did make it into town Friday evening. For the meal that night, I was cooking hibachi for him, Lola, Hagan, Alaya, Yvette and me. It was a real feast of a meal and a total pain in my ass, but it’s what Teegan wanted, so I was fine making it. That’s what you do for the ones you love.

I spent about an hour doing all the prep work in the kitchen before ever even getting around to the actual cooking. It is what it is. The most time-consuming part of hibachi is getting everything ready. Really, the boring part of any meal. I’d hate to be a prep cook.

Once everything was finally ready for the flattop, it went very quickly.  The smell of everything cooking together was fantastic. By the time Tee made it home, I was pulling everything off the grill. Talk about perfect timing. It was time to eat.

After dinner, Lola, Hagan and Alaya left us, so it was just Teegan, Yvette and I. We talked. We talked a lot about what his college life is like. Mostly, we just talked because we missed talking to him. It was a good night. Those ordinary nights are the ones I miss the most now that he’s off at college. Some drinks were had, and I might have had one too many craft beers. Before I knew it, it was past midnight. Yikes.

I was not used to staying up so late, so yes, I slept in Saturday.

Once I was out of bed, I went outside and started the sprinklers to water our poor front yard. The grass is truly struggling out there. I came back and made a little breakfast with the leftover fried rice and steak and threw a fried egg on top. Delicious.

It was LilyFest 2026. I went, and I was somewhat sad. It’s just not what it used to be ever since Ken Landon passed away five years ago. I am glad they are still throwing it, but it lost a lot of its luster and class when the festival switched hands. I go just because I want to show my support.

All this is to say, I still had a lot of fun. It’s cool seeing the community out and enjoying nature. Admiring the beautiful things in life. It’s nice to see people taking a break from the bullshit and going outside into nature.

For lunch, Yvette made some meatloaf and mashed potatoes for the same group of us that ate the night before. This was the second meal suggestion by Teegan. Nothing screams comfort food quite like meatloaf.  It was certainly a bigger Saturday lunch than I’m used to having.. I was a bloated mess afterwards.

The rest of the day was primarily lazy. I did cut down some more branches and did some tinkering around in the yard. The bastard mesquite tree saplings just keep wanting to come back. Impossible bastards, but at least I am keeping up with them.

Teegan left us around six to go see some friends for that night, so Yvette and I had the evening to ourselves. Not really wanting to make a meal, and still with plenty of leftovers, we cooked some noodles and made a meal with what we had. It was a nice, relaxing night, and we were both pretty tired from the day.

Sunday, Teegan got a head start on the road around noon. And just like that, the weekend was over. I didn’t blame him for wanting to get going. It was a long drive to make. I was just glad that we got to spend some time with him, even if it wasn’t a full 48 hours. I’ll take whatever time I can get with that kid. We had more time with him soon enough when we go to College Station for the Citadel game come mid-October.

It was a pretty uneventful day. I eventually made my way to the library to finish up some homework. I must say, I am enjoying schoolwork.

Monday morning, Jays started singing at 7:08. The days are starting later.

I was, unfortunately, stuck in the office. This was my first full week of office duties in over a month. I’d been lucky enough to have vacation on those weeks. Not so lucky now. The only time I was able to escape was for the Staff Senate meeting. A rather bloated affair that was. People just kept chiming in on what they thought needed to change. There was a lot of discussion, a lot of opinions, and absolutely no indication that any of it would actually result in anything.  These new members are just not yet as jaded as I. This is my sixth year… Unfortunately, nothing ever does change.

The weather was finally — FINALLY — changing. Three weather systems were all converging upon Texas. Remnants of Hurricane Polo from the Pacific, warm Gulf moisture from the south, and a cold front bearing down on us from the north. It was bloody October already!! It should feel like fall! It should already be soup weather! I should be thinking about pumpkins!

When the temps did change on Wednesday, everyone seemed to be in a better mood. The oppressive heat was on everyone’s nerves. Everyone had had enough of it. Cooler weather and cloudy skies just elevated the mood of everyone, and the rain was a welcome sight. I know I was happy. I actually liked going outside. For the last few months, I have dreaded stepping into the day.

While at the library working on an assignment, I took a break to wander around. I started pulling random books and looking at the dates they were stamped with. A final due date such as October 30th, 1969. Has the book been pulled from the shelf since then, or am I the first person in all these years? Begs the question. I wondered when they stopped stamping the books.

Just pulling books, checking out the due dates and smiling a lot. Those were different times. I think that is one reason the library appeals to me in so many ways. It’s like going backwards in time to a simpler place in history. I think that’s another reason I’m really drawn to the library. Does this make me a nerd?

That night I had a real treat for us, Chick-fil-A. Somehow I was given a free small catering tray of my liking, so earlier in the day I set up a pickup at 7:30 for sixty-four chicken nuggets.  Sixty-four.  That’s a lot of damn food for two people, but it was free and I wasn’t going to pass it up. I should have asked the manager how the hell I lucked out with that. I have only ever been given one free sandwich or breakfast item here and there, never anything close to a $40 item.

Needless to say, we had leftovers. I repurposed some as a chicken nugget egg breakfast taco and chicken nugget biscuits.

I have been watching g a lot of horror films this year and I haven’t done the reviews like I did last year. I suppose school is taking that little time away? Nah. That’s an excuse. So Thursday night Yvette and I watched a movie from 1976. A little movie called The Town that Dreaded Sundown.

I really am not sure why I had not seen the film. I live in Texas and this is based on “true events” in a border town with Arkansas that I jaw, unfortunatly, been to. And it’s considered a classic in many horror communities. What the hell!!

I found myself very into the film. I was expecting something of a slasher like Friday the 13th, but what I got was much better. Even Yvette watched and enjoyed it with me. It was even comical at times. I was really kicking myself in the ass for never having seen the film in all my 45 years on this Earth. A 50 year old film.

The next night, I followed it up with the sequel, 2014. It existed in a world where the prior movie about not-real murders actually occurred. It was a fun follow-up. Was it good? Not really. We probably wouldn’t have been invested in it had we not watched the original the night before. It was fun, though.

The remaining week was just the same old bullshit.   It was finally October, my favorite month. We didn’t get near the heavy, potentially flooding rain that was forecast, but we got a little, and every little bit counts. The temperatures remained nice and cool and mostly cloudy. Could fall actually be here for good? Fingers crossed. 

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño

Breakfast fried rice and steak.

Chicken chow mein.

Ahi poke wonton tacos with Asian cucumber salad served over sticky rice.

Italian dressing chicken, rice pilaf and snap peas.

Yvette made dirty rice with venison.

Yvette made chicken and rice with broccoli.

Saturday was the day I had been looking forward to. We had our first “real” Ram Jam, the tailgating that Yvette and I have been going to for a few years now. I say the first “real” one because the actual first one was on a Thursday, began while I was still on campus working, and was basically turned upside down by a freak storm. We certainly didn’t get the whole experience.

That morning I woke up and went about most of my routine and made a nice little cheese, ham and green chili omelet. I really had a craving for an omelet. I made some hash browns for Alaya to hopefully eat before she took off to gymnastics with Yvette. During that time, I ran some errands and found myself one more sheep that I wasn’t expecting. It’s always fun to just happen upon one of them.

When I got home, Yvette was home without Alaya. Her momma had swooped in and taken her away from us. I guess that meant that the house would be quiet for a little while since we had some time before the tailgating.

It was a really fucking hot afternoon, unfortunately.

We showed up at Ram Jam and kind of wandered around until we found my friend Art. He was working the Parrots Head tent. Of course he asked us if we wanted a shot, and obligated out of honor, we obliged. I can’t say starting out with a shot was the best move that I made that day.

Alaya, Lola and her boyfriend, Hagan, finally met up with us and we grabbed food and went inside where it wasn’t a fucking oven. I had a beer to wash down that damn shot. They actually had the Texas A&M game playing inside, and Teegan was at the game, so we watched that more than anything else. The food was on par as usual and I ended up eating more than I should have. It was impossible not to when so much was available and you want to try a little of everything.

Hagan’s parents showed up for a little bit towards the end, and it was nice to have finally met them. If Alaya is going to be spending so much time at their house, I needed to know that they were good people. First impressions tell me that they are. I honestly like Hagan. He seems like a good kid.

Between the heat, the people, the music and everyone wandering around with drinks in their hands, it finally felt like the Ram Jam experience we had been missing.

Afterwards Yvette and I had Alaya again, and rather than cook something grand, we got lazy and ordered some Pizza Hut. Alaya can devour some cheese pizza.

I wanted to watch another horror film so I started this one called Good Boy. The lead is a real-life dog, with the story told from the dog’s perspective. The editing must have been a brutal passion project, as it took the director three years to complete. It was definitely different from anything I had watched lately. I report that the dog does not die at the end.

Sunday was a cooler, cloudy morning that I spent outside with my girl. I even had breakfast on the patio. Alaya and I made some chalk drawings. I drew Yvette, Hazel and Roscoe. It was really fun. Sweet girl didn’t want to go inside, but we had obligations and needed to get ready for the day.

We went over to my in-laws for lunch. Roger had smoked a brisket. A damn fine brisket, if I must say. Roger really had a talent for that. Unfortunately, our time was cut short by an emergency room visit. Emma was having trouble lifting one arm, so better safe than sorry, they headed out.

I used the extra time to go chainsaw for my mom. During the night she lost a fairly large, healthy branch. I assume it must have been wind, although I never really saw many signs of a storm. Luckily for her, I had the saw and made pretty quick work of the branch. The new sharpened blade works like a charm, although my battery is not holding up like it used to. Time for a new one.

Since Sunday is one of my school days, I spent a few hours at the library to study and finish up a chapter. I actually like these moments. It’s kind of a nostalgic feeling, being back in the library I once spent so much time in years past. I need to look around and see if I can find my old study desk. Years ago, I engraved a little marking on it that I would be able to identify today if it was still around. Unfortunately, I never found it.

The evening was chill.

I attempted my version of a recipe from a local joint, The Penny Taphouse. The spicy ginger chicken. I think I did a pretty good job of it. After dinner I sat down and watched another horror movie, Glorious. This was disturbing, but also very funny. I recommend looking it up if you want something completely different.

Monday it was beautiful outside. I actually felt chilly when I went outside to water the yard. The morning birds were getting later and later, with the first birdsong at 7:01 quickly followed by those Blue Jays chiming in. The season was trying to change, thank the lord. The first day of fall was to follow on Tuesday.

I was pretty busy buying materials, so I was out of the office here and there. Nothing like how busy I was the week before, thank god. I actually had time to work on some homework and on this blog on my downtime. I figured why not use the resources I have available at work to do some personal business. That was impossible the week before.

After work the sky began to change, and the cumulus clouds grew into cumulus congestus. Yvette and I left HEB to find grey skies, with the hopes of rain possibly on the way. When we got home, I began to prepare dinner and hope for some showers. Eventually, they did come. A light rain fell upon us, the sky billowed with thunder, and lightning illuminated the darkness. The temperature dropped and for a little while, happiness was in West Texas.

Tuesday the Autumn Equinox was upon us. Finally.

After a brutal last few months of summer, we needed the break. For the first day, the temperatures really were not all that bad. I was happy with that. The afternoon rolled around and some more storms littered the sky, cooling things down further. I was again busy.

While driving to and from locations across town, I had a new album to listen to and get me into the mood for fall. Ride Lonesome by Beck. The album was released the Friday before and I was just getting around to giving it a proper listen. I have always enjoyed Beck, but the Beck I really like is the acoustic Beck.

That’s what this treat was. It’s a vibe that he can capture with an acoustic guitar that not many can match. Starting with the album Sea Change back in 2002, followed by Morning Phase in 2014, this sort of completes a little trilogy of sorts.

My father was a big fan of Sea Change, and liked Morning Phase as much as he could like it at the time. I wish he were around to listen to this new album with me. I can’t help but think of him when another acoustic Beck album hits the shelves. I can’t help but miss him. There are certain things that can bring someone back into your mind immediately, and apparently acoustic Beck is one of those things for me. All of this makes the new album much more powerful.

And talk about a great album to jam out to kicking off cooler fall weather.

After work it was another beautiful evening that we could spend time outside. Yvette watered the new plants she added to the bed over the weekend, while we both talked and sipped on a glass of wine. It was enjoyable, that was, until the door-to-door salesman arrived. Damn the luck. There was no hiding behind a closed door waiting for him to go away. We were snared.

He went on his spiel about how we needed tinted windows and how we might qualify for a discounted price. Blah blah blah. I knew there was no way to shut the man up unless I gave him something to work with. Thankfully, this meant setting up a meeting with him at another time. This was just a means to an end to be rid of the guy so we could go back to enjoying ourselves. I had no intention of actually meeting him and I called to cancel the following day. I had to admire the poor bastard. What a hard job.

Yvette and I decided from then on we needed to enjoy our wine in the back yard.

On Wednesday morning I found myself in a fucking mess. There was no way I could get full credit issued to my card for items I had to return because of a goddamn credit card fee. It was impossible for the vendor to issue that amount. I wasn’t happy to hear this and I didn’t know what to do but deal with it at a later time. What could I do? We really didn’t have a solution. What a pickle.

Usually, we have a blanket purchase order, but for unknown reasons, it hasn’t gone through. Actually, we all know the reason. I wouldn’t be in this mess if a certain department on campus was doing their job. Now I have a charge on my card with nothing to show for it, which I’m sure will cause a fuss with the AP department when I submit my report.

That evening after work I made my way to the library as I tend to do on Wednesdays. I wasn’t able to work in my preferred spot, damnit. It seems Wednesday is the day when I will be SOL and have to look for a place to bunker down. The basement has had the most options, although the damn elevator is a noisy bastard.

While studying away, I had a first — hearing someone else’s Dexcom device alerting them that they were having a low. I don’t know who it was, but somewhere in the library basement, someone’s device kept going off. It was a weird thing to hear from an outside perspective. I wondered if anyone else knew what the ruckus was. I sure hope the person was okay and had some sugar.

While walking out of the library, the skies were once again darkened by clouds. Looked like some cumulonimbus had developed while I was deep diving into my textbook. It didn’t rain, AGAIN, but it was a great change from the bright, clear skies.

I have enjoyed using the knowledge I’ve already gained from the course to better identify the clouds above me. My dad taught me how to spot the three basic forms of clouds, but now I am able to put names to many subsets of the basics — something I never really thought about when he was teaching me. Aside from the cumulonimbus, I spotted some cumulus, cirrus, cirrostratus, and some altocumulus clouds on my stroll to my car.

When I got home that night, I was treated to a delicious dinner by Yvette. Shrimp étouffée. Seriously, my jaw came unhinged by how good it smelled when I got home, and I was smitten by my wife all over again. It was a real treat, and I really am a lucky guy to come home to that after knocking out some school work. She made my day very special with that gesture. Boy do I love her.

It’s amazing how quickly a busy week will pass you by. I plowed through Thursday, without touching the brakes. Nothing exciting happened. I spent a lot of the university’s money on various things that people needed from around the town. Good times for sure.

We had Teegan coming into town Friday, expected sometime around dinner. He gave us a menu for the weekend: hibachi and meatloaf. Not together.

I was really excited to see him. It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month since we dropped him off in Aggieland. It was going to be nice having him back in the house, even if only for the weekend.

One thing I have to praise the week for was the weather in the morning and the evenings. I fully embraced the cool mornings with my windows down and music blaring. That is one of the best things about fall: the nice mornings. If only the afternoons would follow suit.

Happy Friday!!!

Jalapeño

Green chili ham omelette.

Spicy ginger chicken. I tried my best to copy the Penny Taphouse recipe.

Grilled chicken thigh tostadas.

Mississippi chicken from the crockpot.

Shrimp étouffée

Chicken thigh spicy soy ginger noodles.

Hibachi.

I really don’t have a lot to write about this go-round. Maybe more did happen, but as of writing this blog, I am too tired to really think. So I guess we’ll just see where this thing goes.

There really was not much to say about the weekend after such a long, busy week before. Saturday we relaxed and did hardly a thing. Yvette wasn’t feeling so hot — maybe a summer cold — so we avoided all of her 30-year reunion shindigs. I felt bad for her, but honestly wasn’t really sure if she had wanted to attend or not. Being under the weather was certainly a legitimate excuse.

Sunday I did yard work, cutting down branches and that kind of fun shit. I worked on an assignment for my class that required some drawing. I think my summation might have been a little elaborate — I spent at least three hours on it — but oh well. It was fun and somewhat relaxing.

The week at work was busy as all hell. I guess purchase orders pushing through and the new fiscal year are to thank for that. I really didn’t have much time for this blog, as I often write day to day when I have downtime at work. I didn’t really spend any time in the office at all. Oh well, the week was behind me in a jiffy.

My morning water routine remains the same, except the sun is rising much later now. The Blue Jay consistently wake up and make a racket at seven on the dot. I really like the quiet time that waking up at six allows me. The neighborhood is not yet awake. It’s peaceful and gives me time to think.

Wednesday night we had the pleasure of having Alaya stay with us. Lola made us dinner and needed a date night with her boyfriend, so we had the pleasure of keeping her company. Sweet girl. Not seeing her every day is sad, and it’s really allowing me to see how much she is growing up. The little changes you miss when you see her all the time.

We had another morning meeting. It seemed like we had just had one, but it turns out a month had already basically passed us by. Lord, fucking time. Anyways, this meeting wasn’t the usual bullshit — a member of the fire department was there to give us some brief emergency training. He taught us the importance of hands-on CPR: call 911 first and begin the chest compressions. We were also shown how to use the AED machines that jump-start the heart.

Overall, it was pretty useful stuff, and the presentation was excellent.

I started my Horror Nights this week. The yearly horror movie marathon I begin in September leading up to Halloween, where I try and watch as many scary movies as I can. It’s been a good start with four down, and I’ve already been surprised by one suggestion from a friend that I had never even heard of.  So far I have watched The Invitation, Incident in a Ghostland, The Empty Man, and The Descent. All good films, and I’m excited to be doing this once again. I’m sure Yvette is thrilled.

Friday it seemed Lola and Alaya were staying the night. I don’t know what the hell that is about. Lola has not stayed at the house in well over a month — heck, she doesn’t even have a bed. Who fucking knows. I think her boyfriend was going out with friends. Hopefully they are not having problems. We got to see Alaya, though, so it was a win for us.

I hope that you enjoyed my shortest blog in months. I was ready for the week to be over, and thankfully, it finally was.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño

Baked sweet potato with Greek yogurt, granola, hot honey and blueberries.

Our own little shrimp broil in the kitchen.

Chilaquiles.

Caribbean jerk chicken legs.

Spaghetti squash with meat sauce.

Tacos Al Pastor.

Mango habanero nuggets with pineapple, jalapeño and sticky rice.

Life is truly unpredictable.  You never really know what a day is going to bring

I woke early and let Yvette and Alaya sleep. I intended to put up all my fall decorations. It would be easier while the baby slept.

This was a tradition I have held on the first weekend of September for years now. It’s always so exciting to me, pulling out all the fall decorations. My house is full of pumpkins from this month until the end of November. This is a big deal.

After putting up most of my pumpkins, I went outside to water with the dogs. But oh shit, Roscoe wasn’t looking great. Friday night, his neck was swollen and we had to take his collar off. Saturday, it looked like the wound had busted open and blood was oozing out. I grabbed a wet, warm rag and held it against the wound while fluids drained out. An extremely disgusting ordeal I wasn’t happy to be doing — but it needed to be done.

I stopped to think for a second. If this was Alaya, wouldn’t we bring her to the emergency room? You damn right we would!!! So I called a vet office on a Saturday and asked if they did walk-ins. The last thing I wanted was to bring him to the emergency vet. They said yes.

We loaded up Roscoe, dropped off Alaya at Yvette’s parents, and off we went to the vet. The place was packed!! Goddamn, what a bummer. We waited in the car for two hours before getting the call to bring him in.

The poor bastard had an abscess. They drained more out of it, shaved it, and cleaned it. Ruled out a snake bite, thank God. Yvette would have burned the yard down. Not sure what the cause was, they gave him pain pills and antibiotics. Poor bastard looked terrible, but he wasn’t acting any different. Blessings, I guess.

Better safe than sorry.

After that ordeal, we went back over to Yvette’s parents to pick up Alaya and visit a little while. It was good seeing them and catching up. Mainly, we talked about bullshit at work, which was always something to talk about. Always bullshit.

I bounced early to run some errands — gas, Hobby Lobby, dinner groceries, etc. Fun times.

That evening, we took Alaya out to the pool. Labor Day weekend was pretty much the end of pool season. What am I talking about? It is the end. We figured we might as well enjoy it for one last hurrah. She sure loves her pool time.

To our pleasant surprise, there really weren’t many people there. They also had the Texas A&M game playing at the bar, which I was now invested in with Teegan being present “at that game!” They kicked some ass. He sent a picture that completely blew away how we were watching the game compared to how he was. Lucky kid was having a grand time on the 50-yard line.

When we got home, we didn’t have a key. Laughable. Yvette’s mom unlocked the door and visited a little while. Roscoe seemed to be doing so well, but his wound looked swollen again. He had only just started taking the antibiotics. We all kind of coasted into the evening.

I woke up and made bacon, potatoes, eggs, and tortillas. I cleaned up Roscoe’s wound, which just looked terrible from all the leakage. I put on the movie Children of Men, just to have something in the background.

Jesus. What a compelling film. It’s even more terrifying twenty years after its initial release. Hard not to get moved while watching it. What a marvel of filmmaking. Probably in my top 20 list of greatest films. Do they make films like that anymore? Am I old?

After that, I played my game to put off what I really needed to do — finish my damn fence job. I still had the granite side to dig up. I got after it and completed the job, taking a great deal of weight off my fence line and hopefully improving my drainage issues. I went and made sure all the pickets were nailed into place. God willing, this pain-in-the-ass job will give my fence a longer life and resolve my drainage problems.

Yvette had gone to have lunch with her parents while I was doing some “man work” in the yard, so after cleaning up, I scoured the fridge for a late lunch. Leftovers it was. Not a bad lunch. While eating, I thought about how happy I was to have that bullshit behind me, at long last. It felt like I had been working on that for sooooo long. Now, Labor Day, I actually didn’t have to do any labor. I could chill.

It was time for the final pool trip. Alaya would have to wait a year. It would be gone before she knew it. She really went all out for her last day. She had her boogie board, and she made sure to venture into uncharted areas of the pool never before explored. She even made a peek into the dreaded “deep end.”

Scary place to a kid. Forbidden until a certain age. What an adventurous girl. I was happy to have the moment with her and Yvette. Another summer came to a close..

Labor Day, I chilled. I made myself do absolutely nothing. I slept in a little late, and when I finally woke up to make breakfast, I started a movie I had been wanting to watch for a while now, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. A film by Martin McDonagh, whose previous work I’ve enjoyed. The film was a dark comedy, no question about it, with stellar acting, especially from Sam Rockwell, who won an Oscar for his turn as the racist, idiot cop. The film was pretty great.

The day was certainly lazy and relaxing.

Tuesday, I was sitting, but really I filled in for Seth since he took a vacation. I was busy and happy with that. My only work day until Friday. Haha. Very weird week.

After work, I went to the library and did some reading and started my quiz over Chapter 4. I wanted to get ahead since I would be out of town most of Wednesday and Thursday.

Wednesday was the day of the big concert. It arrived, and since I was off work and didn’t really need to be in Austin until around 5, I worked on schoolwork. I finished up most of my assignments and felt ahead of the game. This was a great feeling to have. No worries during the good times.

The road to Austin was fine until I got to Austin. Damn Mopac. I was at a standstill for thirty minutes. I guess I should call myself lucky that that was the only traffic incident I met, but it’s a pain in the ass when three miles becomes thirty minutes.

I arrived at my brother Chris and Emma’s new house. Yep, he has a house now! And a fiancée!! I am happy with that new development. Proud of him.  He never thought he would get married again. Neither did I at one point. You just don’t know when you’ll meet that person who changes everything for you.

Anyways, Keith was already there, so first things first — a beer to decompress. I got the tour of the new house and the plans that they had for it. It was nice, yet still a mess from the move and the remodeling, but I could see around all of that. Lots of potential.

It was time for dinner before the show. For some reason, Chris thought a place that is known for its chili would be a good idea before hitting a three-hour outdoor concert in the late-summer Texas heat. I guess we didn’t really object, and the chili was indeed good. Texas Chili Parlor. A famous joint.

The restaurant was even featured in one of my favorite movies, Planet Terror by Quentin Tarantino. I geeked out. I sat down at the bar where one of my favorite actors, Kurt Russell, sat in the movie. How fucking awesome is that?

After dinner, all of us a bloated mess and probably rethinking the chili, decided to hit up this speakeasy. This was the state capital, so of course a place like that existed. It was in an alley down some stairs. The place was fucking dark, with only shaded lamps to illuminate. I could tell it was a place the politicians probably attended after ruthless sessions. I’m sure some shady exchanges had been made in such a place.

After a strong drink to lube us for the night ahead, we were off to the concert.

Jimmy Eat World!!!

Jimmy Eat World. A band I grew up listening to in high school. Over the years, the subsequent albums have all shared important moments in my life. Chronologically, I match a life event with an album. Crazy, but true.

The night was the 25th anniversary of Bleed American. An album that I remember fondly. Off the top of my head, I think of July 2001, out at the lake with old high school friends home from college for the summer vacation. We were drinking. It was a cool evening, and we jammed to the demo version of the album, for the album had yet to be released.

The opening bands were also some of my favorites. Minus the Bear and Sparta. Both bands I had seen before. All three bands I never thought I would see again. It really had been twenty-five years since I had last seen Jimmy Eat World. Crazy that so much time had passed me by. Really had me reflecting upon the years. Wow.

I had traveled to Austin twenty-five years ago to see these guys, not even old enough to legally drink, and here I was with my brothers seeing them again at the age of forty-five and drinking Bud Light.   Again… wow.

I remember the city on the night that I first saw them so many years ago. I had driven with friends from Lubbock, Texas, while attending Texas Tech University. I was just a child, only 20 years old. The skyline was so different on that night. You could still see the stars. So many skyscrapers and so much light pollution have taken that away. A luxury of the past that I miss.

The venue was much smaller and intimate back then. Really just a hole-in-the-wall bar that happened to be a venue. A much different crowd because, at that time, the band really was underground. Kind of a secret that we felt special to know.

Things sure have changed.

This was an actual venue built to host bands. They were no longer playing at dive bars. These guys made it big post-9/11.

So much has changed over the years…So much.  The band.  The city of Austin.  Myself.  Twenty-five years….

Back to the concert, it was pretty amazing, and we actually found a nice little spot to view the bands. We only caught the last few songs by Sparta, but Minus the Bear fucking killed it (might have stolen the show).

Jimmy Eat World once again reminded me why I have been listening to them for thirty years. They started the setlist strong with four songs from the album Clarity. An album that lives in my heart and was cherished when I was in high school.  After that, they went into the main event — playing each song from Bleed American in the order they are on the album. That was so cool. Following those eleven tunes, we were treated to an encore of songs from the following album, Futures. Another album I cherish, and one that I never actually got to see performed live until this night.

I was in such high spirits being there with my brothers and seeing the band again, I honestly got a little teary-eyed. We are all changed in twenty-five years. Time just slips away, doesn’t it?

Grab each moment you can.

After the show, we went back to the house and had some drinks to wind us down for the night. We stayed up too late and felt it the next day. I did not want to make the drive home. Of course, before hitting the road, we went and had BBQ. Another poor decision, but damn if it wasn’t worth it.

I struggled the first half of the trip, but found my groove after a stop to stretch my feet. I grabbed some dinner and decided to try a different road home. It was the right choice, and I made good enough time that I could stop by a ghost town I had always passed just off the highway.  Melvin.

It was nice to be home, and I had missed my sweet wife. Home is truly where the heart is.

On Friday, I went back to work for just one day. Why? I don’t know. What else would I have done?

It was 9/11. The 25th anniversary.  So many people lost. How things have changed. How I have changed. How the world changed after that day. A day I will never forget. A terrifying day full of uncertainty.

So, that’s that.

A lot of change can happen, whether quickly or gradually. Time is a circle. Make the moments matter.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño.

Trying to build a new rhythm.  Between work, school, homework, library time, family, this week disappeared in a blur.  Yep, routines are changing, and somehow I’m back in school doing homework and actually enjoying it.

The weekend was finally upon us, and when I woke up early Saturday morning, I made myself go straight back to bed. The hell with getting up early. I really didn’t have anything pressing in the yard, so Yvette and I slept in until Lola called to say she was at the front door around nine.

She brought the baby, so we were able to see Alaya briefly before they once again disappeared to her gymnastics class. Yep, she started that back up. It’s good for her. I was happy to see her, and I could tell that she was just as happy to see us.

So, you good folks who are reading this need to know my feelings on Alaya being with her mom all the time. It’s good for her, but it also makes me sad — and wary.   Understand that for months, Alaya was basically being raised by Yvette and me. This was a period when Lola was seeing a total asshole and was never around. She would abandon Alaya with us. We were perfectly fine with that, but some heads-up would have been nice. That could be frustrating at times, especially when we had prior plans.

So we did what we had to do. We accepted that Alaya was basically going to be with us like she was our own little child. She was always a pleasure, which made it easy. I got to experience a little of what it must feel like to be a father, and I fucking loved it. Every moment of it. Alaya was my sunshine, and we did so much with her. From December to May, she was part of my everyday.

Flash forward.

Now, Lola almost always has Alaya — they do not stay under the same roof as Yvette and me.  Hell, Lola no longer has a bed at the house. She has basically moved in with her new boyfriend. More recently, she has moved Alaya with her. Alaya only stays with us when Lola needs her to. We went from very much raising a child to being more like traditional grandparents — only seeing the child on occasion.

It’s hard, and damn if I don’t miss seeing that little girl all the time. But I’m also glad that she now is spending the time she needs with her momma. I’m glad that Lola pulled her head out of her own ass and is now back to being the good mom she was before meeting that other asshole.

I actually like her new boyfriend, and I’m happy to report that Alaya also really likes him. He seems to be really good with her, and I know he has strong feelings for the little girl. That is very important. The most important thing, really.

So I’m sad and happy all at once. I don’t think I’m being selfish when I say I want that time we had back — but I also just want what’s best for that sweet girl. I miss her.

With no Alaya and no Teegan, it truly feels like an empty nest. It’s so quiet. The thing is, Yvette and I both expected to have Alaya around most of the time once Teegan was out — and sadly, we do not.  But when we do have her, those moments are special. (We had her Sunday night. Yay!!!)

Anyways…..

I had some chores to do, so I went after them. First things first: take care of that big branch that came crashing down from my tree during last week’s surprise storm. Fucking brittle-ass pecan tree. It was too big for my battery-operated chainsaw, but I managed to disassemble it, fit it in my car, and dump it illegally on campus. Good riddance.

Afterwards, Yvette and I ran some errands. We had returns and purchases to make. Just the basic bullshit a family does. The boring parts of life are made much better with each other’s company.

We eventually both got hungry and decided to split a plate of nachos at a place called Rosa’s. What a romantic lunch — actually, it really was a nice meal with the one I love. I guess now that it is just the two of us, we don’t really have to plan Saturday lunches. We can stop for nachos on a whim.

After errands, Yvette had a birthday party to attend, so I went to the campus library to read and take a quiz. I was much more prepared this go-round and accomplished my task without any technological hindrance.

That evening, we had dinner, some drinks, and watched a Netflix special called The Preacher’s Wife. Good lord, some people are batshit crazy. I was pretty captivated by reality’s bullshit. What is wrong with some people?

Sunday morning was the opposite of Saturday. I woke up and carried out the usual morning routines: watering and coffee. I did some basic household chores and proceeded to start Chapter Two of my textbook. I will say, having always enjoyed the weather, I found it exciting to learn more about the technical aspects of it. I already knew a lot of the basic concepts, but I wasn’t aware of the correct terminology and specifics behind them. Exciting stuff.

The textbook was also well-written and not at all boring. Maybe this is because I am older and view it less as a chore now that I’m not in my twenties.

Fuck, that might be the case. I’m just old.

Later that morning, I decided to go see a random-ass horror movie called Buddy. I was intrigued because I knew the short film that the writer/director had previously done, Too Many Cooks. An acid trip of a short horror film. I wondered what kind of full-length film this guy could cook up.

I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I went to the movies on my own. While waiting for the movie, a screening for Pan’s Labyrinth came on. The 20th anniversary. Jesus, that made me feel old. Like, really old.

The movie began, and it was just like being sucked into one of those shitty ’90s kids’ shows. Fucking hell. I laughed a lot. It was a trip. Was it scary? Not really. Creepy at times, and definitely unnerving. I would have liked a little more explanation of what was going on behind the scenes, but oh well. I think part of that creepy vibe came from the fact that I’ve always been a little unnerved by those ’90s kids’ specials. My brother watched Barney in the mornings, and it made me ill. Haha. Mainly, I was just happy to be able to watch something like it in my little town.

Was it something I’d rewatch? Probably not. Some parts could have really used some trimming. I thought some good ideas existed but needed to be run through a filter. Was it worth watching in the first place? Absolutely. One hell of an art-house horror film, and I was happy with my afternoon choice.

After the film, I made my way to the library to finish taking notes and complete a quiz. I left my phone at the house, which was probably for the best. Someone had taken my spot. Oh no!!! What was I to do!!!

Yeah, I’d already claimed a spot — actually, I’m reclaiming it.. I picked out the spot twenty years ago, so when I went on Sunday to find it already taken, I panicked. Luckily for me, I found that the next-best spot was open. Lord, what would I have done otherwise?

I enjoy the library. I’ve actually missed my old dwellings. The one place where you are assured some quiet. I don’t think enough people understand that or take advantage of what that means The world is loud. The library is a place where people are expected to shut the fuck up — that’s a gift. Use it if the world gets too loud.

That night, we had the girl with us. I was stoked for that. Dinner, some Paw Patrol with Alaya, and that was Sunday night. It was great having her around, and she seemed very happy to be home with her own stuff. Goodbye to another weekend. That’s how you wrap things up.

The work week was a blur.

Monday, I woke up around 5 a.m. with a baby foot in my face. She snuck into the bed at some point. I guess she sort of broke my routine. When we had her all the time, I expected routines to change.

I got up and made breakfast, but rather than watering outside, I finished up some coursework. I figured the morning quiet would be as good a time as any to knock it out. That completed all my assignments for Week One. It felt good to have them complete, and hopefully, no other bumps in the road will prevent me from being on top of shit like last week.

Work was surprisingly slow for me, and I was the one making purchases. This allowed me some flexibility. Our marketing department was giving out free shirts so we could all wear blue on Friday, so I volunteered to get my coworkers and me all shirts. I jumped on the cart and made a voyage across campus, and I picked up Yvette along the way to accompany me. It’s always nice to have something free on the university dime. In lieu of pay? Yeah…

After work, we went and visited Noah, Nadia, and Niles and ran errands before coming home to a quiet house. We are still getting used to that.

Tuesday was boring. What can I really say? Mundane horse shit.

Wednesday, I was busy at work. The first thing I had to do was bring my computer in to have it re-checked out for another week. Yay!! I had another week!!

After work, I went to the library again to work on reading and finish a quiz. I mostly found myself working on an equinox assignment that required drawing a sketch. That was fun, but I might have overthought it. My mind doesn’t do well with mirrors.

After studying, I went home to find Yvette had cooked fajitas, and Lola, her boyfriend, and Alaya were there. I had fun and was thankful for Yvette. The last thing I wanted to do after a study session was cook. I was tired from work and the homework.

Thursday was just another fucking day at work. Afterwards, Yvette and I went to her grandparents’ to celebrate Aunt Gloria’s 70th birthday. It was wings, fries, and cake. Not a lot going on, but still a good time with family.

We got home, and I finished an assignment while Yvette worked on removing her nails before Friday’s appointment. It was a mellow evening.

Friday finally arrived, and I couldn’t tell you how happy I was for that. The office was terribly short-staffed, which was how I liked it. Quiet. I was busy running around town and making purchases, but that was good, and it made the day progress wonderfully.

We had a little storm activity toward the end of the day. Thunder and lightning. That’s typical.

When I got off work, I went to the cemetery right next to our office. Earlier in the day, an old friend of mine was put to rest. A guy I had known for nearly twenty years and, for a long time, saw just about every week. It’s weird. He was a big part of a chapter in my life that I closed years ago, and the news of his passing brought back memories.

I felt I only owed the man some of my respect, so I said my goodbye.

At home, I found that Alaya was there! What a Friday afternoon gift. We were kicking off the weekend perfectly with her addition. I couldn’t be any happier.

One thing I found during the week was how to fit classwork into my life. I think I did a pretty good job of it. I completed all my work for Week Two on the third, when it is all due on the eighth. I felt good about it and actually had a little fun working on a project that required a little bit of drawing.

Listen to me — I had fun working on homework.I didn’t think I would ever be saying that again in my life.

It’s good to find a routine.

I have developed so many new routines in the last month, and I am enjoying them. It’s nice. That’s really what this week was kind of about: working new things into a life built on routine — and I think I’m starting to figure it out. I did that throughout August, and it seems like I’m starting September well enough with some more.

Happy Friday!! 

Jalapeño

Shrimp tacos!!

Rice w/ ham, avocado, pico, cheese and green sauce.

T eyes taco salad special.

French bread pizza.

Pad Kra Pao

Queso chicken taco.

Cordon Blu done my way. This is a recipe I made years ago that I’ve never made for Yvette. It’s been about at least 5 years since I’ve made it. the sauce is the key. Ask me if you want the recipe.

While Teegan was settling into life in Aggieland, I was settling into life as a forty-five-year-old college student back on my own campus. I had been excited about going back to school for months, but I quickly learned that being excited and being prepared were two very different things. Between saying goodbye to Teegan, dealing with work, figuring out how the hell to be an online student, fighting with technology, and surviving the Texas heat, my first week back was anything but smooth. In fact, it was one hell of a way to start.

Saturday morning Yvette and I woke up a little late. Aggieland was hotter than hell, and Teegan had things to do, so we were not going to meet up with him until around one o’clock for some lunch and farewells. I know the prospect of leaving him was tearing at Yvette, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it myself. I have been on the other end of this, like I’ve said.

We made a trip to the grocery store before meeting up with him. It felt right to supply him with some good snacks for his room. I mean, he wasn’t always going to want to eat dorm food, was he?

He and his roommate met us downstairs to help with carrying groceries up to the room. I wasn’t going to haul another case of water up four flights of stairs before hitting the road for five hours. I knew my back was already tweaking. Heck, I watched these young lads wrestle getting that damn case up the stairs, so I knew it wasn’t the easiest thing to do. I wonder how quickly Teegan is going to go through his water? These stairs might make him a little more conservative on his consumption.

Fish Daddy’s was the place Teegan wanted to check out, and we basically saved the best for last. I was immediately impressed with the atmosphere, and once I saw fried green tomatoes on the menu, I was sold. I had always wanted to try them, and they did not disappoint me. Everything we ordered was superb.

Mostly, the lunch was just an excuse to visit. We talked about what he did last night. We talked about what he was planning on doing that night. We talked about his upcoming classes. Mostly, we just talked. It was our unsaid way of prolonging leaving town and saying goodbye, but eventually we had to hit the road.

Dropping him off was hard. Of course it was. I’ve never been good with goodbyes anyway. We were all a mess on that side of the road by his dorm. Tears in our eyes. When he walked away, he made one final glance over his shoulder at us that I will never forget. God, I was going to miss him.

The drive was what could be expected. Long. I made it a point to not make a single stop other than getting gas on the way out. No pee breaks. I wanted to get home before dark. Somehow, we managed just that. Yvette was impressed. She asked if I was alright. I said that I wasn’t.

She went to pick up Alaya from her dad’s house, and I ordered a pizza. It was good having the little girl at home filling the empty space. That night, we all slept well.

Sunday was a quiet day. I did very little around the house. I picked up the dogs from my mother’s, who were very happy to go home and relax. For my senior pups, being with three other dogs for four days was enough. Lola came and picked up the little girl, and it was once again quiet. This will take a while.

It wasn’t really the first day of class—that was Monday—but I was finally able to view my course syllabus! That meant I started class a day early! I went ahead and dove headfirst into the course and completed two assignments ahead of schedule. I was really getting excited about the prospect of taking a college course once again, nearly twenty years after graduation. Already, I was happy with my decision and the gentle persuasion of others to re-enroll.

I made a mental list of the things I needed to do for the first day of class—what I needed to buy—and I went to bed.

Early Monday, I went about my usual morning routines and left the house early to go check out a laptop from IT to use during the semester. I had to check it out in 28-day intervals. Whatever. The girl quickly signed one out to me, with zero explanation. I asked if there was anything I needed to know, and she said no. That was kind of a red flag.

My God, do things on my commute to work change when the students are back. Gone was the simple, stress-free drive, replaced by chaos and frustration. These people make my ass twitch. Nerve-racking sonsofbitches. I was also almost hit twice in a matter of five minutes. For fuck’s sake.

Dear Lord, I was busy on Monday. Busy to the point of exhaustion. The heat didn’t help at all. Honestly, I had not completely recovered from the Aggieland move-in. It was also going to take me a little while to once again get used to the influx of students back on the campus. It goes from being such a quiet place to a very alive place. You must make some adjustments to the routines that you take on over the summer months.

Not only was it busy, but my insulin pump’s controller was on the brink. The screen was flickering and, at times, failed altogether. I would have to bang the damn thing on a surface to get it to light up. Yeah, this was a problem I needed to rectify as soon as possible. Last thing I wanted was to be up shit’s creek without a paddle.

After work, Yvette and I went over to Noah and Nadia’s to visit with baby Niles. He is such a sweet, happy boy, always with the big smile. I hope that never changes. Since I do not see him as much as Alaya, it always hits me how quickly they grow. He is getting to be a big boy.

That night, I tried to log onto my loaned computer and wasn’t able to because the damn domain wasn’t available. What the fuck did that mean? Yvette called Lola, who had loaned a computer before, only to be told that they should have had me log in while there during checkout. Damnit, I asked if there was anything I needed to know, and clearly, there was. It would have been nice had they told me that.

Tuesday was more of the same busy bullshit. I still had catching up from Monday, but first things first, I needed to contact my insulin pump’s customer service. I have worked with them twice in the past and always found them to be outstanding and helpful. I logged into a chat with a representative and explained my problems. It was diagnosed, and we began the process of getting me a new control device. It was to be expedited. I just had to rack my brain and remember how to set it up when it finally arrived.

I also brought the laptop to work with me and had no trouble logging on. Okay, cool. I guess that was all I needed to do. I went through the setup process, and everything was peachy. Until the battery died. Okay, these things happen. Maybe they somehow gave me one that wasn’t charged fully. I took it home at lunch and placed it on the charger to tinker with later.

Back at work, I was in the Physics & Geosciences Department visiting with my friend Jody when my professor walked in, allowing an introduction from Jody. This was a nice coincidence. Apparently, she took note that I was the first one to complete the first assignment. I said that wasn’t my intention, because it was not. Anyway, Jody helped break the ice and saved me the uncomfortable moment I would have had by just showing up at the professor’s office. The thought of that felt awkward, even at the age of forty-five.

That night, I tried the damn computer again to no avail. WTF!!  I had the same message about the domain.  I decided to put in a service request with the IT department as soon as morning arrived.

After doing so Wednesday morning, I noticed something else about the computer. It was only holding a charge for about thirty minutes before needing to be plugged back in. Okay, that was a problem.

I went back to the library and service desk to have the computer replaced. While there, I also discovered that when I checked out the first computer, basic protocol was skipped. They never had me set up the computer. They didn’t have me fill out any paperwork. They also loaned me a 28-day computer but put it in the system as a four-hour loan, so I was already accruing late fees for a computer I had not even really been able to use. The guy had to get his boss to override the system just so I could check out another computer. To boot, I could only check out a seven-day computer—all the 28-day ones were spoken for.

Bullshit.

So finally, Wednesday, I had a computer.

The rest of the day was busy, and I had plans to do some class work once off work. That was going to have to become a routine.. After work, I just want to cook and chill. The meal I had planned Wednesday wasn’t exactly a quick meal, so learning to make something easy on my study nights was a must.

Off work and at home, I was able to get onto the computer, but unfortunately unable to access our system due to our security system. I called IT HELP again, and all the senior agents were home for the evening. It was after five o’clock. I opened a ticket stating that I needed the issue resolved, drank a quick espresso shot, and went back to the campus library to read and take notes. I lost time and was there for two hours. Shit, I still had to make dinner.

I had to work this out and make a routine. I figured I’d make Sunday and Wednesday my big study days, when I spent time at the library completing assignments and taking quizzes. The rest of the week I would stick to reading the text and taking notes.  Hopefully, the technology would eventually work with me.

Thursday morning on the way to work, hot air balloons were taking off from the band practice field, which is two blocks from my house! It was an unexpected delight seeing that on the way to work. I watched them lift from my spot across campus, while Yvette had front-row seats—it was her parking lot they were basically taking off from.

I think that made everyone’s morning. Something about fucking hot air balloons brings a childlike joy in everyone.

Once I was in the office, I began to e-mail IT when they called. We were going to work on trying a fix during my lunch hour while I was remote off campus. I went about my morning catching up on my expenses and working on bullshit. I saw a student getting escorted out of the dorms in handcuffs by two police officers. I shot the shit with people. It was the slowest day thus far.

At lunch, it was make or break. Did IT have their shit figured out? Turns out that they did. I was able to move forward beyond all the security red tape. This was going to make my life so much easier, and hopefully I do not encounter any more issues for a little while. Notice I said little while? I’m being optimistic. I’m not fucking stupid.

Since this was the first week back to school, the ice cream float social was back in business. Had I really been waiting since March for my Orange Fanta and vanilla ice cream float? I guess so. Unfortunately, I found out after enjoying a little that my current pump finally shit the bed. I had no way of giving myself any insulin. Fucking typical. Oh well, at least float season was back in business.

That afternoon, lo and behold, something was happening in the sky. My gosh, were those rain clouds? Could those be cumulonimbus? Holy shit! Was that thunder? Whatever it was, I was happy to see it, and boy, did it surprise. One second, I was getting sprinkled on in the golf cart; next, I was seeking shelter inside a damn building.  The wind was crazy and the tree limbs sere being tested for integrity. I was forced to ride out a very crazy storm.

As five o’clock grew closer, I realized I was not going to be able to wait this one out. I put on my big-boy britches and jumped back on the cart. I got drenched. There was no way around it. Even if it had not still been raining, navigating the flooded roadways would have still soaked my pathetic ass.

I will say that it was a little adventure. A very unexpected adventure.

That afternoon was the first Ram Jam, kicking off the first football game. Yes, it was also Ram Jam season. The time of free food, beer, apparel, and fun. Of course, it’s on a day that an unexpected strong storm hits. Typical.

Yvette was off an hour early, so while I was getting soaking wet, she was enjoying a drink and some ribs, dry and inside. Already wet, I said fuck it and met her after work for the festivities. I was amazed by how many people were still out partying in the rain.

I made my way inside and found my people. Next, I found the ribs. The glorious, delicious ribs!!!! The only reason I even met her was for those ribs. The ribs that I only get to experience during this time of year at the Ram Jam. I don’t know what they do to them, but Jesus, they are a treat. Made it worth getting a little damper than I already was.

That, and the four free beers.

After that, we went home, I showered, and spent some time trying to set up my new insulin pump control device, which had arrived sometime during the day. That is always fun. I think it was my third time doing it? Pretty sure. Always a chore trying to remember the correct settings. I made myself some pretty good instructions, but even that isn’t 100% because of the time I have between pump setups.

I was sick and tired of the week come Friday. That morning, I had to go pick up a bunch of bullshit for that one lazy-ass employee whom I’ve mentioned in blogs past. Of course I did. I was about fed up with their horseshit and was immediately placed in a sour mood having had to deal with them.

That afternoon, I tried to do a school project but was only once again hindered by technology. This time, it was my own shortcomings. I can’t use laptop touchpads as a pointer. I made a simple task difficult with my handicap. I had to get an actual mouse if this online course was going to work.

I was frustrated the rest of the day and just happy it was fucking Friday.

So my first week was a bumpy one. I was excited to be back in school but wished I knew what the hell I was doing as an online student. I did not feel prepared, but a lot of that was due to issues beyond my control. I tried to get a head start but kept encountering roadblocks.

The best thing I heard all week was that Teegan seemed to have a much smoother week than I did. I was very happy to hear it. This was something new for both of us, and he needs it to be a squeaky-clean machine. I can deal with discouragement; I don’t want him to feel that on his first week. One thing was certain: it was a long damn week for both of us, and I’m glad we survived.

Happy Happy Friday!!!

Jalapeño.

Chicken Parmesan an Italian green beans.

Garlic butter steak bits with mashed potato’s and green beans.

Ground beef/rice stuffed yellow bell pepper w/ refried beans.

Whiskey glazed pork belly w/ Broccolini and cilantro lime rice.

Steak w/ asparagus & roasted yellow potato’s.

This was it. The final week before Teegan’s move-in. Before the adventures in Aggieland begin. We had four days left with him before the first pages in his next chapter begin to unfold. How did we already reach this point. What happened to all the time we had left during the summer. As they say, it just slipped away like sand through our fingers.

So let’s begin…

Saturday I sure didn’t rest like I probably should have. Oh well.

I started off, per usual, making breakfast. I was in the mood for some huevos con chorizo a la mexicana tacos. Cooked the chorizo, chopped some onion, jalapeño, tomatoes and cilantro, and threw it all together with the scrambled eggs. Sprinkle a little cheese on the warm tortilla and load it with the egg mix. Delicious.

The yard was waiting for me. Yes, I needed to move more dirt, but I wanted to knock out another task that had been needing to be done for years. I think I might have come up with a partial solution to my backyard flooding issue. I was going to make a small wall along the front side of my house to divert all the runoff water from my neighbor’s yard back into their yard and, hopefully, out of my backyard.

I had equipped myself with some cinder blocks and dug out a trench to lay them. Once they were partially buried, I moved some dirt to fill them in and support one side. I figured the neighbors might cry when they see it, but do you think I give a fuck? They moved, and besides, what can they say? The water is coming from their yard, and I am simply trying to keep it in their yard and out of mine.

After that, I was back to digging and moving dirt. I worked too long and made myself sick. I even got nauseous. I need to learn when to quit.

That night, my mom took Teegan, Yvette and myself out to dinner for Teegan’s last night on the town before moving to Aggieland. He chose a place called Cielo, a Mexican joint that we used to go to with my mother all the time. Dinner was really fun, and we all had a great time visiting. About two hours of visiting. He and my mom have a very close relationship, and I know they are going to miss each other. I’m very thankful for that.

Have I said how badly I’m going to miss Teegan? As the days count down, my heart gets heavier and heavier. At the end of the day, only three remain before we hit the road to move- in day.

Sunday morning I awoke before everyone and enjoyed my coffee on the patio. As I watered the grass, I took pride in the amount of progress I made over the summer by simply using seed to make a yard. What would have cost me mucho pesos in sod cost me $30 for a bag of seed. I really am proud to see how much I’ve accomplished.

After coffee and reflection, I made breakfast. Avocado toast with an egg salad. I fired up the grill and cooked an entire package of bacon. I figured everyone else might want some bacon when they finally woke up. It was a good breakfast that provided me with the fuel that I needed for my next task.

It was time to get busy and get after the yard again. At this point, I really just wanted it done. I was tired of shoveling and wheelbarrowing dirt. I knew when I started this project the weekend before that it would take me some time to accomplish. I had really been putting it off for years, which only made matters worse for me in my present predicament.

Once the heat began baking me and my mind started to slip, it was time to give up and clean up. It was an important morning. At 11:30, we were taking Alaya to go see Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie. Was I excited about the movie? Not at all. Was I excited to see Alaya excited about the movie? Absolutely!

Once in the theater, she was already having herself a good time just watching the previews, but when the Paw Patrol finally showed up on screen, her reaction was priceless. She stopped what she was doing, turned around to look at us as if to say, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Then she turned back around and laughed, clapped her hands, and jumped up and down. She was overwhelmed with joy.

So was I, seeing her so happy. Really, a perfect start to the day.

After the movie, Yvette and I finished running errands and tidying up for Teegan’s going-away party. He was inviting friends over, and we were providing the food. Pulled pork, hot dogs, buffalo chicken dip and a cake. It was a lot of work, but I was happy to have this at my house. I wanted to throw a memorable party for him and his friends.

I think everyone had a damn good time, and I was happy to have the full house because soon it would be so empty with him off to college. They ate well, played games, listened to music, and made s’mores over an open fire. They had a good farewell party.

Yvette and I tried to make ourselves scarce so as not to infringe upon their good times.

I watched a movie on Netflix that seemed interesting and was recommended at work. The Last House. It was strange and right up my alley. Without getting into any spoilers, a family becomes trapped inside their house by means first unclear. Windows won’t break. Doors will not budge. They can’t even break down a wall. They have no way of exiting the house. It later becomes clear to them that they are not alone. The entire block is on the same boat.

Hours become days, become weeks, become months, become years.  They manage to persevere. Until they don’t. I actually rather liked the supernatural aspects of the movie once they revealed themselves. It was clever and, once again, tapped my Lovecraftian itch.

Monday morning I woke up with a house full of teenage boys scattered throughout. I laughed as I made my breakfast and had my coffee. Oh, I remember those days well. So will they when they are older. These memories will be thought of as “the good ole days.” We never know that we are living those days until years later. If only we knew then what we know now.

I was on office duty, but lucky for me, it was only going to be for Monday and Tuesday. Monday was a busy bitch and hotter than Hades. I was not digging people, and it was so busy. What I really needed to do was square away everything that I needed to have done for school next week. I needed to figure out textbooks and just how much I owed in tuition for the first payment plan.

As with everything else that I’ve experienced trying to take classes, nothing was clear. The online portal said I owed, but it only showed the full amount. Student Accounts said I didn’t owe anything. Which was it?

To play it safe, I made a payment. It wasn’t until later that I heard from Student Accounts again, telling me that the first payment was covered by the Tuition Exemption Program. Would have been nice to know before I clicked “Pay.”  Oh well. I had fully budgeted to make the payment, and it will count toward my overall tuition.

It was indeed a Monday.  Good riddance.

Tuesday. The last day of work for my week. Afterward, it was off to Aggieland.

Only a few minutes into the day, I was very happy to be moving Teegan into the dorms. At least I would be away from the shit show.

We had a morning meeting that was nothing but hogwash, served with burritos that would likely cause extreme diarrhea. Skip, please! I had my own burrito that I made that morning waiting for me, but I wasn’t able to actually eat the damn thing until about two hours into work. Every fucking time that I tried to sit and enjoy it, I was once again busy.  It was that kind of day.  Nonstop.

This all stemmed from the meeting. The big boss man mentioned that by the end of the day he wanted all bullshit work orders to be closed before move-in on Wednesday. He wanted a clean slate so that they could stay focused.

That meant people were hustling to finally finish what should have been finished by mid-summer. It meant a relentless barrage of bullshit for me.

The joy!

Wednesday we were highway hoppin’ to Aggieland. We loaded up two vehicles. Teegan and Yvette took the truck together, and I followed in Yvette’s. It had been a long time since I was on the highway alone, and I must say, it was rather fucking excellent. I jammed out to my music at volumes no one else would tolerate. It made the drive seem much shorter.

I had time to really think about Teegan out of the house and how much I will really miss him. I shed some tears.

His presence was always there. Even when you didn’t see him, you could hear him. For Christ’s sake, his yelling at his video games had become background noise. It was like a clock ticking—you heard it all the time, but eventually you stopped noticing it. Until the battery died and it suddenly stopped. I know when we get home, I’m going to miss that.

I’m going to miss the noise. I’m going to miss knowing he’s in the other room. I’m going to miss the little sounds of his everyday life that I never really thought about because they were just always there.

The silence left by him being gone is going to be deafening.

Five hours later, we were there. We had to make one quick stop at a window repair shop because some ass-faced trucker had slung a rock into Teegan’s window, but that took maybe five minutes of our time. After a quick late Chick-fil-A snack, it was off to Yvette’s childhood friend Andrea’s house. We stayed there a year ago when Teegan toured the campus, so it was nice being welcomed back.

One quick run to Costco, and we were off to dinner at a place Teegan had been recommended: Coco Shrimp. Nothing but shrimp on the menu, with rice and salad. This made it easy. I ordered the sweet and spicy, and my god, it was good. I even ate the fried tails. Bravo, Teegan. I get the feeling I’m going to like the food when we come to visit.

Time to go get some shut-eye before the big move-in.

I just realized Wednesday morning that I won’t be cooking for Teegan on a daily basis any longer. WTF am I going to do!!! My God, that was one of my everyday joys. And it’s gone. Man. For almost two years, just about every meal I’ve cooked—grocery runs, everything—has had Teegan in mind. I’ve wanted to cook to impress him more than anything. It’s the truth. I’d usually run our dinner plans by him before even starting the work. I wanted that boy to want my food, and I loved making something new for him and watching him go back for seconds. And now he will be gone.

It’s the little things like that I’ll miss about him that I didn’t even think about until randomly lying in bed awake before everyone else woke up. Damnit, I’m going to miss him.

I got up before everyone else, which, of course, is nothing unusual. Our gracious host had already taken leave; she was on a business trip in Utah. I decided to go grab some coffee and a breakfast burrito from the Exxon gas station up the road. I did the same thing on our visit a year ago, when I was surprised to find a little kitchen inside where they serve up some fantastic burritos. You need to know Spanish to really place an order. I almost forgot and screwed up the order.

Back at the house, I enjoyed my coffee on the back patio, taking note of just how goddamn humid it is here in Aggieland. My calm before the shit show of move-in. I was not looking forward to the stairs. Four flights of stairs. My back was already hurting, and we had yet to begin the trials that awaited us.

Teegan took off to help his roommate, who had an earlier move-in, so we waited. Then something unexpected happened, and in the worst way. When closing the garage door, the goddamn thing came off the rails. WTF!!! I stopped it, but it was fucked in more ways than we could fix. We tried releasing it, but the only thing holding it up was the bar and two wheels. I was afraid it would collapse. We called a repair guy who could get there and assess the problem while we were moving Teegan into the dorms. What a rough start. But lucky for us, for $400, he could fix it. Yeah. Tough break. Damnit.

Move-in was work, but a satisfying, fun sort of work. It was the excitement of watching the kids, and honestly, I was reliving my own move-in 26 years ago. At least it went smoothly. I expected the worst and was rewarded. Thank God the garage fiasco was the worst thing to happen all day.

His room was bigger than mine had been. It really wasn’t that bad, and they already had it arranged the way they wanted it before Yvette and I had arrived. His roommate certainly didn’t bring as much as Teegan, but maybe he would stagger more in later. Oh well, at least they were already friends before becoming roommates. That is the important thing. I can’t imagine moving in with a stranger.

I had some strong emotions hit me. Much deeper than I expected. I was transported back through time, watching these two young men and their excitement as they unpacked and arranged their dorm room. I was suddenly once again nineteen years old, fresh out of high school, in my dorm in Lubbock with my best friend, Samuel, trying to decorate my own room. Full of wonder and anxiety, but mostly barely contained, joyful excitement about all the unknown things we would discover. It was a new adventure. Good lord, if I could only go back to that day with some guidance. But would I really want to give any? Nope. I would let my younger self go discover.

It was a good day.

Yes, four flights of stairs and walking blocks back and forth between the car and the dorm wasn’t easy going. Yes, we were exhausted after five hours, but we accomplished a lot, and Teegan was moved in. The dreaded day was behind us. We were survivors. We were victorious. When the people at my university bitch about our move-in, I’ll laugh at them. What a joke. We won. Now we could weep.

Afterward, we took the kids to a late lunch and dropped them back on campus. Yvette and I had a few errands to run, grabbing little things for his dorm. We decided we did want to cook, so we picked up a frozen meal to zap in the oven.

We went back to the house, and the garage looked like new. Thank the Lord for that. We took much-needed showers after a day of sweating our asses off in Aggieland. I started dinner and poured us some wine.

We ate, relaxed, and watched a movie. We were fucking exhausted and ready for bed.

Friday. Happy Friday!

Yvette and I were moving slowly. The morning was sluggish. We were tired and a little sore. Physically and emotionally exhausted.

We spent the day more or less shopping for things we needed and returning things we didn’t need for the dorms. I never bitched or moaned. Not my ideal kind of day, but I was along for the ride, and it was fun having the time together.

We eventually were able to meet up with Teegan at his dorm to see how things had come together and how his first night had been. It was looking good, and they seemed to be having a good time.

Teegan came with us for some late lunch at Wings and More. We visited for a little while, talking about how his night went and what his plans were for the rest of the day. I was so happy to hear that he was so gung-ho about going out and doing things. If he is okay, I’m okay.  After lunch, we made one stop before dropping him back off for the night. I told him we would get him for lunch before we left, if that was okay. The last thing we want to do is cramp his style.

Yvette and I walked the campus and ran a couple more errands and eventually picked up some Chinese food to-go and returned to her friend’s house to wind down for the evening. We were both pooped. 

And then it hit me: we were going home without him

Good lord. Fuck. I’m wondering when all of this is going to hit me like a brick to the head. I know it hasn’t really sunk in yet.  It’s going to be so fucking weird going home without him

So that’s that. Move-in week came and went, and I’m not sure we’re okay yet. It wasn’t going to be easy, but Yvette and I have each other to get through it. I love this family, and I’m going to seriously miss Teegan. But I’m so damn proud of him. He’s ready for this, even if I’m not quite ready for him to be.

Happy Friday.

Jalapeño

Huevos con chorizo a la mexicana tacos.

Avocado toast & egg salad w/ bacon.

BBQ pulled pork nachos.

Yvette’s lasagna.

Poblano spinach chicken lasagna.

This week belonged to work. If I was home, I was working. If I was at work, I was busting my ass. It felt like every waking hour belonged to work.  There wasn’t much of the downtime I normally enjoy. Yes, I had a few moments scattered here and there that weren’t simply another form of work, but they were scarce.

I was up at the ass crack of dawn on Saturday morning.  The neighborhood was dead quiet except for the morning birds.  The air still had that cool morning feel before Texas remembered it was August. Coffee in hand, I watered the plants. I realize that in last week’s blog I talked about all the mornings I was up, and I promise not to regurgitate the same mundane bullshit, but Saturday morning was extra special because just a week earlier I had been sleeping in like a bum. Not anymore. Although, I was sort of wondering why the hell I was up so early when I could have been sleeping in.

Later on, Lola and her boyfriend arrived just minutes after seven o’clock, once again looking a little startled that I was already awake. They came for Alaya. They came to abduct the baby! I was in the middle of making breakfast, and they kept talking about how hungry they were.

I offered nothing. There was only enough food for Yvette and I.

I know I pissed them off, and I really don’t care. I was using the leftover potatoes and leftover chorizo. I’m sorry you showed up so damn early to take the little girl away from us, but we weren’t expecting you for breakfast. Get over it.

After they went on their way, I ran some errands in Yvette’s car before she headed off to get her nails done. It wasn’t as pretty as last week’s rainy-day errands, but I made my way to the hardware store, the water depot, and H-E-B to pick up some lunch for later. My main goal for the day was to clean up the backyard after the heavy rain we had a few weeks back. I had some bagging to do.

What I wasn’t aware of was just how many fucking bags I was going to need. Jesus, I created way more work for myself than I should have. I just kept expanding the scope of my project until it became a complete fucking bitch. I’d been mulching leaves for years, and I finally decided to clean them all up. Those bags were a fucking challenge.

I also watered the front yard, fixed the fence, and pulled weeds on my hands and knees. It was a productive day in the yard. I had even more plans laid out for Sunday.

Teegan and I were talking in the kitchen when Yvette called on her way home, so I fired up the grill and started lunch. Chicken sandwiches on Hawaiian buns. Delicious.

I took a shower, and then it was time to get that pesky battery replaced. I tried to jump it with my little jumper pack, but it was far beyond that. I had to hook it up to Yvette’s car just to get any life back. The poor thing was literally dead to the world—but not for long.

While we waited for the battery to be installed, we ran even more errands. It was nice just doing things with my wife while we were out and about. Nothing exciting. Just running errands together. Funny how that becomes something you appreciate. We always have a good time together. I know we’ll be doing this sort of thing for the rest of our lives, especially once our household starts getting smaller. Sad days.

Back at my car, it was alive and kicking like a wild donkey. Finally, both my car and I were operating at one hundred percent again. It was nice to have a reliable vehicle once more.

I remember the days when you could just buy a new car battery and change it yourself at your own leisure. It was never much of a hassle. Somewhere along the way, changing a battery became a mechanic’s job instead of everyone’s job. Gone are those days for most of us, with batteries tucked away in impossible locations and requiring tools most of us don’t possess.  Damn engineers. I hate having to find someone else to change my fucking battery, and I now vow to always check where the battery is located before buying another vehicle.

The rest of the day bled into the evening. Nothing much of note happened. Storms hovered on the horizon, but they stayed isolated and missed us entirely. It turned into a nice, peaceful evening. It was quiet.

I was already missing Alaya.

Sunday I made myself sleep in, which meant I was up by 8 o’clock cooking chicken and waffles.

That evening, per Teegan’s request, we were having baby back pork ribs, so I made an early run to the store so I could start marinating them. I was only doing a dry rub, but I wanted the ribs to sit for at least five hours before I even began cooking them. I was shooting for 3 o’clock and planning to cook them for three and a half hours.

My God, my blood sugar skyrocketed after breakfast. I even used keto-friendly ingredients, and I still didn’t stand a chance. I was beeping and over 400. How far over 400? I don’t have the slightest idea because that’s where my Dexcom device tops out. Either way, I was in bad shape, and I didn’t feel great. The joys of being a diabetic. Fuck.

Rather than just being lethargic, I decided on a plan of action. Like I mentioned, I had things in the yard that needed to be done. I attacked them in hopes that the activity would lower my blood sugar. To reinforce that, I took some insulin.

Yippee ki-yay, motherfucker!!

I was waiting on a friend to bring over a wheelbarrow and a shovel so I could tackle the main task. In the meantime, I decided to trim the hedges. They were looking a little unruly. I should have waited for Yvette before my high-blood-sugar diabetic ass climbed a ladder, but I didn’t. I completed the task and was fairly satisfied.

Next, it was time to mix up a little more herbicide to spray the remaining clover. The bastards simply refused to die. I’d been fighting them for years, but for the first time it felt like I was finally winning the war.  Although, they had choked out a good-sized portion of my beloved St. Augustine.

My friend Samuel came over to drop off the tools, and after a nice conversation, I got to work. My task was moving dirt. I had some erosion issues. I needed to move the dirt that had washed up against my fence to fill the ruts the rain had carved through my yard. Little floodplains, really. It was hot, and every wheelbarrow load felt heavier than the one before it.  An added bonus was that this chore would also relieve some of the pressure against my fence, which had too much weight pushing on it. I also uncovered a few sprinkler heads that I didn’t even know existed. Yikes… how many more were buried under the dirt? In the end, I found five.

After two hours, I decided it was too hot, so I called it quits until next time. I knew what I’d be doing next weekend.

I cleaned up and cooled down. It was after 3 o’clock, so I put the ribs in the oven. Then I headed out on my usual Sunday shopping run. Oh, what a joyous routine. H-E-B, Walmart, and whatever else happened to be in between. I stopped by my mother’s house and visited for a little while, and that was that. By the time I got home, two and a half hours had passed, and the ribs were almost done.

Dinner was a success, and after the day I’d had, those ribs tasted even better.

I was finally caught up with Teegan on House of the Dragon, so we sat down together and watched the final two episodes. This would be the last show we’d watch together before he left for college. It was a rather emotional evening for me. We both enjoyed the episodes immensely. I was happy the finale aired just before he left. It was a fantastic show, and I’m so glad he talked me into watching it.

Now we both wait until 2028 for the final season. Hopefully we’ll be able to watch that one together, too.

Monday I hit the ground running. I woke up just after six, like I have been doing for the last week or so, and took my shower. I proceeded with my new routine of watering the plants, drinking my coffee, and listening to the morning birds and my hawk friends. I was a little saddened that I didn’t hear them at the usual hour. Maybe they woke up early. Anyway, after that I prepared breakfast for Yvette and me: baked sweet potato with spicy honey, cinnamon granola, vanilla Greek yogurt, blueberries, and strawberries. A fantastic breakfast, if I do say so myself.

It was the calm before the weekly hurricane.  I was dreading going into work.

This was the week before they opened the dorms for move-in, and it’s when everyone suddenly needs something to complete projects that had been sitting open since late May, when the students initially moved out for the summer. It happens every fucking year. Every summer people convince themselves they have plenty of time. Then August arrives, everyone realizes what they didn’t finish, and suddenly it’s an emergency. Their emergency becomes the buyer’s emergency, which means it becomes my emergency.

So yeah, I couldn’t wait.

I knew I would have to break hearts and explain reality to certain people who think everything is always available. People would be upset with me, but I didn’t care. If you slack off, that falls on you. I’ll do what I can to help, but only what’s within my power.

So yes, work was about as busy as it gets for the man who’s constantly out and about around town. I had so many stops that I honestly lost track of where I’d been.  Home Depot, Lowe’s, and two handfuls of local supply houses.  I don’t think that is even really touching on all the stops.

I honestly didn’t mind. It also allowed me to knock out a couple of personal errands while I was out on the town. I needed some bolts, a garden hoe, and to drop something off at the dry cleaners. One advantage of spending the whole day driving around town is that I can knock out a couple of personal errands without making another trip later.

I will say it was certainly a Monday. I never sat still in the office long enough to get comfortable. Maybe thirty minutes in front of my computer all day. Yvette also had herself a busy day, with piles more bullshit than I encountered. Poor girl. I suggested a glass of wine.

After work, it randomly began to pour while the sun was still shining. It was short-lived, but it really came down hard. Hard enough to sort of fuck up the areas I filled in with dirt. Oh well, I can fix that. I just need to get a little sod sooner rather than later. The sudden sunshower was a lot of fun, though.

That night I watched the new Guy Ritchie movie In the Grey, starring Henry Cavill, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Eiza González. It’s an action thriller, but without the usual humor I’ve come to expect from a Guy Ritchie film. Honestly, I was underwhelmed. The script was kind of lame, and I had hoped for much sharper dialogue, but those moments were few and far between. I was left bored and ready for the film to just end. I suppose they can’t all be winners. Damn shame.

Tuesday was really just a nonstop drive around town. I was like a bee going from flower to flower. It was another one of those days everything blurred together into one long experience. I guess the day went by fast. I don’t even know. I started the day at six in the morning, so by the time I got off at five, I was done.

But not really.

Yvette and I ran to Home Depot to buy a microwave for Teegan’s dorm room. I knew they had them at a good price because earlier that day I had purchased six of them for the campus dorms. I’d been keeping an eye on prices around town, waiting for the right opportunity. I also made a point not to buy every single microwave Home Depot had.

It was another quiet night with Yvette. We’re trying to get used to it, but honestly, it’s not that easy.

Wednesday was more of the same. Just utter madness at work, with me running around trying to appease everyone I could. Like I mentioned earlier, I knew I was going to upset some of these fine folks. Boohoo.

I definitely had some problems with a few of the building technicians. Some people are just a pain in the ass for the sake of being a pain in the ass. They expect materials that are impossible to obtain, yet they insist they need them NOW! Like I can wave a magic wand and make them appear. For some reason, these people don’t seem to grasp that, as a runner, I know where you can find things in town—and where you can’t. When I tell them they’re only getting sixteen of the twenty-four they need, that’s because I already bought every single one available in town. They’re shit out of luck.  I don’t enjoy telling people no. Sometimes it’s simply the only honest answer.

They also need to get it through their thick skulls that they’re not the only people on campus who need something. Everyone needs something. Wait in fucking line. Look what happens when you wait until the last minute. Sometimes you don’t have any options left anymore.

Jackasses.

Every fucking year.

After work, I was still working. I went and purchased a little bit of Bermuda grass to lay over one of the runoff ruts that I patched over the weekend. After experiencing that very brief, heavy rain on Monday, I wanted some sod down to prevent all my hard work from washing away. Monday was proof that you just never know what the weather in West Texas is going to do.

I waited until after dinner to lay the sod. Not exactly cool, but cooler than immediately after work. I wasn’t planning on hurting myself. When the job was done, I had a glass of wine, not a beer, to kick back and relax. I was done working for the day.

I will admit, when I woke up on Thursday morning at 5:50, I thought it was Friday.  That illusion didn’t last long. Bummer when that didn’t turn out to be the case. I gritted my teeth and began my day settling into all my new routines. Since I was already up, I made the most of the nice, cool, quiet morning. Coffee in one hand, hose in the other, I watered the new sod and enjoyed the calm before another hectic day. I never heard the hawks.

The workday was more of the same, and as you’ve probably guessed, it was fucking busy. The only time I spent at my desk was the hour when everyone else was off to lunch. I like being busy, but damn, it can get a little overwhelming. And for a brief moment on Thursday, it did. We got absolutely slammed for about an hour in the office, with just about everything happening all at once.  Phones ringing, vendors waiting, deliveries piling up, people needing shit now—it all hit at once. When I was finally able to step out, I felt like I’d escaped a war zone. Utter chaos.

No rest this week. Immediately after work, I took my car to Discount Tire to see if they could help with a nail in one of the tires. They said it was in the sidewall, which I already knew. Thank God for the warranty. It only cost me a whopping fifteen bucks for a new tire. That’s a real steal.

While I sat and waited for the tire, I found myself wishing the Hooters next door was still open. In the past, it helped pass the time. Not for the reasons some of you gutter-minded folks might think, but for a cold beer and a snack. It was as good a place as any and just happened to be next door. Fuzzy’s Tacos is across the street, but that’s a gamble I’m not willing to take with the traffic.

Once the tire was taken care of, I stopped by the grocery store because we didn’t really have plans for dinner. We already had the shaved steak, so I just grabbed what I needed to make Philly cheesesteaks. That’s what I made for dinner. I slaved over the hot grill while the Texas heat did its best to make me regret it. When dinner was done, I wasn’t. I still had a few tasks to tend to in the yard. I needed to move more dirt to fill in the spaces between the sod. I made the most of the “somewhat” cooler evenings. I still have so much dirt to move, and I haven’t even gotten to the granite yet.

I breathed a sigh of relief, for Friday was finally upon us. Everyone I talked to seemed to be in the same boat. It was the week from hell that simply would not end. I still had to make it through work.

When I arrived, I saw that I was already tied up. My boss was off for the day, but it seemed he’d stayed late looking for things for me to purchase that weren’t showing up on the reorder reports. Oh well. At least it kept me busy and made the day go by quickly.

During my lunch break, I made my way downtown to the bank. I wanted to get something special for the kids—at least I know Teegan will appreciate the gift. The United States of America commemorative 250-year quarter. Only 250,000 in circulation. I got Tee, Lola, Noah, Niles, Alaya, Yvette and myself each a coin. As a coin collector, I thought it would be something fun for everyone, and the little ones would have something to hold onto years from now. I also planned on getting protective cases for each coin to keep them in mint condition. I grabbed a roll specifically for Teegan because he’s an actual coin collector like I am, and an unopened roll could become a sought-after item years down the road.

Personally, I always loved getting coins from my father, so I hope they appreciate the gift.

So that was my week. Nothing but work, yard projects, and trying to stay one step ahead of the bullshit. Not every week has a big story to tell. Sometimes surviving the grind is accomplishment enough.

Oh, and those seven beers that have been calling my name? They survived another week untouched and are still patiently waiting for me to acknowledge them. Let’s keep them waiting. This battery is still fully charged.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño.

Chorizo bean and potato tacos.

Grilled chicken sandwich on Hawaiian buns.

Mandarin orange chicken.

Chicken & waffles.

Baby Back Ribs.

Hibachi.

Stuffed salmon, broccoli cheese and rice pilaf.

Mongolian beef.

Philly cheesesteak w/ onion rings.

Chimichurri steak, broccolini & scalloped potatoes.