Nothing like kicking off the weekend with chores. It’s inevitable. Yvette got after it as soon as she woke up. I treated myself to a quick breakfast and coffee before settling into my cleaning duties. First, I needed supplies. Quick run to Home Depot and it was time to clean.

My mission was to clean our bathroom—emphasis on the shower—and reseal the base of the toilet. The clear silicone used previously was looking rather nasty, and I could tell a few areas were no longer properly sealed. The shower took the most time, as it tends to do. In that moment, I told myself again that I really need to deep-clean it more often.

Later in the day, I ran a few shopping errands for my mother. My brother was in town, and we were both cooking on Saturday night. After dropping off the groceries, we did a little sightseeing. It’s amazing how many memories I have scattered around this town and how they suddenly spring up. Moments frozen in time.

After a stroll down memory lane, Chris and I decided to grab a beer. We stopped by the new Lake House Pizzeria. What a nice place! Definitely somewhere I want to take Yvette for a date night once the weather cools down. A nice outdoor dining experience with a sunset over the water. I think it would be so romantic.

Chris and I got to work cooking the meal. I wanted most of it ready by the time Yvette and Teegan arrived. We made rigatoni with vodka sauce, grilled chicken thighs, broccolini, and a caprese salad. It might not have been the most inspiring meal we’ve collaborated on, but it was nonetheless fantastic—if a bit simple.

After dinner, we did what we usually do as brothers: roast one another. In this setting, it seemed easier to roast me. Yvette and Teegan probably didn’t feel like they knew my brother well enough to start teasing him. I took it all in good spirit. It was a fine night. I miss these family gatherings and want to have more of them.

I wish Yvette and the kids could get to know my brothers better. Hopefully, they will in time.

Sunday was a great day—fantastic weather and more fun with my brother.

Yvette, Lola, Alaya, and I met up with my mom and Chris for lunch. He really hasn’t had much time with the little girls, so that made it even more special. The food at Zero One was great. I finally tried the orange-glazed salmon I’d been eyeing on the menu for a long time—and it did not disappoint. Chris and I enjoyed a good local beer to wash down our meals.

After lunch and a trip to H-E-B, I headed to the bar for a couple of hours with my brother. We went to Parrot’s Head Tavern. I saw a lot of familiar faces I hadn’t seen in quite some time. People came up to me saying things like, “What are you doing here? It’s been a while!” Yada yada yada… the usual pleasantries and small talk.

While it was nice catching up, things have definitely changed. I’m no longer that “bar guy.” It’s not what it used to be for me. I’m a family man now.

Back when I was going through my divorce—and even up until I started dating Yvette—I spent a lot of time in bars. I know I went too often, but that’s where I knew people. I made friends at happy hours, be it either sitting at the bar or working behind the bar. It wasn’t necessarily about the drinks—though they didn’t hurt—it was the people I needed.

I headed home to prepare for dinner when it started to rain. That evening, I was grilling burgers and hotdogs. I got the grill going and threw the dogs on before the hungry guests started arriving. We were expecting eight adults and two babies. Chris stopped by for a beer—but just one. He had hung around the bar a bit after I left, so one was probably enough.

It turned out to be a really nice evening, full of fun and good food. Everyone seemed to enjoy the burgers—honestly, I think the hotdogs became a backup option. If you had to choose, which would you go for? Well, unless you’re Lola. She wanted the hotdog.

As for me, I made a burger salad. No need to sabotage myself with the extra carbs.

I enjoy having company over from time to time, and I was glad Chris stopped by. It had been about a year since he last came over.

Warfare. An Alex Garland film I tried to see in theaters two weekends in a row—but both times, it was already sold out. You might remember me complaining about this and ending up watching other movies instead. Being a war film, it makes sense: the air force base nearby was probably buying up most of the tickets.

Well, the film was great—if not deeply unsettling. But that’s the point. War isn’t pretty. War is horror. This movie doesn’t glorify it. It doesn’t make you want to enlist. There are no real heroics—just people doing their damndest to survive. It’s brutal and unrelenting in its portrayal of how quickly things can go FUBAR.

Another win for Alex Garland—easily one of the most exciting writer/directors working today.

Labor Day—we all slept in. I rolled out of bed just after 11 and made my way to my mom’s. Chris made breakfast: bacon and sweet potato egg tacos. He basically had a salsa bar set up. You could have a different salsa for every bite. Why? I don’t know.

I have to admit, I’d never thought to try sweet potato with eggs or bacon. But the end result was damn tasty.

After breakfast, we sat down and watched the original Highlander. It was on TV, so I felt obliged to watch it with the family. Classic trash movie from my youth. And when I say trash, I mean the best kind of trash.

You’ve got one of the greatest actors of my age, Sean Connery, playing an Egyptian named Ramirez. Rumor has it he was drunk most of the time while filming—which sounds right. You can tell he was having a blast with it. The only other actor who really shines is Clancy Brown, a king of genre. He must have gotten the same memo as Connery.

I’ve been watching this piece-of-shit, movie since the ’80s, and I still love it. It’s fantastic!

Labor Day was the final day for the pool—our last chance until next summer. I might have badgered everyone into making one last trip. I wanted Alaya to have a final swim day. And she really made the most of it. For whatever reason, she was in the mood to have fun. It’s almost as if she knew it was the last hurrah for the year.

To make it even better, they finally had Yvette’s piña colada. Every time we went over the past three months, they were out. I was happy she finally got her drink. I guess you could say we closed the pool out on a high note.

I’d been trying to watch Exodus: Gods and Kings all weekend, but it just wasn’t happening. Finally, Monday night, I found the time and quiet to watch it. I’d never seen the film in its entirety before—and I really liked it.

The story of Moses has been ingrained in me since I was a little boy. I’ve watched The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston more times than I can count. Exodus was a great modern interpretation of the biblical story—updated for the times with strong acting and impressive special effects.

Crazy I didn’t see it when it came out.

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over. The autumn equinox will be here before we know it. You can already feel the difference in the morning temperatures—nice and brisk. The afternoons are still a living hell, but a beautiful morning makes all the difference. Sets the mood for the day.

I need to start getting all my fall décor out. That’s what I want to do: really enjoy the season. I want more fall beverages, too. I’ve had two of my favorites beer so far, but I’m craving more. I suppose I should look up a good autumn cocktail that doesn’t involve pumpkin spice. I hate that shit—as you all know.

Pumpkin spice: the devil’s concoction, if ever there was one. And now, I’ve got something new to bitch about, all thanks to that damn spice. Once that repugnant trend took over, it seemed to open the floodgates for other spices to invade the market, gleefully attaching themselves to sacred products and creating unholy abominations.

Right now, the worst offender is pickle spice. I guess it crept in slowly, but damn if it isn’t everywhere you turn at the grocery store—chips, beer, crackers, fucking cotton candy. It’s out of control.

The week can be summed up with two words: long & shit.

I might have had a little bit of a weekend hangover come Tuesday—just from spending time with my brother and it being a long weekend. I didn’t want to get out of bed. Work was crazy, and we were short-staffed. This is becoming pretty normal. Jesus…

Wednesday after work, we had a birthday celebration for Aunt Gloria at Yvette’s grandparents’ house. It was fun, and I was so happy to see her grandfather up and out again. I’d worried about how he’d do after his hospital stay, but from what I could tell, he was doing okay. We had wings, cake, and lots of laughs.

These family gatherings used to frighten me—I’m not a social butterfly. But now, I feel very comfortable. I am the only white boy in attendance, though. I never really notice those things until someone points them out.

Thursday was a FUCK of a day.

It started with a headache that lingered until I went to fucking bed.

On the way to work, I walked out of the house without my keys or my wallet. I got all settled in at work before I realized I also left without my phone and my insulin pump. Lola and Alaya were going to the park, so they dropped both items off.

Speaking of the park—that went sour real fast. While they were there, some homeless man’s dog (that wasn’t on a leash) jumped up on Alaya, scratching and frightening her. Of course, Lola freaked—anyone would’ve. She took the girl to the clinic just to be safe, and thank God, all was fine. I stopped to check on them both and Alaya was just having another adventure.

A report was filed with Animal Control, and a citation was issued to the pet owners—a violation of the city ordinance that requires all pets to be on a leash. That’s about all they can legally do. The dog didn’t really show signs of aggression, so it wasn’t at fault. The pet owners were.

It was just a damn long Thursday… and I still needed to do my expense report.

Friday arrived, and it was glorious. Not only was it the bookend to a long damn short week, but the weather was absolutely fucking beautiful. It felt like fall had finally arrived. The sky was overcast, and the temperatures were mild enough for me to enjoy a little time outside. Everyone seemed to be in a much happier mood. It solidified my decision to start putting out the fall decorations.

The day began with a comedy field trip to the hardware store—a mission that had been initiated on Tuesday and was finally underway. We’d had complications coordinating everyone’s time all week long, so we struck out bright and early that morning before distractions could cause further delays. I honestly didn’t know what the guys were working on, but I had the vehicle and the cash.

It was a trip with people I genuinely enjoy talking to, which is, of course, a damn plus. I told them about the time some baby-dick asshat called the president’s office and reported me for driving a university vehicle erratically—completely false accusations, mind you. We all agreed that once someone sees those campus decals, they immediately think lawsuit. It was also unanimous that calling the president’s office directly was a total bullshit move.

Anyway, they were both just happy I was the one driving—and not them.

I finished my expense report, we had a nice surprise rain, and everything that was wrong settled into place, finally.

That evening, we had Noah, Nadia, and Niles over for dinner. Yvette made some of her wonderful lasagna, and I made some green beans. I was feeling the weather, so I picked up a few Samuel Adams Octoberfest beers. Such a fantastic beverage—and such a beautiful night. I actually wanted to spend my time outside.

I keep thinking about the passage of time. Watching these little babies try to communicate might have something to do with it. It’s hard to believe that their parents weren’t even in this world 25 years ago. I now, sadly, think about that endless sleep more than I ever did. Maybe it was my own little brush with mortality over the summer that’s brought these newfound feelings to the surface.

They have an open door to life ahead of them still, and my door is only slowly closing.

Not trying to be morose, but this is how I think.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño.

Grilled chicken thigh, vodka rigatoni, broccolini and caprese salad.

Burger salad.

Spaghetti and green beans.

Wings Stop. We had a little birthday party for Yvette’s Aunt Gloria.

Chicken thigh with roasted green pepper sauce.

Yvette’s lasagna and my green beans.

Saturday evening Yvette and I decided to watch a movie, The Life of Chuck. I’ve been waiting and wondering about this one. A Stephen King short story adapted by one of my favorites, Mike Flanagan. To say the least—it was beautiful.

I was initially concerned about how the story’s structure would translate to film, but it fucking worked. The story is written in reverse chronological order. Flanagan continues to impress. For someone who’s only been in the business a little over ten years, his filmography is already stacked. The Life of Chuck marks his third Stephen King adaptation—and his first film that isn’t rooted in horror.

The story was in the right hands.

At its core, it’s about how each life is unique and how every moment is significant, no matter how mundane it may seem. All the people we meet along the way become part of our own little universe. It was so satisfying to finally see the film brought to life. And that dance number? Truly exhilarating.

Weekends never last long enough.

Sunday we had lunch with my mom at The Grill. A nice little spot that serves a bit of everything. I’d been having a major craving for pasta lately. I have no clue why, but it’s all I want these days. Thankfully, I had a couple of options: chicken parmesan or rigatoni. I went with the rigatoni, which came with a pork and beef marinara sauce. It was fucking fantastic. I ate it all and left feeling stuffed—bloated might be the more accurate term. A big lunch like that isn’t typical for me; I usually keep lunch light. But I was totally enamored by the pasta.

All in all, it was a great little gathering between my mom, Yvette, and I.

After lunch, we ran a bunch of errands with overly full stomachs—just a few stops for basic household goods before the week kicked off. Once we got home, I meal prepped for Monday so that I’d only have to do the bare minimum after work. Life feels simple and easy when everything moves in sync.

The kids were coming back, so dinner needed some thought. Yvette and I planned on having shrimp and baked potatoes. For the kids, we picked up BBQ pulled pork to make stuffed potatoes. Of course, Lola didn’t want that—typical picky eater. It made me laugh. Yvette ran out and grabbed her a frozen pizza. That actually turned into a win for Teegan, who got to have some of our shrimp instead. In the end, I think everyone was satisfied.

Talking with the kids, it sounds like their trip was mostly okay. Teegan had fun. Lola and Noah seemed to have some sort of sibling rivalry going on—arguing over whose “parenting skills” were better. My take on it is that they were both vying for their father’s attention… and it sounds like he may have neglected Alaya. Poor girl.

I can’t pretend to understand exactly how the kids feel. I don’t know what it’s like to have divorced parents, but I know it can’t be easy. I always hope they have a good time when they’re with their dad.

It was a nice weekend alone with Yvette, but it felt great to have the kids back in the house. It’s the little things I miss—the pitter-patter of Alaya running down the hallway, Teegan yelling at his video games… just that extra life in the house.

I never thought the house would be this full, and I thoroughly enjoy it.

Monday kicked off the Fall Semester. First day of class!! Summer is officially over on campus. Mixed feelings tug at me. The tranquility of summer is now gone with the return of students. On the other hand, there’s a fresh excitement in the air, radiating from their presence. There are so many new faces. They meander around like hikers lost in the woods. I was asked on at least three separate occasions where a building or classroom was located. Lucky for these kids, I can give decent directions without a map. I used to keep a stack of maps in the golf cart this time of year, but the campus stopped printing them due to cost. I guess they assumed people could navigate with their phones using the online maps. Well, smart guys—they can’t.

I might find some hindrance in my work when the students return to campus, but I love the electric spark that fills the air. They bring an energy that’s infectious in its own way—the excitement of independence from their parents. Some have come from great distances, leaving behind the life they knew and found comfort in. It’s a big step, going to college and stepping away from the world you grew up in.

The day wasn’t all rainbows. I had a moment that utterly pissed me off. It was about the raise. Yvette finally received her letter acknowledging our raise, and it was completely different from mine. It implied I didn’t get the merit raise, only the 2% across-the-board increase. I wanted to punch something. I wanted to quit my job. I was this close to applying for a position at McMurdo and moving to Antarctica. I’ve always wanted to go to Antarctica.

Later, I found my paperwork—it does say I received the merit raise, but it makes no mention of the across-the-board increase. Oh well, that part probably goes without saying. My anger subsided a bit.

One tradition some of my fellow staff members and I have is taking “back to school” photos. It started in the fall of 2020 during the COVID pandemic. People honestly weren’t sure if they’d be going back to school at all. It was questionable whether the campus would even reopen. Scary to think about those days.

Originally, it was just four of us: Yvette, Jamie, Ella, and me. Somehow, we’ve kept this silly tradition going for six years now. Crazy how time flies.

Anyway, I was the one who organized it this year. I reached out to Ella, while Yvette found a few others to join. This year, we had two newbies and four returning members—minus Jamie. Not bad for such short notice. I’m always happy when new people join. I want it to become a tradition for them.

Over the years, people have come and gone, but the core group has remained the same. The founders, if you will.

Our campus is like a wildlife preserve—we really have such a variety of critters. This week, I had another first. After dropping Yvette off at work, I was slowly making my way across campus to the office. On my usual route, I encountered something special: six javelina hogs just strolling across campus. Well… they were being pursued. The “boys in blue” were hot on their trail.

What a blessing it is to laugh that hard before work. How great!

But the best part of the week came next. One of the police officers actually decided to chase the pigs. On foot. That’s right—six large pigs versus one average-sized adult male. What on earth was this guy thinking? What was he going to do if he caught up to them? What if they felt threatened and turned on him? Would he actually pull his “big boy gun” to defend himself from some pigs on campus?

I honestly don’t know—but it was hilarious.

I laughed my ass off at the sight. All he managed to do was drive the javelina further into town and across a busy street. They darted right in front of my vehicle, making me tap the brakes. But I didn’t even care. I was thrilled to witness this absurd act of pig-on-pig action. A pig chasing pigs. My lord, all the pigs all lines up. Marvelous!

So… do y’all remember a little hurricane called Katrina? Well, if you do—that was 20 years ago. If you remember that storm making landfall, you must be getting old like I am. I was in my mid-twenties, just trying to figure out what life was. I was going into my second year back in college. I had no idea what I wanted to do. I liked literature and was good at geology. I liked to party a little too much. I was chasing some girl who had no interest in me. I was writing poetry and music to help make sense of things. I guess I was essentially lost in life, trying to find my direction.

I suppose that’s the reason I recall Katrina so vividly—it was the fall semester of the year I began to find myself.

This week my friends over at The Weather Channel were doing a little twenty-year remembrance—basically sharing their war stories. News was broadcast very differently 20 years ago. Cell phones weren’t what they are today, and they relied heavily on satellite just to stay on air. During that storm, a huge area went dark for a long time. There was no communication, so they didn’t even know if their team was safe without physically packing up and driving to check.

I remember meteorologist Stephanie Abrams making it her mission to find her colleague Jim Cantore, who had gone dark. I feel like I got to know some of the on-screen meteorologists and weather personalities during that storm—Jim Cantore and Stephanie Abrams in particular. Nothing was scripted, and everything anyone knew about a live weather broadcast was thrown out the window. It was crazy. Everything I learned about Katrina, I watched in real time on The Weather Channel.

The storm surge reached a record high—28 feet in some regions. The storm itself was almost the size of the entire Gulf of Mexico—insane to see on the radar. New Orleans was below sea level, so needless to say, they were fucked. The city fell victim to both a man-made disaster and a natural one when the levees broke. Around 80% of the city ended up underwater.

Those of us who lived through that time will all remember the aftermath. It reshaped the coastal states and played a major role in the country’s politics. Everyone was playing the blame game for the failed infrastructure. The nation was kind of a mess. Not quite like it is today, but a mess nonetheless.

The displacement of people due to Katrina was monumental. Neighborhoods were never rebuilt. Katrina left a defining scar on America that hasn’t completely healed. 

Since that landfall I’ve seen some pretty scary storms hit, but at the time I hadn’t seen anything quite like Katrina. Twenty years ago. Feels like yesterday in some ways—and a lifetime ago in others.

Jalapeño

Steak with balsamic reduction and blue cheese served with grilled asparagus and Alfredo noodles.

Stuffed shells. Good lord it was worth making this meal. It’s a bit of a bitch, but doing the prep work the day before is the way to go about it.

Chili dogs.

Chimichurri steak tacos with a quick pickled onion.

Chicken fried steak with mac & peas/carrots.

Caribbean Jerk Pork.

Pt.1: Move-In Week

The weekend started off well. A little road trip with my mom to Ballinger, Tx to place some flowers on my grandparents grave. Her parents. It was a nice drive and we had some good conversation. A drive that we use to take so frequently when I was but a boy. We were either visiting just for the heck of it or we were having big family gatherings for the holidays. My cousins, aunt and uncle and whoever else was around. The memories mean a lot to me and I do miss those days. How quickly we grow up. I made the trip so many damn times I probably have days of my life that could be added up by the time spent driving.

It’s really a rather boring drive, to be honest. Boring because it is just flat ass farm land with nothing at all to see. You pass through two little communities, one with a drawn out speed trap and the other so small that if you blink you would miss it. My grandfather was keen on saying that. Hell, I made the drive the day before when I was going to Abilene with Yvette. I had no intention of making it two days in a row for completely different reasons. If you have the right company, it goes rather quickly and enjoyably.

Ballinger is nostalgic. So many memories.  The Park.  The duck pond.  Little kid adventures. We made our way to the cemetery.  The place needed some upkeep but in this kind of heat and drought, what really can one do.   We place some nice flowers on their graves.  It was a nice moment with my mom.  We kind of reflected on the two of them and wondered around the cemetery, looking at various graves before the heat broke us down.

Afterwards we drove around the town and went sightseeing. The Ballinger Country Club and the old house. We made our way to a restaurant both of us had seen for over 20 years but never went, Alejandra’s. The food was amazing and the staff were so friendly. A really neat building that’s been standing for over 100 years. I’m glad to have finally gone inside because for all these years I have been wanting to but just never really had a reason. It was a nice lunch with my mom and the perfect way to cap off the day trip.

That Saturday evening, we had a little birthday celebration for Nadia. It was originally planned for Olive Garden, and I was psyched—I hadn’t been there before. I know it’s just chain restaurant food, but I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been. That fell through for a better place: Joe’s Italian, a local joint that’s been serving it fresh for about 20 years or so.

The gathering was fun. We all lingered for a good two hours, stuffing ourselves with food and conversation. That’s the way a good family gathering should be. I ordered the lasagna—I think that’s the only thing I’ve ordered from Joe’s in at least 10 years. Hell, probably longer than that. If it ain’t broke, you know.

A sleepy Sunday. We stayed up way too late and slept in late. I played some of my Nintendo while Yvette went to a first birthday party. I made some grocery runs before getting back home and getting ready for a college going-away party at Yvette’s brother’s. Good food and good times. It was a weekend full of parties.

Move In week on campus. This was basically hell week for everyone. Every last minute task and afterthought is rushed to be completed, Everyone is on edge to make sure that all is perfect for the kids and the parents. The dreaded Move-In Day.

First thing on Monday was dropping off Yvette to have a new tire put on. We had thought that her car was driving a little rough after the trip to Galveston, and we were right. The tire itself seemed to be unraveling—something I would have thought the dealership in Abilene would have noticed when they were working on the vehicle Friday, but no… We drove all the way back on a tire that was ready for a blowout. Bullshit.

The week started with a sigh and relief. Troy was off Monday-Tuesday, so I was filling in for him. Good that he was gone, so I didn’t have to hear him, but bad because I carried his workload. It’s a busy time of year, right before the kids start moving into the dorms. I was busy. It seemed that housing waited until the last minute to check the microwaves in the dorms to see whether they needed new ones or not. If you are going to need 20 microwaves of a certain size, it’s not a simple task on short notice. I cleaned out three stores in town—Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Target—of 0.7 cu ft microwaves. It still wasn’t enough. Had they given us a count earlier, both the week before and during that week, we could have purchased in bulk and been done. Typical. I vote we just go ahead and do that next year so we’re not scrambling around town.

Move-in day was absolutely fucking crazy. I will say, at least Troy was back—and I wasn’t the one buying. So, what was I doing? I was doing Seth’s job, because he decided to take the rest of the week off. Typical. He was pissed about the letter saying we only get a 2% raise. What this means is once again I won’t be having a week in the office. This will be the fourth office week I’ve skipped—either because I’ve been filling in or out of town. Not that I’m complaining; you all know I hate being stuck in the office anyway.

On Thursday, we had our campus assembly—one in the morning and another more relaxed outing after work, with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. I missed the morning event since I was the only one in the office, but I definitely made a point to show up for the after-work gathering. Poor Yvette had to sit through the same speeches twice, since she went to both.

The food and drinks were much needed. I really enjoyed myself, and it’s always nice to see people that are usually super uptight finally loosen up a bit. The little finger hors d’oeuvres are always fun. Philly egg rolls, lamb, mini beef Wellington, pork belly burnt ends, shrimp… the list goes on. Let’s just say Yvette and I definitely weren’t hungry after work.

It was after dark, and I was finally settling in to relax and watch a show when the doorbell rang. It was my neighbors—apparently, a large portion of one of my mesquite trees had blown over during the afternoon storm and landed on their car. Real bummer. The damage appeared minimal, but still—damn.

The main thing they wanted was to get it off the vehicle, which is totally understandable. They mentioned they had a ranch hand who could help with that part, as long as I paid him. Fair enough. I figured we could sort out the rest from there. I assumed they had insurance that might cover it, and maybe I’d be on the hook for the deductible? I wasn’t really sure.

The week finally came to its conclusion with Friday. The kids were heading to San Antonio to visit their father, and Yvette and I decided to make a date night out of it. I had made reservations at a special spot for us—BIGA Bistro.

The morning hit like a hammer. No one else showed up to work. Seth had the day off, which I knew in advance, but Troy called in—on the Friday of hell week, no less. The worst possible time to be left holding the fort. Now I was covering three jobs and juggling personal bullshit.

My neighbor wouldn’t stop calling about the tree and the vehicle damage. I kept trying to reach my insurance agent, who was apparently unreachable. On top of that, I was dealing with my healthcare provider, trying to get up to speed with the new tech used for blood sugar monitoring. It was a relentless, exhausting day. Constant bullshit from every direction.

But finally—finally—work ended. Yvette and I got all dressed up for our night out. We both needed it. Badly. She looked amazing in a dress that I have never seen before. I tried my best to match her beauty but it wasn’t possible. My wife is beautiful.

We made it to BIGA and ordered some calamari that I’d argue it’s the best in town. I went with the special, and Yvette ordered off the menu. The tired and true menu item was the winner of the night. She out-ordered me. Yvette also finally got the croissant she had been wanting since our first visit a year ago. Only two left and she snagged one.

Dinner was exactly what we needed.

The evening was our first alone in over a month, and the date was beautiful. I love my wife—she makes me so happy. I’ll admit, I can be a pain in the ass. Honestly, I’d venture to say everyone is, but that’s a whole different conversation for another time.

The point is: we mesh. She’s my everything, and I feel truly blessed.

Happy fucking Friday!!!

Pt.2: Remembrance

I’ve been thinking about my grandparents in Ballinger ever since my mom and I visited on Saturday. Oh how much I do miss them. It’s hard to believe they’ve been gone as long as they have. When you’re young, you think they’ll be there forever. Unfortunately, I found out that wouldn’t be the case at a very early age—when my Papa Ted passed away around the time I was eight. Because of my our trip, I’m going to keep this entry solely focused upon my grandparents from her side of the family since memories with them are what Ballinger stirred up.

My Pop was also gone too soon, but at least I had twice the amount of time with him. I was only sixteen when he passed away from colon cancer. I didn’t take it well. He was one of my heroes, and I dreaded seeing him weak. One of my regrets in life is not visiting him as much as I should have before he passed. I look back and know I should have said goodbye. I’ll carry that with me forever.

He was a man who always made me laugh—full of jokes and good spirits. I remember catching my first fish with him. We were at the Ballinger Country Club, fishing on their little lake. Honestly, after all these years, that still stands as my favorite fishing memory. It was just a small perch, but to my young eyes, it was a glimpse into another world beneath the water. I never really had much desire to fish throughout the rest of my life. Quite frankly, I think it’s a little cruel now that I’m older.

Pop also helped teach me how to ride a bike. I remember riding in circles in my grandparents’ neighbor’s driveway during “training.” I pedaled and pedaled until he helped me find my balance. After that newfound freedom, I rode my bike everywhere my parents permitted—and at times, where they didn’t. A kid with a bike was free. I know I would have eventually learned, but I still consider him the one who showed me the way.

A funny aside about him teaching me to ride a bike: he also taught me how to drive a golf cart, which is funny because I still drive one for work. He loved to play golf, and my brother Chris and I loved riding around on the cart with him while he played. The first time he let me behind the wheel was both magical and terrifying. It was exhilarating. I acted as his caddy on those days—until I drove into a tree. I somehow hit the gas instead of the brake. To this day, we joke that I killed that tree.

Speaking of golf, that was one of the only things on at my grandparents’ house during the day—either golf or Days of Our Lives, which Meeme watched. Pop loved his golf so much that he spent a lot of his time not playing it, but simply watching it. To this day, there’s something relaxing about watching golf. It kind of eases me into a calm.

We had lots of adventures with Pop down at the park. He took us places that were supposed to be our little secrets—places off the beaten path, like walking over the creek dam. No one was supposed to be on the dam, so said the sign. But he would take us around the sign and across the creek. It was breaking the rules, and it was all sorts of fun for a little boy. On the other side, we’d head down to the shallow end of the creek to look for mussels and hope to find pearls.

“Pull my finger.” The first time I heard that phrase—I assume most of you know what it means—you pull a finger, and the other person audibly farts or toots. This was followed by, “I must have stepped on a frog.” I laughed so hard as a child that I had to run inside and show my parents. I think they were mostly amused that Pop taught me something like that. Maybe they weren’t amused at all. I’d have to ask my mother.

Meeme was the sweetest lady in the world. She was also beautiful. She always dressed nicely, even on days when it wasn’t practical or she wasn’t feeling well. She had a bit of vanity, but it was part of who she was. She was radiant because of it. She passed away twelve years ago, when I was only 32. It blows my mind how long ago that was. Time is so fluid in how we move through it.

I have a wealth of memories with her. When I was little, we would draw sharks together. She had a bit of an artistic touch, which she passed down to me. I remember how proud she was when I attended my first art classes as a little boy. Throughout my life, she would always ask if I had drawn or painted anything. I wish I could have told her I had. I wish I could have shown her a new painting, but I gave it up after high school. I still wonder why I stopped. I’ve since lost the touch, which makes me wonder if I could find it again.

She loved birds. You might call her an amateur bird-watcher. That love for feathered friends is something she passed along to me. She would call me later in life, when I was attending school at Texas Tech in Lubbock, just to let me know she had seen four cardinal-red birds. It’s the little things like that I remember most fondly.

When I was at my grandparents’ house, Meeme would always make sure to have orange juice for me. I loved OJ back then. Ironically, due to my diabetes, I can’t really enjoy it anymore without consequences. I loved that OJ. I know it was frozen concentrate, but damn, that was the best you could buy.

I also miss her tuna sandwiches—such a simple thing, but also so wonderful. She was a great cook, and her contributions to the holiday spread were always something to look forward to—well, everything except the lime green Jell-O mold. Not everyone is perfect.

I vividly remember all the beautiful plants she had on her patio. She had so many flowers, and everything was always in bloom. When she reached the point where she could no longer hunch over to plant her pots, my mother and I would gather various flora and pot them for her. At the time, it felt like a minor chore, but I still recall how happy she was after we finished. She had a green thumb, which she passed down to my mother and me. It’s more apparent to me now than ever just how much of that was passed on. My mom also has a backyard full of beautiful plants. I joke that there are too many, but in truth, I love them—and I love that she keeps Meeme’s memory alive with every bloom.

Some of my later memories involve small things: trips to the grocery store or helping with chores around the house and yard she could no longer handle on her own. After these little errands, we’d often sit together, eat something I picked up while out, and just visit. Most often, we had The Weather Channel on. We both loved the weather and even knew the names of all the meteorologists on TWC. Our favorites included Vivian Brown, who she thought was so beautiful. I’m sort of glad she wasn’t around when they let Vivian go due to budget cuts.

Memories with them are gifts from my childhood. Grandparents have such a profound impact on a child’s life. I wouldn’t be who I am without them. They helped shape me into the person I am today. Going back to those times with my mother was truly special.

As we get older, we look at the past in a way we never looked at the future. We see things we could or should have done. All those times my grandparents told me the years would go by quicker once you get older—I wasn’t entirely sure they were speaking the truth. Now I know they were.

A summer as a child seems to last forever. As I’m writing this, summer is almost over, and I can hardly believe it, because it feels like it only began yesterday. You always think you have more time. Always time. I know I’m guilty of that.

There’s so much I wish I could go back and ask my grandparents now—what life was like, what it was like growing up, what hobbies they had, what it was like being a parent, what it was like being a grandparent. Simply: what were your favorite books, movies, songs? I wish I had asked more questions. God, I wish I had known them better.

If you’re lucky enough to still have your grandparents around, please cherish them for as long as you possibly can. That goes for your parents, too. Just make the time—because it’s slipping away. Always slipping away.

Jalapeño

Alice Springs Chicken.

Taco al Pastor.

Egg roll stir-fry.

Work food.

BIGA. Steak and ravioli

I woke up and made myself some breakfast. I was up at 7 a.m. It would be a while before anyone else woke up. I had leftover chicken-fried steak with some over-easy eggs. A damn good start to the day. I had my coffee and managed to get some reading in while it was quiet.

I ran errands—Lowe’s, Sam’s, Target, and HEB. I made it back home, and my family was starting to stir. I had to package an eBay sale; that was my next move. I sold a shirt that had been on the market for almost a year to the day. I asked Yvette to iron it for me because I hate selling shirts that aren’t presentable. I sold a band shirt for $100, and I didn’t even have an iron at the time, so I did my best to make it look okay. My standards living alone were mid to lower level when it came to wrinkles. No negative feedback, but damn, I felt like I sort of gypped him.

“Weapons” was the Saturday movie. I was meeting my mom for another mother/son movie date. Of course, I wasn’t going to get Yvette to tag along with me to another one of my weird horror films. Besides, she was shopping with Lola.

I was running late after leaving the grocery store and trying to get home quickly to eat lunch. Damn, the time just slipped away from me. I grabbed some bottled water and candy to save us nearly $20 on concessions and was out the door with ten minutes to spare. Of course, I had to hit every red light and encounter a maximum number of bad drivers in that two-mile stretch from my house to the theater. I was cursing some dipshit going 28 mph in a 45 mph zone when my mom called wondering where I was.

The movie was a fucking trip. Yes, it was scary, but what surprised me the most was how damn funny it was. I found myself laughing quite a lot. It was certainly a very original film. The structure was really cool, and that ending—my gosh, it went bat shit crazy quickly. My mother and I were both very happy we came.

I woke up Sunday feeling hungry. I also suffered from a bad case of indecision. At one point, I almost went to get burritos, but the only thing that stopped me was the inflation cost of burritos these days. So, I put my head against the wall and came up with something really on the fly: chilaquiles. The first time I made this dish was during my creative endeavors in the COVID times. I’ve since made it a few times, but not regularly. It turned out really well, but the family really didn’t want anything to do with it.

Mall shopping—that was one of the plans for the day. As you know, I hate the mall, but at least ours is tiny. It was a little busy, though. I had forgotten that it was tax-free weekend. First, we went to American Eagle to find a couple of shirts for Teegan. I actually found a good shirt for a damn good price. I wasn’t expecting to walk away with anything for myself. Look at that.

We continued shopping—Dillard’s, Marshalls, and some shoe store I can’t recall. Yvette eventually found some really nice shoes. Funny that the scariest place in the entire mall was the women’s shoe section at Dillard’s. Good lord. Women scurrying around with a feverish glint in their eyes, almost foaming at the mouths, looking at the 65% shoe sales. I was afraid I was going to get attacked just for being in the way. She found her shoes, and we left without much injury.

Lola wanted to go to Walmart, and since we were nearby and could use a few items, we met her there. Walmart is always a trip. Personally, I enjoy the people-watching. We grabbed a few groceries and some other things before heading out. That was enough shopping for me for one day—I think I endured three full hours. Incredible.

Pool time for relaxation—really, it’s all for Alaya. We gathered up and made the trip. The place was relatively empty, which surprised me considering it was the last weekend before school started. Maybe families were out on their final summer trips? Whatever the reason, it was damn relaxing—a fitting close to a nice weekend.

Monday was a really good day at work and a nice start to the week. Since the boss was gone, everyone was a little more relaxed, and the office was relatively quiet. The salvage crew found a plentiful amount of fake plants that the dorms no longer wanted, so what did we do? Decorate! We filled my boss’s office and turned it into a jungle perfect for Ted to make himself at home. Goddamn paradise for our drunk little coworker, Mr. Bear.

That night, I watched the movie Snatch (2000). I can’t even remember the last time I saw it, but damn, if that wasn’t a comfort film on a Monday night. Such a great film—funny and just all around engaging. Brad Pitt is hilarious. I’ve always liked Guy Ritchie films, and Snatch might just be my favorite one. This was a film that came out during my first year in college, and I remember vividly watching it all the time with my old friends. I know all the laughs like I know the back of my hand.

The morning was beautiful come Tuesday. Crisp air, soft light — it really felt like fall. A nice surprise, but a cruel tease all the same. The heat wasn’t ready to relent just yet. Everyone knew August could still bare its teeth and deliver the hottest days of the summer.

I started a new show on Hulu, Alien: Earth. It’s a prequel to the Alien movie franchise — another prequel, if you will. We’ve already had Prometheus and Covenant, but this one feels more direct, taking place only a few years before the original 1979 film.

I was curious to see how Alien would transfer to the small screen. I’ve been watching the movies since I was way too young to be watching the movies. Since the 1980s. Would this show add up?

The first episode was actually quite good.

From what I can tell, this series will shift focus a bit. Rather than just the xenomorphs and the terror they bring, Alien: Earth seems more interested in the real evil that’s always lurked in the background: the corporations. The puppet masters. Mainly, Weyland-Yutani — the company pulling strings and making decisions that led to most of the horror in the films.

So far, the show is off to a promising start.

The Big Morning Meeting:

We had our “big” morning meeting this week. Total waste of time. Same old recycled talking points, same empty enthusiasm. I could see what they were doing — stalling.

Everyone knew what we were really there for: the promise of a raise.

And, being the benevolent entity they are, they saved it for last.

A whopping 2% raise across the board.

What an insult.

No one had much to say after that. Not out loud, anyway.

Morale tanked. The rest of the day dragged. You could feel it in the room — that silent, heavy mix of frustration and resignation.

Pathetic.

I was so thankful to have Friday off. I didn’t want to do another minute of work for the cheap assholes who employ me. Frankly, I was pissed.

All year we’d been hearing how well the university was doing, how our hard work was being noticed, how this year’s raise was going to reflect that. Bullshit.

It was all just noise. Empty words to keep us going until they could slide in a 2% raise and act like they were doing us a favor. This year’s raise was the lowest we’ve had in at least a decade. Meanwhile, the cost of living keeps climbing — and our paychecks keep falling behind.

I don’t even know why I was surprised. Maybe because I actually believed them this time. Fuck them. Days like this make me want to find a new job.

Instead, I went home. Cooked. Had a couple beers. Tried to relax. Tried to forget how angry I was — and how tired.

The next morning, we woke up early and hit the road. I was about an hour behind Yvette — she had to take her car out of town to get some work done at a VW dealership. They said it could take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours.

Figured if we were going to be stuck somewhere that long, we might as well make a day of it. So, I put together a little itinerary.

Once I picked Yvette up from the hell she’d been stuck waiting at, we went looking for some Dr. Seuss. Abilene is the Storybook Capital of America. Who the hell knew that?

Apparently, they’ve got story sculptures and quotes scattered all over the downtown area. Our first stop was the old historic train station — and honestly, it was pretty damn cool.

Yvette read me Seuss while we wandered around, taking in the art. It was one of those strange little detours that actually worked out.

Next, we ventured over to the convention center to continue the story trail. This is where we found the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Bears, and so many others. It was a nice little stroll through a beautifully shaded area. From the looks of it, the place would be even more magical lit up at night.

We saw so many familiar faces from our shared childhoods — the kind that sneak up on you and make you smile without realizing it.

Our next stop was The Grace Museum — and it put the San Angelo museum to shame. Hands down the most engaging exhibit I’ve seen in a long time.

The interactive section was dark — not just in mood, but in message. It painted a stark portrait of the world before we ruined it with pollutants, and the bleak aftermath we’re hurtling toward. The voice-over narration? Enough to scare children. I loved it. They encouraged visitors to leave a message behind, so I did: “The stars are but memories of stars. Memories are what we are.” Yes, I quoted myself. Silly or not, it felt right. I think that’s what I’ll title this blog.

A final bit of art — this time on a nearby college campus tucked into the community. I’ve always had an appreciation for some biblical art, and this piece was Jacob Dreaming. It felt like a fitting end to the little art voyage. Now onto the normal things in life.

First things first — food. A friend from campus gave us a bunch of recommendations, but only one spot happened to be nearby: The Biscuit Bar. The place was different in a good way. The food hit the spot, and the area around it was surprisingly beautiful. It felt open, walkable, and ripe for exploring. So we did. We wandered. We wasted more time. And it was exactly what we needed.

Next, we went shopping. The rest of the trip was more Yvette’s vibe, but it was nice. We bought a pumpkin, and at the mall, we had a good time just wandering around, checking out various stores.

I’ve mentioned in a few blogs how much I hate malls. Honestly, I think it’s the people I hate — the noise and chaos. But a mellow mall? Not so bad. I actually found more stores I liked in that little Abilene mall than I have in Austin. I even found a gift for Teegan.

All in all, the day was really fun.

We made the most of being stuck in a town for hours — because that’s what we do. We have fun together and find ways to make the best of situations we don’t want to be in. Eventually, we hit the road and headed back home to the kids.

Happy Friday!!!

Jalapeño.

Filled salmon, baked potato and broccoli.

Chilaquiles.

Buffalo wings and breaded green beans.

Hibachi.

Chicken yakitori bowl w/ Asian cucumber salad & hoisin sautéed mushrooms,

Carne guisada bowl.

La Azteca Meat Market.

Ram-don, also known as Jjapaguri.

I finally took down a tree I’d been eyeballing for years — a hackberry. Nothing but a big weed, really. I just didn’t think we needed it anymore. It was messy and ugly. Sure, it once provided a bit of shade, but now everything else around it has grown enough to cover that.

The removal started with the smaller branches. I hacked them off and bagged them up. The main trunk — the beast — needed the chainsaw to come out of retirement. It got the job done, but just barely. I really need to get the blade sharpened — maybe it’s time to finally invest in a gas-powered one. I’ve held off because this little guy’s always managed to pull through, but I’ve got some bigger projects coming up, and he just isn’t up for it.

After dumping the larger portions of the tree, I took Yvette’s car to get vacuumed — lots of sand in there from the trip. I did what I could, but damn, those sand grains really settle in. Still, I think it looks good now. Definitely better than it did.

After a quick stop at the store, I made lunch for us. Yvette had already made something, but I didn’t want the pork to go to waste, so I whipped up some nachos for Teegan and me. We were both hungry, and the meal hit the spot.

That evening, everyone had something different for dinner. I don’t know what was going on — it was a busy night, and I was extremely tired.

Sunday we went over to my in-laws’ house for lunch — ribs, sausage, and mac salad. Roger and I ended up watching a Spanish grilling show that I found really entertaining. I can understand some Spanish, but what really helped was that I could still follow what was going on, even if I didn’t catch every word. I think we watched four episodes. The rattlesnake one was the best. Just ask Yvette.

The rest of the day was pretty lazy. We picked up some printed photos from the trip, and I made more nachos for the kids and Yvette — Lola and Yvette didn’t have any on Saturday. I just had leftovers; we had plenty. The day flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for bed.

I woke up actually ready to go to work — I was really surprised. I guess I felt reinvigorated. I was the first one up, made breakfast and coffee, and even had time to just chill before work. I like that. Too often, my mornings feel rushed. I don’t think the rest of the household shared the same sentiment — it was pretty clear once people started to stir.

Work started off okay. The morning was slow, so I had time to catch up. When things finally picked up, I had to adapt — it seemed someone had misplaced the equipment I needed to make the day go smoothly. It was fine though; what can you do?

Yvette worked through lunch, so I joined her at the office. I ate a smorgasbord of leftovers and made her a carb-loaded sandwich — a yummy one. I’m used to eating on my own schedule, so I was really hungry by then.

I got through the afternoon by staying busy. That wasn’t hard — this is a busy time of year when things actually happen. I ended up talking a lot. Not sure why. Maybe people just wanted to hear about our vacation.

by the time evening came around, I was exhausted. I prepped dinner — made sauce and rice — then went out for gas. After that, I finished making dinner, and that was about it for the day. Long day, especially right after vacation.

Until Dawn. The boys watched this movie on vacation, but I only caught bits and pieces. Still, it was enough to pique my interest. I finally sat down to watch it, and it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable horror film. The premise: if the characters don’t survive until dawn, they’re doomed to relive the same night over and over, each time being hunted by a different “thing.” It’s a slasher with a cool gimmick — and sometimes, that’s all I need. Nothing deep. Just fun. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for a quick, straightforward horror flick.

We got a last-minute invitation to a family birthday party Tuesday. Yvette and Lola went, but with such short notice, I decided to pass. Honestly, I didn’t want to spend the money — especially since I didn’t really have any after our vacation. The bills were milking my account dry.

I was planning to stop by my mom’s anyway, so I asked about her dinner plans. She said she was going to make an egg roll stir-fry. Perfect. It was too much food for just her, and the perfect amount for two. We had a nice dinner together — I think I stayed for about two hours.

Wednesday morning pissed me off. I had to do a job that normally requires at least two people. It’s just way more efficient, less time-consuming, and frankly, easier with help.

Anyway, right from the start, things that shouldn’t have gone wrong started going wrong. Typical. Let’s just say that after about an hour on a task that should’ve taken 20 minutes, I was definitely not a happy camper.

So, I took a sabbatical in the restroom and caught up on my social media. I honestly couldn’t care less what my coworkers were doing in my paid absence. Fuck them.

That evening in ran by Sonic. I was craving a cherry limeade. I was tired, irritated and really needed to clear my thoughts so I went to a park and sat on a swing for a little while. It was quiet and what I needed. Relaxation. Yvette was cooking so I had some time. I enjoyed the breeze through the trees. The sound of children enjoying what’s left of summer. I enjoyed watching a dragonfly dance around me looking for its dinner. I just enjoyed the spot I found immensely at that moment. I found a little peace. I needed that peace.

That evening, after dinner, I sat down in the living room and put on The Other Guys — a great cop comedy from 15 years ago. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Sometimes it feels like my life has passed by in the blink of an eye. Where have the days gone? Where has my life gone?

Fifteen years ago, my life was so much different. Not better. Not worse. Simply different. I was only twenty-nine times around the sun. Fifteen years ago, I helped move my grandmother from her home in Ballinger, TX. Fifteen years ago, I was at my brother’s bachelor party, quickly followed by my diabetes diagnosis and a stay in the hospital. I was not yet married to my first wife, Bekah, nor was I employed at the college. My dog Riley was still my best friend. My father had yet to hit his head, an injury that accelerated his dementia. I was living a different life from the one I am now. Not better. Not worse.

Anyway, what a damn good movie — it really brought back some nostalgic memories. I’ve lived a good life, and I love where I am now. I love every new door when it opens. I love Yvette and this family. What a life.

I started using THC gummies medically for my neuropathy. Buy howdy does it seem to help. I still have numbness in my left foot but the shocking pain is almost nonexistent. Hell, it might be nonexistent. I swear cannabis is a miracle plant. I’ve been dealing with this pain for 3 years trying various bullshit and only a week into taking THC I’m better off. I really wonder what my initial hesitation was. Not only does my pain seem to have alleviated, I’ve also been in a better mood and just enjoyed my days much more. What a deal.

The end of the week was finally upon us. I have to say, the morning started out great. I woke up and watered the grass — it was relaxing and productive around the house. Then came work. Work was okay. It took me a little while to coordinate with Athletics about what I was trying to do. Eventually, after tracking them down, I explained my plan and had a few “meatheads” help me accomplish the task. The rest of the morning was just slow.

That day for lunch we hit up a traveling food truck that we missed that last go round, On The Hook. Fish & chips. Alaskan cod. Damn good. Two plates ended up feeding Yvette, Teegan and myself. It was a very happy lunch for us all. It actually made my day.

Nothing much left to say. Happy Friday!!!

Jalapeño

I made BBQ pulled pork nachos with my leftover ribs.

Chicken tetrazzini with broccolini.

Buffalo chicken pasta.

Steak bowls.

Egg roll stir fry rice bowl. Made this one with y momma.

Chicken fried steak with a baked potato and salad.

Pizza, wings and salad.

Blackened tuna steak.

The weekend before a vacation, one often tries to get things done to avoid worrying about them upon return. My first major task was going to be the yard. The yard is important—you want your home to look occupied while you’re away. A well-kept yard attracts less attention than one left in a state of neglect.

I woke up and made a light breakfast, had some coffee, and watched the Weather Channel. The forecast looked favorable for our beach excursion. I needed to buy a new pump sprayer to tackle the weeds in the yard, so I took care of that before getting started. I knew I wouldn’t want to stop in the middle of the chore to go buy one, so it was best to handle it early. The yard work took a solid two hours.

I started off mowing, which is always a damn chore. I’ll definitely be getting a self-propelled mower if this one ever dies—not that I’m wishing for that. The damn thing was the cheapest mower I could find in town, under $100, and it’s lasted me over ten years. That’s a damn good bargain. It’s required very little maintenance, too.

I had to wage war on the fucking clovers once again. The bastards looked all but dead, but the recent rains must have invigorated them, because they came back with a vengeance. I sprayed and sprayed—hopefully, this will be the end of them.

After finishing up in the yard and cleaning up, Yvette and I went to meet my mom for lunch. We went to a fairly new Mexican restaurant—well, new to most of us. My mom and I had been once before, but it was Yvette’s first time. The atmosphere was really nice, and the food was stellar. It was nice having a small lunch with my mom; it reminded me of the old days, back when Yvette and I had just started dating.

It just so happened that one of my mom and Yvette’s favorite places to shop—The Carriage—was right next door. I was willingly dragged along for a bit of shopping. Yvette just browsed, but my mom walked out with a dress.

t was a fun little afternoon. Yvette and I drove around for a while, and I showed her a mostly deserted subdivision that never really took off—only four homes in the entire area. After that, we headed back home.

I ran a few errands before our trip and, as usual, ended up at the lily garden. Typical. I was a little let down—they’ve let it grow wild, and it really needs to be trimmed back. It’s still a sight, but I’m guilty of knowing what it once looked like.

I gathered up some groceries and grilled BBQ pork ribeye, beef sausage, grilled okra, and made jalapeño slaw. Everyone seemed happy with the spread. After dinner, Yvette and I went to Baskin-Robbins for a little ice cream date, followed by a nice 30-minute drive around the lake with the top down in my mom’s little VW Bug. It was a pretty night.

Sunday, we woke up early and made breakfast—chicken and waffles, a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. With a full belly, I took Hazel for a nice long walk on campus. The morning was pleasant, with a gentle breeze. I’ve missed our walks together, and I made sure to tell Hazel that, as long as it’s not too hot, we’re bringing back our Sunday walks.

I took Yvette’s car to Sam’s and filled up the tank for the trip. While I was there, I decided to check out the beer prices—and what do you know? I saved $10 on a 30-pack. Next up was cleaning out her car. Lots of water bottles—some not even opened. You want to travel in a clean car, especially since road trips only get messier, especially with a baby on board.

I met Yvette and Lola at Walmart to look for some beach gear. While there, I got an urgent low blood sugar alert. Damn, blood sugar. Rather than alarm my compadres, I tried to use mental exercise to stay calm. I didn’t have anything to eat, and I knew it wasn’t dropping much further, so I figured if I stayed cool, I could power through until we got back home. I might have been quiet and seemed disinterested in shopping, but I definitely made it through.

During the day, Yvette found some other college kids to take my couch. I liked that couch, but Yvette had a better one in the garage that just needed some cleaning. I spent a good while scrubbing that damn couch clean. I think her couch will grow on me—it’s a nice one.

My mom said she would take care of the pups while we were gone, so I loaded them up and drove out to her house. The dogs were excited for the drive and to see their friends. I was going to miss them, but at least I knew they were in good hands.

That evening, it was last-minute trip prep. I was tired, had a beer, and went to bed a little early. I was ready to get to the beach. Butterfly dreams, please.

To start the big day on the right foot, I picked up some Minie’s donuts and kolaches—always my preferred meal before hitting the road. It was 7 AM, and so far, we were looking good. I had my jet fuel and was ready for the long drive. I was taking the lead—at least until Austin. Yay!

We had a few bumps in the road. Just outside of Austin, I got pulled over by a cop for speeding—significantly speeding. Sixty-five in a fifty. Somehow, I only got a warning. No idea how. After Austin, I was on a roll, so I just kept driving. Everyone needed the rest, and I was in the zone.

Houston traffic is absolutely the worst. We made a quick stop at Buc-ee’s to get some gas and grub. What a hell of a place—a weird little circus disguised as a truck stop, known for its strange quirks and ridiculously nice restrooms. What a fucking trip.

We finally made it to Galveston after a brutal day of driving—the most I’ve done in years. We quickly made our way to the beach and played in the water. It was warm, as the Gulf of Mexico tends to be from my experience. I’ve been spoiled by the cooler Atlantic Ocean beaches, but I have to say, the Gulf is beautiful. I think we need to make more trips here.

After playing at the beach, we headed into the main part of town and found a restaurant my brother Keith recommended—the Black Pearl Oyster Bar. I was really craving oysters. The place was pretty damn fun—not fancy, just a dive with good seafood. I think I might start to grow fond of this town.

We arrived back at our getaway and made some drinks. The boys played corn hole, and Yvette and I played too. She kicked my ass, as she tends to do. It was a relaxing evening.

There was talk about waking up for the sunrise, but I guess everyone was just too tired from the trip because we all slept in. I was the only one awake, so I decided it was a good time to read. Our own little private balcony was the perfect spot. I grabbed my book and sat down—only to have my ass fall right through the chair. Someone had broken the damn seat and just placed a cushion on top. Well, there went my peaceful reading session on the balcony.

Once people began to stir, Yvette and I made some biscuits and sausage to make little sandwiches. I fired up the golf cart and decided to check out the pool. Damn the luck—it’s closed on Tuesdays for cleaning. I took the opportunity to explore the neighborhood and found a little spot on the bay side that might be fun for Teegan and Joseph to do some fishing.

It was time to hit the beach, so we chose a spot further down the line to have a safe place to park without worrying about getting stuck in the sand again. Who wants to deal with that? The beach was nice and calm, though a bit more crowded. I was having a great time on this vacation with the family.

A nice thing about this spot was that it just so happened to have a bar and grill right on the beach—the Tipsy Turtle. I’d already looked it up before our trip, and it was also a place my brother recommended we try. The vibe was straight-up beach bar: all wooden planks and benches, plus outdoor showers to rinse the saltwater off.

The beer was nice and cold after the swim, and the food was fantastic. Might have been some of the best fish tacos I can remember having—or maybe it was just because I’d worked up such an appetite after 2-3 hours of swimming. Either way, it was a great outing. Afterwards, everyone cleaned up and took little naps.

While everyone was out, I decided to drive around the island looking for other beaches to check out. I found a really cool, isolated one, but it required a long walk—and the people there were partying. With no beach houses nearby, it didn’t seem suitable for the little lady.

Eventually, everyone woke up and we made a little trip to the beach. Everyone was pretty tired. I was the only one who got in the water. Actually, I take that back—I took Alaya in with me. Everyone else walked along the beach and played catch. The little sand crabs started coming out, and we tried to catch them. I managed to grab one. You have to be delicate with those little guys.

That’s a day’s wrap. We ordered pizza and wings locally from another spot I found and my brother recommended—Mario’s. Fantastic. A few beers outside on a cool evening, and we were all done.

Getting the boys and Yvette to the pier for the early fishing expedition at 5:30 in the morning was something else. They needed to be there by 6:30. A little panic set in when the GPS started acting wacky, but it turned out Yvette hadn’t really looked at the map to see where we were supposed to be going, so it all worked out. I wish I could handle boats, but experience has taught me I get seasick like a motherfucker. I really didn’t want to risk it—I just wanted them to have fun.

After the drive back, I made some breakfast and coffee and just enjoyed a little time to myself before the baby woke up. It wasn’t clear skies on Wednesday, but oh well—that was actually expected. I did get to see the sunrise on the way back, so that was a nice little moment.

It hit me that Wednesday was really the end of our little trip. How fast time flies. Lola and Alaya went to the Moody Gardens aquarium, and I was dropped off at the main pier to begin my walk through downtown Galveston. The first thing I noticed were the cicadas. My lord—it had been a long time since I’d heard them like this.

The walk was pretty nice, if a little hot. I guess I was out on the streets for about two hours. The historic buildings were a sight to see, as were the art and the little shops. I saw a few turtles—Galveston has turtles like San Angelo has sheep. I stopped for a beer and a place to cool off and use the restroom. When I talked to Yvette, they had already docked, so I started walking toward the harbor. Turns out, I had no idea I’d walked across the entire damn island.

Once I met up with Yvette, we needed to find ice for the shark they caught out on the boat. Lola and Alaya joined us, and we all went to a Cuban restaurant called Habano’s Cuban Cafe. I ordered the Picadillo. Yvette had been excited for me to try some authentic Cuban food, and I’m happy to say I was impressed. The kids’ father is of Cuban descent, so they’re pretty familiar with the cuisine. I’ve had a little here and there and always enjoyed it.

We went back to the house, and I lounged around. Yvette did some laundry, Lola took a brief nap, and the boys went fishing a little longer. Eventually, we all got together for one final outing at the beach.

Teegan cooked up some of his fresh fish, and damn, was it amazing. While everyone got cleaned up, I took an order to pick up some carryout—an eclectic mix: burger, mahi tacos, green chicken enchiladas, and chicken strips. I think after a long day doing our own thing, some basic food just appealed to everyone. We went to a Mexican restaurant called Venados Cantina, a place we’d driven by so many times and was always packed. It was amazing.

We took some family pictures that I’m really proud of. We ate and enjoyed our last night in Galveston. Reflecting on the trip, it was a blast—I couldn’t have asked for more on a first family vacation. My biggest regret is that Noah wasn’t with us. All good things had to come to an end. Galveston is a fun town—laid back, great food, and beautiful beaches. We lucked out with some damn fine weather. Seriously, what an amazing time I had.

Thursday, I woke up to thunder and rain. On our final morning, we really just needed to load up the car. Cleaning and packing had mostly been taken care of the night before, leaving us with minimal things to do. I made eggs and enjoyed my final breakfast and coffee on the patio before we hit the road—the long road.

On the way out of town, we had to stop for souvenir shopping. I guess that’s something most families do? It’s not really my thing, but it definitely ate up some time trying to get out of town. As long as the kids had fun, that’s what mattered. I was just ready to knock out this dreadful drive back. My back was already starting to cramp—and we hadn’t even made it out of Galveston yet.

By the way—fuck Houston traffic. Good lord. It took us over an hour to get through that beast. We saw some reckless-ass driving. I swear we witnessed a car chase. I don’t know what it was about, but one car was clearly trying to get the hell away from another, and they were driving like absolute maniacs. It was honestly scary. Houston Hades, for sure.

Once we got out of that mess, we exited in Columbus to grab a quick bite—Whataburger! Some much-needed fuel for the empty tank. After that, it was back on the road. Next stop: Austin.

In Austin, we stopped by the mall—my favorite place in the world. Malls. I was tired, and my back was killing me. Unfortunately, I was all out of pain meds. What I really needed was some Aleve and a Red Bull. The mall did have one thing going for it: solid people-watching. Teegan was set on picking up some stuff for back to school, and I get it—there are a lot of stores we don’t have back home. I’ve never been one for fashion or worrying about how I look, so most of it was way over my head.

So I sought out a Red Bull and found myself a little spot in the food court to nurse some life back into my exhausted soul. It’s a happening mall with a lot going on. Damn shame I wasn’t hungry—some of the food actually sounded pretty good. I decided I’ll just wait until we got home to eat something, though what that something would be is anyone’s guess. I sure survived. . Still, damn shame the trip had to end.

What amazed me most about the mall—once boredom forced me to actually look around—was that only one store caught my eye: a rock and crystal shop. I guess I’m either totally out of touch or I just really hate malls that much. Honestly, I wanted to leave the second I stepped through the doors. Not exactly a high point of the vacation. It was definitely a test of my patience—and my sanity.

After the mall, I didn’t stop once—I just wanted to get off the road as soon as possible. I hate driving at night. I managed to avoid the curvy roads in the dark, but then I had to contend with the sun blasting me in the eyes. I know they had fun shopping, but damn, that delay really made the drive home feel that much harder.

Around 10:30, we finally made it back home. I found some food in the freezer, and Lola grabbed a frozen pizza for her and the kids. I was still wired from the drive. Noah and his friend John came over for a bit—I really wish he could’ve come along on the trip. We talked for a while, and eventually everyone but me went to bed. I couldn’t sleep. Probably a mix of caffeine and getting home so late. Like I said—wired.

It was a damn good trip. I was happy—but also a little sad—to be home. I’m glad everyone had a good summer vacation. Wait a minute… I might be home, but I’m still on vacation! What a deal!

I slept in Friday until 9:30 and still woke up tired. My mom dropped off my babies, Hazel and Owen. Good dogs—I missed them. She gave me a ride to pick up my car from the mechanic. Ouch. Damn mechanics. From here on out, I’m going to baby that car.

I came home and made everyone some basic omelets—sausage, green chilis, and cheese. Yvette’s tire pressure light came on while we were driving back, so I took the car to get it checked. Just what we figured—the sensor was the problem. She has a recall on it, and this wasn’t the first time we’ve dealt with this.

Since I was still on vacation, I figured I should go see a movie—a comedy. A true comedy. The Naked Gun. Liam Neeson is a favorite of mine, and I loved the originals. I grew up with those movies, and if anyone could fill those big shoes, I couldn’t think of a better choice. The movie itself was fucking GREAT! I was just happy to laugh at something stupid. Pamela Anderson surprised me—she was pretty hilarious. Don’t get me wrong, it had its cheesy moments, but so did the old ones. It was a short, sweet movie that I thoroughly enjoyed every one of its 85 minutes.

I started some pork ribs before the movie to slow cook, and that was our evening—a good, simple meal with minimal work involved. I had no idea how many people might show up, so I bought almost eight pounds of ribs. Cooking felt good—I was glad to be back home doing that. I was still tired, but that’s expected after a long trip like ours.

Happy Friday!!

Galveston Sea Turtles:

Jalapeño

Bbq pork ribeye, grilled okra & spicy slaw.

Made a vanilla waffle with some spicy chicken nuggets. Yummy.

Tapatio’s & Fidel.

Grilled tuna sandwich w/ onion rings.

Pizza and wings.

Noodles and chicken from the fridge after a LONG day traveling.

St. Louis style pork ribs.

On Saturday, I finally got the sleep my body had been craving since Monday. It was nice. I woke up intending to clean out the garage—but the only problem is, none of it’s mine. The majority of it belongs to Lola from the move, and it hasn’t been touched in over seven months.

I’d like her to tell me what she wants to keep so we can box it up and move it to the attic, and what can be donated. Right now, it’s just a messy pile.

There are two reasons I want it cleaned out. One: Noah is cleaning out his garage, and it’s inspired me to do the same. Two: I almost busted my ass last weekend trying to get to something so I could work in the yard.

I made a small breakfast and headed across town to get some special hot sauce. While I was in that area, I decided to look for sheep. I spent the better part of two hours on the north side of town, looking for and photographing sheep. That’s the area I had been missing.

Movie day! I was surprised to see the film Eddington playing in town, so of course I had to go. I love weird little indie movies—though this one featured some Oscar-winning actors. Does it still count as indie? Oh well. It was weird. Wry weird.

Set in late May 2020, during the early days of the pandemic, it begins with the divide between those who follow the mask mandate and those who don’t. That’s just the starting point. What happens next is combat-shit crazy—I’d have never seen it coming. Great film.

After the movie, I went home to see the family. They headed out to the grocery store, so I decided to take a little walk. I ended up walking over a mile by accident. It was rather nice, even if a bit warm. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve walked those trails since my divorce. I used to walk them for miles and miles during the pandemic. Walk until my shoes wore out. Watching that movie probably pushed me to walk them again on Saturday.

Sunday was a quiet morning. Yvette and I took advantage of the time while the kids were out to move boxes and bags from the garage up into the attic. The less interference, the better—prying eyes would have definitely put a damper on things. We figured that if this stuff hasn’t been missed or needed in over 7–8 months, no one’s going to notice it’s gone. We made a pretty good dent. Lord, does Lola have a lot of stuff she could probably do without.

After chores, we cleaned up and headed to Yvette’s parents’ place for lunch: Salisbury steak, potatoes, green beans, and some fantastic squash. It was a nice visit with good company. To me, it felt like we hadn’t had lunch with them in a while. I think we really hadn’t—our weekends have been so busy lately. It was nice to have a calm, low-key weekend for a change.

Turns out the hose spigot out back has a leak where the pipe connects. It was bent to hell when I moved in. My best guess is that someone wasn’t paying attention and either carelessly hit it while moving something or slammed the fence into it. I’ve been careful for seven years not to hit it, but I think time—and our lovely water—finally took its toll.

Unfortunately, the only way to fix it is by shutting off water to the entire house. So this will need to be handled quickly in the coming days. Damn bummer.

Ah, life…

I tried to do some yard work—mainly spraying weeds. My pump sprayer finally gave up, so I just poured the poison directly on the plants and tossed that piece of shit sprayer in the garbage. I wasn’t really in the mood anyway—it was hot outside.

I finished the last two episodes of Chapelwaite. What a great show to knock out in a week. We really need more miniseries—ones that actually stick to that format. Too often, a stand-alone miniseries does well, and the greedy hands that be decide to make more, source material be damned.

This show gave you just enough to make you want more, but still left you satisfied with a legit ending. Adrien Brody was great. The ending was absolutely epic. I hope more filmmakers learn from this and figure out how to properly adapt Stephen King’s short stories. His short story collections are such fertile ground.

Monday was a busy day, both at work and personally. I had two appointments to schedule for myself, and work was just crazy. I walked in and barely had time to settle before I was out the door, running around for someone. Both my work and personal phones were off the damn hook.

Amid the chaos, I managed to secure a campus plumber to come take a look at my leak. I also had my first Staff Senate meeting of the new term. I’m officially a senator again… and honestly, I’m starting to wonder why the hell I keep signing up for this. Still, I decided that this time, I’d actually participate. My first time as a senator, I barely did anything. Then, as an alternate, I was slightly more involved. But in this meeting, I voted, I made my voice heard—I spoke up. I know how this works better than most of the newbies in the room.

After work, the plumber came over and fixed the leak without any invasive damage, for a very reasonable price I must add. I told him I’ll definitely be calling again in the future.

Later, it was time to head over to Noah and Nadia’s for a little cookout. Yvette and I brought steak, pork ribeye, sausage, and chicken. I made a pasta salad. Noah’s new Blackstone grill was really nice to cook on. I want one!!! It was a great evening of good food and fun.

Pizza Hut has a $2 personal pan pizza deal on Tuesday. It sure seemed like a good idea for a cheap meal. After work I picked up some fresh wings from HEB to give us more protein with a salad for good measure to go with our carb full pizza. Yvette called it in and I went to pick it up when the time was right. It wasn’t right. The place was a total shit show. Unorganized and about a 30 min extra wait. One should expect this kind of mess on a day with such an amazing special. Oh well, the wings would be ready and I was in no hurry. I people watched and chuckled at the frustration of the patrons that were waiting longer than I.

I’ve had a bit of a medical scare over the last two months.

I’ve been bounced around between doctors, specialists, MRI techs, lab techs, and different cities trying to get to the bottom of a little mystery. That mystery was discovered when I had my spine checked out after a back injury in 2023 — a very, very small cyst was found on my pancreas.

Nothing of concern at the time, but my doctor wanted to keep an eye on it. This April, we scheduled another MRI — this time with complete 3D imaging of the pancreas. The results came in mid-June, and they weren’t great. It appeared I had a number of new growths and a narrowed duct. The growths were initially labeled as “pre-cancerous.”  Was a sleeping beast lying dormant within me? I didn’t know. I wasn’t feeling the least bit abnormal.

My primary care physician referred me to a gastroenterologist. After reviewing my results, the gastroenterologist decided that a biopsy and more advanced imaging were necessary. He referred me to one of the best doctors in the state, located in San Antonio.  In San Antonio, I underwent an EGD-EUS procedure. I won’t go into detail about that joyous experience… good times.

Anyway, the pathology report came back Monday. After a virtual meeting Wednesday with the specialist, it’s been determined that everything is benign. I have no new growths. The findings were all related to chronic pancreatitis, which likely dates back to my late 20s. There were calcifications in the head of the pancreas and a stricture in the neck — but no new growths were discovered. A heavy sigh of relief.

The doctor does not believe any further measures are necessary, aside from a follow-up in a year just to make sure nothing has changed.

It’s been a little stressful, but Wednesday was a very good day. A dark cloud has been lifted off my back.

I honestly woke up Wednesday morning around 4 AM knowing I was going to be diagnosed with cancer. I haven’t been sleeping well for the last two months, with these kinds of dark thoughts bouncing around my skull in the nocturnal hours. 

Bless Yvette for putting up with my distant ass. She has helped lift my spirits in ways she will never fully understand. I know I haven’t been the same these last few months. I’ve been stressed to levels I didn’t even know existed. Thoughts of starting this new life with my family — and having it ripped away so early — had crossed my mind. I didn’t want something to happen to me for their sake. I have a reason to live, and it is my family.

That’s been my summer.  Now onward to the good times. Fuck the dark days of summer.

It was a wonderful morning. After the good news, I just drove around to my various stops with the windows down, soaking in the good vibes carried by the cool morning air. I couldn’t get over how great I felt. It reminded me of the feeling I had when I was first released from the hospital after my diabetic ketoacidosis — like a fresh start. And thankfully, it came just in time for next week’s vacation.

Thursday was about as typical as work gets. That evening, we bought groceries to cook burgers over at Noah’s. His Blackstone is much better equipped for cooking a big batch. I had my first real experience on the grill — I was in charge of the burgers. I love that Blackstone and desperately want one of my own. We had fun. It was a nice family night.

The week was finally coming to a close — thank the heavens!!! Friday was busy, and that’s just what I needed. It’s the only way to plow through a long week. I was glad to be getting away from work for a while. I’m really looking forward to a little vacation. Whenever I found some free time, I looked up things to do in Galveston. I like to have a bit of an idea of what to expect.

After work, I went to the store to pick up things for dinner. I was grilling and making pasta. I decided to have a beer while standing outside over the heat — it was a refreshing beverage. Dinner turned out quite nice.

It was time to start packing. Yeah, I’m starting early. I feel like I might be bringing too much. We’ll have a washer and dryer, and it’s only three nights. But it’s the beach — which can easily make you need to change. Better to have too much than not enough.

Happy Friday!!! Happy National Wine & Cheese Day!!

Jalapeño

Chicken Caesar pasta salad.

Spaghetti, Italian broccolini and garlic bread.

Steak, pork ribeye, chicken breast, sausage w/ beans and pasta salad with grilled veggies.

Pizza, wings and salad.

Mango habanero chicken with red bell & onion over sticky rice.

Burgers and chips.

Cajun shrimp alfredo.

Saturday: We woke up and Yvette got ready for the drive to Dallas and back to pick up Teegan. I wish I could’ve gone with her, but my back just can’t handle those long trips anymore. I really wish there was something I could do. I need to try the spinal injections because I’m tired of this.

I had a list of things I needed to get done. At the top: oil change and yard work. We’d either been too busy or the weather hadn’t allowed for yard work lately. I also had a movie date with my mom,: Jurassic World: Rebirth.

First things first, I went to the windmill to fill up our 5-gallon water bottles, which I’m the only one who ever uses. I still don’t know why that is. They only drink bottled water… It’s wasteful and not very environmentally friendly. Haha, I can’t really talk—I go through a lot of bottled water at work.

After that, I decided to go ahead and get my oil changed. It needed to be done. While I waited, I had a pretty decent sausage and egg burrito. Gas station burritos— always a gamble. But I was hungry and needed nourishment for the day’s activities, so I took the risk. Honestly, it was better than expected.

The next thing on my long list of things to do was get Teegan’s oil changed before he got back in town. Yvette wanted me to go to Meineke because she had a coupon and wanted better service than where I usually go—Stripes. They asked if I had an appointment. Nope. It was going to be an hour wait. Good thing I brought my book. It was fine; I still had time to get things done before the mother/son movie date

I had some good conversations with the workers at Meineke. They were nice guys and even recommended I try a food truck downtown, which made me think—why the hell not? It was just me today. I figured I’d be hungry after doing the yard work anyway.

The yard work took just over two hours. That yard had gone feral with all the rain and my neglect. It was very thick, and my mower wanted to choke a few times. I also had to rake up mesquite beans. I’ve never had to do that in the seven years I’ve lived in this house. It was wild. The weather must have been just right for them to produce. I didn’t get them all, but I filled up a whole bag. It was crazy. I finished the yard in just the nick of time, it began to rain.

After cleaning up, it was time to try Mad Messy—the place the Meineke boys recommended. I went with the original, added jalapeños. It was a traditional Philly sandwich with real Cheese Whiz. I was going to get it to go, but some cop pulled a car over and blocked me in while handing out a ticket. Oh well, it was a nice enough day.

The sandwich came out, and I was immediately impressed. It looked messy and delicious. My lord, those boys did not steer me wrong. That was the best Philly I’ve had in town.

After a quick run to the store, it was time to meet my mom at the movie—Jurassic World: Rebirth. We both arrived just before 3:30. My mom grabbed a snack and a drink, and we headed to the theater. Or so we thought. Turns out, we each assumed the other had bought the ticket but neither of us had. Shit.

After the initial frustration, we managed to find seats next to each other for a showing an hour later. So, what to do in the meantime? My mom suggested cocktails at Outback Steakhouse. That worked for me.

When we finally made it to the movie, we realized—surprise—we’d accidentally bought 3D tickets in the scramble. It ended up being pretty cool. It was my mom’s first 3D movie experience, and I was happy to be part of it. The movie itself was fun, a bit of a throwback with lots of Jaws references at the beginning. Just an all-around good time.

After the movie, I went home and started making our dinner: grilled chicken, steak, veggies, and fried rice hibachi-style. Teegan was supposed to be back, but it turned out only Yvette and I would be eating. Oh well, Teegan ate later. The meal turned out great.

When Teegan did get home, he showed me his travel gifts. We opened some Pokémon cards and caught up. I really did miss the man. Sounds like he had a good time visiting his father. He also saw Jurassic World: Rebirth, so we talked about the movie—the highs and the lows. It was a nice evening

We slept in on Sunday. We had to make a trip to San Antonio, but there wasn’t a set time we needed to be there since it was just for a morning visit. We could leave at our leisure. We hung around with the kids until about 1 before finally hitting the road. I decided to do the driving since Yvette would be driving us back.

It was a nice road trip together, and we made pretty good time. Once in San Antonio, we checked into the hotel and got comfortable. We scouted out a place for dinner and decided to hit up Old Navy. Hell of a summer sale—50% off many items. I even found some beach candles for under $10.

After shopping, it was time to eat. Our first attempt was a bust. The place had a promising menu online, but when we got there, all they offered was sliders. We left. Our second try was a spot we’d noticed while shopping called Flying Saucer. We sat outside, and I had a couple of local beers. The food was amazing, and the music was memorable. Beef patty, broccolini, cilantro lime rice w/ Thai sweet spicy chili sauce. I’ll be making this at the house. Rocket Man by Elton John and Kokomo by The Beach Boys brought back a happy vibe from my youth. Things happen for a reason. Yvette and I were clearly meant to end up at that place.

Back at the hotel, we went for a quick swim before settling into the room to watch Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. Good times. Great date night.

Business in San Antonio wrapped up around 2. We stopped by another car dealer to look at a vehicle for Teegan and grabbed some Chick-fil-A for the road. It was time to head home to the kids. The ride back was physically uncomfortable for me, but that was to be expected. Still, it was a fun little trip. We turned it into a mini vacation, and I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.

Once home, I laid down and started watching a show called Chapelwaite. It’s based on an early short story by Stephen King and stars Adrien Brody. I was curious how they’d stretch such a short story into a series—though much of the original was told through letters, so the material was there. The first two episodes were good.

Tuesday, I almost didn’t make it to work.I woke up at 5 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep because of the pain. Eventually, I decided I could either be in pain and bored at home, or in pain and not bored at work — so I went to work.

It turned out to be a pretty good day, despite the bloating and abdominal pain. Seth actually covered for me since I had been off on Monday, which was unexpected — especially since it was his first day back after a week’s vacation. Maybe he felt refreshed.

I made a point not to overdo it, and the day flew by.

After work, Yvette and I stopped by the post office to mail one of my eBay sales, and then we headed out to my mother’s. She made us my favorite dish — chicken divan. Total comfort food. Teegan, Yvette, and I absolutely gorged on it. It’s such a simple dish: chicken, broccoli, cheese, and a curry sauce served over rice. Yummy yum yum!

After dinner I made myself some sleepy tea to relax and I jumped right back into my show.

Hump day. Work was typical. It was also my third day without coffee, alcohol, or beef. I think I was doing okay — trying to abstain for a week. The mornings are hard, and in the evenings, I can’t really relax. We decided to go to the pool, which helped. I’m also drinking these herbal teas.

Thursday was my hearing with the appraisal district to dispute my property taxes and assessed value.

I had my evidence ready for presentation, thanks to Yvette. I arrived early for my appointment and only had to wait a short while. Once I was checked in, things moved quickly. I opted for a one-on-one meeting instead of going before a board — less intimidating.

The meeting went well and worked in my favor — my appraised value was lowered. The reason my property had been valued so much higher than my neighbors’ was because, for some reason, it had been compared to a much larger home with significantly more square footage and acreage. The appraiser I met with was also confused and spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out why it had been done that way, before finally finding a property that more closely resembled mine.

Was any of this something I should have had to catch? No. They should’ve caught it themselves. Honestly, it seems shady as hell.

I’m glad I went. Yvette convinced me: “What harm could it do to go?”

Turns out — no harm, only benefit.

Chapelwaite has really turned out to be one hell of a show. I’m genuinely impressed with what they’ve managed to do with the source material. I’m only halfway through, but so far, it’s done a great job expanding on the characters and background. It has a much stronger gothic vibe, which really adds to the atmosphere. This is exactly how a short story should be adapted for film or television.

Friday morning, we got up early for another appointment — a busy week for both of us. It’s always kind of exciting to see the town in the early hours, before most people are awake. Or at least, before I’m usually awake. I’m not out on the streets before 6 a.m. very often.

After the appointment, I made it to work about an hour and a half late — and of course, Troy had called in. Friday ended up being the busiest day I’d had all week. Shocking. How does it always happen that way? Short-handed, on a Friday, and I get slammed. Frustrating, to say the least.

After work, I picked up Yvette, and she and I went to grab snow cones. It was that kind of day — I just wanted something cold and sweet. It turned into a cute little date.

Happy Friday!

Jalapeño

Steak and chicken hibachi with fried rice and veggies cooked on the grill.

Sautéed chicken, onion and peppers over slavish rice and queso.

My mom made chicken divan for us!! One of my all time comfort foods. Love her.

Chicken breast, Mac & cheese and broccolini.

Chicken & broccoli stir-fry.

Creamy cilantro lime chicken over rice.

The rest of the weekend was super uneventful and extremely quiet without the kids. It’s crazy how much I missed the noise. Teegan was going to be away all week visiting his dad, so I knew the house would stay quiet. Not that he’s outright loud, but he definitely has his moments, especially when he’s into his video games. I think it’s funny. It’s just background noise to me now. Background noise that I missed.

Monday started off like Mondays usually do after a long holiday weekend, brutal. I was groggy and had no “want to.” But I needed to find my “want to,” since Seth was off all week and I had to fill in for him. It was either stay on top of things or let the work pile up. I was actually kind of okay with that, I’d rather be out of the office and busy than stuck at a desk watching the clock. Still, I dragged my unhappy ass through the day with great difficulty. That evening, I watched Jurassic World and just crashed.

Tuesday was a totally different experience. I slept well and felt completely rejuvenated. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do. I was still swamped, though—being short-staffed kept the pace hectic. Honestly, the whole week turned into a busy blur at work.

Thursday we got a call from university police about suspicious packages left outside the Admin building. Turned out to be a typical Amazon delivery, figures. Noah turned 23! That night, both families went out to eat, and we had a pretty good time. The after-party was at my place: cake and good conversation. I’m still not totally comfortable with having that many guests over—just my introverted nature, but it was fun once my headache subsided. (Blood sugar.)

Friday was an extremely chatty day for me on campus. I’m not sure if I was in an overtly good mood or if everyone else was. I wasn’t very busy in the morning, but I still ended up out of the office longer than I should have been because of conversations. I’m okay with that on certain days. I like my campus friends. I like when we all get lost in our individual conversations.

One thing that really bothers me is injustice—when people get away with “murder” and face no consequences. I see it firsthand, but it happens all the time around the world. Just look at our Dear Leader: a felon who is president of the United States. It blows my mind when I see bad people get by without even a slap on the wrist, simply because holding them accountable would be “difficult,” while good people are punished for much lesser offenses. The world isn’t fair.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño (freezer meal week)

Gorgonzola cream gnocchi with broccoli and grilled steak.

Stroganoff hamburger helper with peas.

Frozen chicken, potato and green bean meal kit with a side Caesar salad.

Frozen ravioli with a red sauce, air fried Chick-fil-A rip off nuggets topped with mozzarella cheese. I guess a fake chicken parmesan.

Yvette and lola were tired of eating out of the pantry and freezer so Yvette made chicken fried steak, potato’s and I made some green beans.

Noah’s birthday dinner. We went out to Twisted Root Burger Co. for dinner. His pick. I love the onion rings.

Chicken cooked with red enchilada sauce over sticky rice.

Yvette and I went for a movie date. It has been too long but no real romance that I know she likes watching we’re being released. She won’t see the horror and weird films I watch. Materialists was the movie. I actually suggested it. I’ve been keep my eyes peeled for a movie we can go see together. As far as romantic movies go, I liked it. Great cast. It really focused on how absurd current dating expectations have reached with online dating and match makers. I guess people just don’t meet anymore. What a terrifying aspect. I’m so glad I’m spoken for and that Yvette and I met the good old fashion way.

I really can’t say the day was a good day. A child was born into this world and taken only 10 hours later. I met this child. Touched this child. It wasn’t fair. He was a beautiful little baby and should have lived a blessed life with his great parents. The last 3 days really having me questioning my faith. What a cruel god we live under.

It’s hard for me to express my feelings. I’ve never had a child. I can’t imagine the pain the parents must feel. Carrying the child all the way to birth only to have him taken less than 10 hours. Does that time with him make the loss that much harder? Do you cherish the little time? I just don’t know. I was so sad all day.

Sunday I slept in and when I woke up Yvette needed a nap. She had had trouble sleeping and decided to get up and clean. It was a pretty mellow morning. We met my mother, brother and nephews out for lunch. It was an adventure. We were on the patio, which was hot, and the boys were not behaving at all. I mean, AT ALL. My father would have busted my ass if I’d behaved like that out in public. Different times. It also took us an hour before the food finally arrived. Only after I went and asked the manager to check on the order because a table that arrived much later than us were served their food. Magically our food arrived but not from the hands of our waitress, who was oddly not present. The food itself was fantastic. The experience was a mess. Oh well, we still had fun.

It was a short week with the 4th of July. It was a busy week. It was also a very cool week. Husky temps in the 70s??? What the fuck!! We had some unseasonable rain to boot. Over an inch. My French drain I installed by the fence seemed to have worked. I think I might need two. It’s a start. I drove around and enjoyed the weather.

The week was not only cloudy but also clouded with sadness. The looming funeral of a baby that only graced us for 8 hours. Heartbreaking. The plans were divided between family.

Thursday was just a half day but the funeral was at 10 so I went in for an hour to help out. Good thing that I did. We were short and suddenly housing realized Friday was the 4th and business would be closed around town. What if an AC went out and we don’t have enough refrigerant!! I took care of that.

After work I went home and changed and Teegan and I went to the funeral in the rain. How fitting. The service was sad and catholic. Not truly my cup of tea for personal reasons but otherwise it was good. Again, sad. Everyone held it together as best that they could.

After the ceremony it was off to the graveside service. I dropped Teegan off and headed that way. We had your typical Hollywood funeral with rain and all. It was by far the safest part. Seeing that little bitty casket and the flower arrangement with the blue Teddy Bear. It’s so cruel.

After the gravesite it was off to a family luncheon Yvette and us really set this up and we were worried it wouldn’t be enough. In the end, everything worked out. Yvette, Lola and I didn’t eat just to make sure the food was enough. A small sacrifice.

Once everything was cleaned and everyone was gone we realized we were famished. We wanted pizza. We tried three locations before we were able to satisfy that need. It seemed some local business was closing early on the 2rd. Who knew!! Oh well, lunch was what we needed. I had a beer. I needed that just as well.

After late lunch I took Yvette’s car to have the tires checked. All was good. I distracted myself a little with some sheep. Went to my mother’s. We went and bought food for dinner. I cooked and we had a nice quiet time. Yvette’s parents came over for a little while. We were all so fucking tired.

Friday morning started off wild. We all were awoken by loud thunder and the sound of our emergency alerts notifying us of flashing flooding. It wasn’t until we all got out of bed an hour later did we realize just how serious the flooding was. The north side of town had reported cases of 10+ inches of rain. Houses floated off foundations. Fire trucks completely submerged. Areas I have never seen underwater were underwater. The pictures and video coming in over social media were terrifying and amazing.

Yvette and the kids were heading o Dallas to drop off Teegan at the airport so they were worried because that was the general direction they needed to travel. I called my friend Paul the Electrician who lived north of town and was on campus call. I knew he had to commute that that stretch. He said the roads outside of town were passable. A few areas where the water was over the road about 2-3 inches. The real trouble was getting in and out of town, you had to detour. This gave Yvette some confidence, which she needed.

4th of July movie. I watched “28 Days Later” twenty-three years ago. Great film. Reenergized the Zombie horror franchise forever, even though there isn’t a single zombie in the film. In the film there are “infected”. A man made viral outbreak. Damn good film and damn scary. Here we are years later and the same writing/directing due are back for a follow up film set 28 Years Later. The movie was really good and I’m sure it wasn’t what many theater attendees were expecting. Much more family drama and coming of age. I really liked it. The group of 7 guys drinking down the aisle from me were also rather comical. First time at the movies where a group of people were actively getting drunk. Haha

After the movie I made a return for Yvette, grabbed some gas and obtained a hotdog for a late lunch. What is the 4th of July without at least one hotdog. It couldn’t be helped. I did a little grocery shopping, went and visited my mother and pretty much did nothing else but watch Independence Day on Amazon. What a damn fine movie that has aged like a fine wine. It baffles the mind that it is now almost 30 years ago when I saw this movie in a crowed theater with my family. It is a cornerstone in my movie experiences as a child. I never would have thought that I would be watching it every year for the rest of my life. Which I have, BTW.

Happy Friday!!

Jalapeño.

Grilled steak bits, shrimp and a summer pasta.

Buffalo chicken pasta.

Marinara gnocchi with broccolini.

Steak bowl.

Birria rice bowl.