June 15, 2008
I think she misses Tony and Julie
Well, going on three weeks ago, Ginger came to stay with us while Julie and Tony jetted over to Hawaii. We have really enjoyed having her here but I think she is starting to miss her family.
Feeling guilty yet Tony? :)
Posted by CDogg at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)
May 30, 2008
Ginger is visiting again
When I ran over to Houston the other night, Tony D swung by the house and said his tearful goodbyes. Not to me... to his dog, Ginger. Tony and Julie are headed to Hawaii for a couple weeks and that means Ginger is coming to visit Lou and I.
Ginger has been here for two days now and wasted no time in starting her vacation.
I was instructed to wear Hawaiian shirts so that Ginger wouldn't feel bad about being left out of the island-hopping. Instead, I told Tony I would invite Dave over... he has the wardrobe already. :)
Posted by CDogg at 09:23 PM | Comments (1)
April 07, 2008
A little deep for this early in the morning
I am having a crisis of faith in my fellow man and was hoping you folks could give me a little feedback.
Is everyone truly out for themselves? Does anyone do things because it's the right thing to do anymore? Did they ever? Sure, you don't rob liquor stores (or do you? haha) but do you choose not to because its the right thing to do, or because the consequences to you in breaking that law are painful? When no one is around do you drop a gum wrapper on the ground? Is it because you think that polluting the environment is wrong or because you'd hate to be seen littering (social stigma) or tickets (financial consequences?)
The reason I ask is because I am get fed up with people who tell me they want to help me. We have all seen this... people who jump at the opportunity to help out when they have something to gain... but are no where to be found if they don't benefit.
What is human nature? Are we good or are we selfish? Is life a struggle to get ahead no matter who you have to step on, or is doing good good enough?
Will you comment here to add to the discussion and assist myself and others in analyzing one of life's biggest mysteries? Or instead - will you comment so you can look smart? Or worse - not comment at all because there is nothing in it for you?
Posted by CDogg at 07:38 AM | Comments (5)
March 26, 2008
Man of steel
I had to snap a picture the other evening. It was a cool night (the kind I love and Ron hates) and we were sitting out on the balcony of Saltgrass Steakhouse in San Marcos. Because Ron always gets what Ron wants, he made his point about his dislike for the temperature. He looks so pathetic, that I told him I'd go inside if I could snap a pic of him first.
Posted by CDogg at 05:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2008
Finally, some more culture
This past weekend was once again filled with miles and miles behind the wheel, but it was all in the cause of good times. I drove to Victoria Friday to visit my mom (and nephew, Blake.) I spent the night there and then in the morning, Mom and I headed back to San Marcos. I showed her around San Marvelous and then Saturday night took the short drive over to Lockhart, Texas to attend the Gaslight-Baker Theatre production of "Last of the Red Hot Lovers." It was one of the few Neil Simon plays I had never seen.
The production was excellent. I really like the theatre, it is just like the old one in Victoria, but much nicer inside. The cast did a very good job and as is usual with Simon's work, the audience was rolling in the aisles.
I haven't been to live theater for quite some time (over a year) and it was good to watch some with my mom again. Going to plays with my mom is always a treat not only because we have similar tastes in productions, but because it is "our thing" - something that have done for years.
Sunday, we got up and I drove her back to Victoria and then once again hopped right back in the car for San Marcos. I will be heading to Houston late Tuesday night or early Wednesday so that I can catch up on things there and attend the Southland Conference Basketball Tournament in Katy.
Posted by CDogg at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
January 30, 2008
Aubrey and his little black baby
I've always thought this was one of the best ideas ever - sending teenagers home with an electronic baby that needs to be rocked, burped, and cared for all hours of the day and night. The idea is that if teens can see how much work a baby is, they will think twice about having sex. Whether or not it deters premarital sex, I think it does encourage things like condom use... these little suckers are a lot of work.
Despite Ron and I wanting to make some baby kung-fu videos for YouTube and teasing Aubrey mercilessly about his newborn, he seemed to be adapting well to the job. He complained constantly about what a pain it was rocking the thing to sleep. He tried again and again to get his mom, Machel, to take over for awhile. In the end though, he got the thing to fall asleep and headed off to bed. I am sure it will wake him up during the night and his frustration level will rise. Hopefully, he will take away something valuable from the experience.
I think the resemblance is pretty uncanny. :)
Posted by CDogg at 11:02 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2008
Pics from the BDay party
Saturday I headed over to Mike & Julie's place for Bradley's birthday party. While there, I took a few shots.
Mmmm... birthday cupcakes.
With cupcake mustache in place, its time to open presents.
After the kids went home, Mike broke out his LOST board game. Allison was having a good time.
This game seems like it could be fun, but it really had nothing to do with the show LOST and we had to consult the rules way too often.
It was good to see Donald Hoffer (Dr. Don) again - he is another friend I have had since junior high.
The game lasted a little longer than I prefer, but like I said, it was fun. (The beer didn't hurt, either)
Posted by CDogg at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)
December 29, 2007
Tailgating - Texas Bowl style
I promise to upload more photos eventually, but for now I just wanted to drop one in quick.
"Mighty" Mike Wright, Ron "The Eagle" Oswalt, "Terrific" Tony Vasquez, and "The Bandit" Chris Doelle. A good chunk of the Lone Star Gridiron broadcasting crew were on hand for the 2007 Texas Bowl featuring the TCU Horned Frogs vs. the Houston Cougars. The game was a nail-biter and a good time was had by all.
Posted by CDogg at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
December 24, 2007
Christmas
It is a tradition in our family to do our Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. It works out well in that we can have all the in-laws and extended families at my Mom's house and then they can all enjoy their own family celebration Christmas morning.
For that reason, I am sending my holiday wishes now because for me, it's Christmas.
Merry Christmas!!!
Posted by CDogg at 11:15 AM | Comments (2)
December 10, 2007
Good times
Coach and I watched Jerry Springer at the Oswalt's last night...
...Ron and Machel watched too. Actually Coach wasn't paying any attention at all.
Posted by CDogg at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2007
HUG COUNT
Alright, I am less than a week away from being one full month into the hug experiment. The good news is that my "hugs per week" (HPW) has really improved recently. In about a weeks time, I more than doubled the number of hugs that I had gotten during the first couple of weeks.
What I have learned here so far is that my hugs come from an interesting mix of people - friends, clients, even people I just met. The only area that is still pretty hug-free is family. Like I said, "we're just not a hugging family."
When you see me - you know what to do. :)
Posted by CDogg at 08:11 AM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2007
Happy Turkey Day
Just got back from my daytrip down to the country for Thanksgiving with the family. The crew all met at Tim's house, ate too much food, and just generally exercised the gift of gab.
Brian tooled around on his motorcycle...
Kaitlyn and Reagan took turns swinging from a low hanging vine (it finally broke on Scoot)...
As we went to get the golf cart out to take a ride up the road, the horses came over to check in....
Da' Boys (Tom, me, Tim) in a rare group photo...
Aside from the great food and hanging with family, the country is just a cool place to be... where else can you see a doe grazing 20 yards from the front door?
I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving - I know I did.
Posted by CDogg at 07:17 PM | Comments (0)
November 19, 2007
HUG COUNT
In a November 3rd podcast I wondered aloud how long it would take me to receive 100 hugs. I guessed it would be quite some time because I come from a non-hugging family. Periodically, I am updating the hug count here.
Six hugs in just over two weeks - that means about 3 a week. At this pace we are looking at a year. Get used to seeing the graphic above - or if it is getting on your nerves, hug me and it will go away faster - haha.
Posted by CDogg at 08:06 PM | Comments (0)
November 12, 2007
Cool birthday gift
I just got the coolest birthday gift...
That's right - a bunch of embroidered shirts with the Lone Star Gridiron logo. Thanks Ron - you can bet they will get a lot of use during the football playoffs.
Posted by CDogg at 04:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2007
Happy day in more ways than one
For a couple of my friends (you know who you are) today is a happy day for a couple of different reasons. Enjoy.
Posted by CDogg at 11:08 PM | Comments (0)
October 29, 2007
Busy weekend
The weekend kicked off with a trip to "The Rig" in Pearland for a football game between the Pearland Oiler vs the Alvin Yellowjackets.
Saturday morning began with the game between the Cinco Ranch Cougars and the Katy Tigers. It was carried on Fox Sports Net with KPRC Channel 2's Randy McIlvoy providing the coverage. I grabbed a quick interview with him before kickoff.
Later Saturday, me, Tony D, J-Ron, Machal, Aubrey, and Hayden all headed out to Krystal Burger because they were giving away two free burgers to each customer.
Ron enjoying his Krystal
Before Krystal, we swung by IKEA so I could pickup the chair I have been wanting. I sat in the same chair when I was staying at Michael's in New Jersey and decided that I liked it better than what I was using.
Lou seems to agree.
Sunday has been all about putting together podcasts and frankly, at 2am - I think I am going to put the wraps on things for now and call it a weekend.
Posted by CDogg at 12:35 AM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2007
Looking good, son.
I promise I will explain in an upcoming podcast, but I wanted to post a pic of "my son" Aubrey playing football this week for Labay Middle School. (The rumor mill has just kicked into high gear ...."psst, did you know Chris had a son?" "Yeah I saw it on his blog." "Yeah, I heard he has little C-Doggs in four different states!") haha.
Now THAT looks like a quarterback to me! We even had a bonding moment this week when we changed a flat tire together. Good times - daddy's proud. :)
Posted by CDogg at 01:45 PM | Comments (3)
October 09, 2007
My first couch surfer
I have been meaning to try out couch surfing for quite a while now, but all of my travels the past few months included hotels paid for by someone else. The whole idea is to crash at someone's house who is registered at CouchSurfing.com as having an available couch (or guest room etc.) Millions of couches around the world sit empty each night and traveling is much more fun when you don't give your money to a hotel chain. The bonus is that you get to meet people who live in the area you are visiting - people who are likely friendly and outgoing folks. I mean, if you didn't like people, you wouldn't list your couch.
Well, rather than me trying it out at a stranger's house, I got a last minute request by Chad to stay at my house (I gave him the guest room). He is a young (mid 20's) traveler on his way down the Eastern seaboard of Mexico. He intends to surf couches the entire way and discover whatever adventures pop up. I think this is his third trip out of the country via the kindness of strangers as he "discovers who he is as a person." I agree that this kind of travel education is invaluable and if you are smart person who knows how to avoid trouble, I think it is a very safe way to travel.
He showed up last night beat from driving all day and I found him very friendly. After he showered and ate (he packs his own food) we chatted for a bit about his travels and he hit the sack. As of this writing he is still crashed out but I expect he will be waking soon. His next stop is Corpus Christi where he has another couch arranged and then it is on to Mexico.
As the letters on my refrigerator spell out, my first encounter with a couch surfer was not at all unpleasant. I gave up a room that was empty for the night, made an interesting acquaintance and expect to hear more from his travels. Plus, I have a new listener to the podcast and convert to podcasting in general. I gave him a thumbdrive with myPodder software installed so that he can now grab new podcasts anywhere he can get WiFi.
Posted by CDogg at 09:19 AM | Comments (1)
October 06, 2007
Congrats Matt
Big ups to my nephew Matt Anderson who plays football for my high school Alma Mater, the Industrial Cobras. He made the front page of the Victoria Advocate sports section with his performance Friday night against Halletsville. Matt is shown making a tackle here.
Matt has been a standout on defense since he moved to the district and they are finally starting to take advantage of his talent on the offensive side of the ball. If Industrial would do anything other than run the ball straight up the middle every play, they might have a playoff team, but it appears that they will come up short of that goal this year. Matt is just a sophomore this season, so maybe the coach will get brave next year and open up the offense a bit. Way to go Matt!
Posted by CDogg at 10:59 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2007
Ginger drops by again
Once again Ginger's family has taken a trip so she gets to come stay with Lou and I. As usual, Tony was running behind when he dropped her off.
Bundled down with all Ginger's stuff, he asked "I can make it back by 9:30 right?" It was 9:24 and he was referring to getting back home to pick up Julie at their house 20 minutes away.
He may not be much on time management, but he takes good care of his Ginger.
She wasted no time in jumping in the recliner.
Posted by CDogg at 05:05 PM | Comments (1)
September 17, 2007
Down but not out
During my Sunday visit to the dog park with Lou, I noticed that my head was feeling a little stuffed up... I thought nothing of it and went on with my day. While prepping for the PMC Top 10, my head started to hurt so I decided to take a quick break. I slept for about an hour.
After getting the PMC Top 10 compiled and starting to work on the script, I saw it was about time to head out to Houston Roller Derby. I had told Kymberlie McGuire and my friend Tony D. that I was going and figured maybe I would feel better after.
This league skates on a flat track as opposed to the banked one you might have seen on the A&E show, Rollergirls. It was my first time to attend and although the matches were a lot of fun, the venue left a lot to be desired. The floor seating was not very comfortable and the lighting was horrible. You could only see the far side of the track in full light because of the configuration. By the second match, Tony and I moved up the balcony where the lighting was better and the seats more comfortable. If it hadn't been for my then-pounding headache, we would have stayed, but left after two matches.
I came home, blew off the PMC, went to bed and crashed until about 7:30 this morning.
The good news is that I am staying in bed most of the day (this is only the third time I got out of bed to read email, twitter, post in the blog etc.) I will have this thing licked by tomorrow morning and back to my candle-at-both-ends, eighteen-hour workdays in no time.
Posted by CDogg at 02:21 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2007
A linebacker in the making
While picking up Mike to cover the Ft. Bend Clements vs. Ft. Bend Hightower game, I got to say "hi" to "baby B." It won't be long before we'll be at "his" games.
I don't know if it's the black that make me look slimmer or Mike's magical photo taking abilities - but I almost look like I'm in shape there. :)
Posted by CDogg at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)
Busy day full of highlights
The day started off with a bunch of work and took a turn for the enjoyable around midday. On the way to the Houston twitter meetup group, I swung by First Community Credit Union to meet with Ron and Hayden. The bank was having a "fun fair" or "kids day" or some such marketing title. The event featured pony rides, facepainting, free popcorn, cokes, a clown with balloons, a dunk booth, music, a bunch of cars for sale (I guess they need a business purpose stuck in there somewhere,) and even a camel.
There is some serious lack of trust shown here - Hayden in the camel, and my cloven friend in the guy taking the photo. Good times.
Then it was off to the twitter meetup at Star Pizza on Washington. There were about 10 people in attendance and even though I've forgotten most of the names already, there were some old faces and new ones. Here are a couple that I have known online only and finally met in person.
Laurie, my "stalker," and "Kimberly" - if that is her real name. :)
It was great to finally mesh the online version of them with real people. More good times.
Posted by CDogg at 03:21 PM | Comments (4)
August 27, 2007
The feud comes to blows?
Rumors of a feud between myself and Dwight Silverman have floated around for the past couple of years. It all seemed to start after Dwight blogged about a post I made back in July of 2005. (The podcast covering the tiff.) Since that time, I have had many readers and listeners assume we are bitter enemies.
Well, BarCamp Houston II was an opportunity to clear the air - or was it?
The story I heard was that I had a little too much to drink - threw a drink on Dwight and he responded with a verbal assault.
Then, I punched him in the face as onlookers rushed to pry us apart.
Or it could all just be another sordid rumor combined with some poorly staged photos - I'll never tell. :)
Posted by CDogg at 12:20 PM | Comments (3)
August 26, 2007
For Dave
Kick this thing in the butt, the fans need their Anti-host.
Posted by CDogg at 09:20 AM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2007
Happiness is a "bug-eyed" contest
Another nice night with the Oswalts:
Gas to get over there - a couple pennies (its not far)
Grilled burger - free (they bought the meal)
BBQ chips - free (see above)
Something cold to drink - free (ditto)
Hanging with good people - free
Having a bug-eyed photo to take home - PRICELESS
Life really doesn't take Mastercard.
Posted by CDogg at 07:29 AM | Comments (0)
August 22, 2007
How do you stay friends and co-workers for 20 years?
I have known Davad Sneed for right at twenty years and through that time we have always gotten along. Actually, it's more than just getting along - he often refers to it as sharing a brain. I think it started with D&D at college (yeah, we spent more hours rolling dice that attending class,) but we quickly discovered we both loved basketball and played almost every day for up to four hours at a time (yeah, the waistline looked a lot better then.)
While cleaning my house, I found some old VHS tapes of some games we shot sometime around 1996 or 97. I uploaded to YouTube a sequence of a five shot hit streak we made enroute to one of our many driveway victories. Not only was it fun to watch the game from the standpoint of the slimmer waistlines - it brought to mind that connection we have always had as friends. I took some screen shots with my camera so forgive the resolution, but this excerpt shows a loose ball that I grabbed, whipped a behind-the-back-pass to Dave, who tossed it up and in. There was no talk, not even a glance at each other - it was all a matter of Dave knowing what I would do, me knowing what he would do and trusting that the other wouldn't let you down.
I was grinning ear-to-ear while watching this. If you want to see it with some actual motion, here is the YouTube link.
Posted by CDogg at 05:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2007
How to unwind from a very busy week
After another week of burning the candle at both ends AND the middle, it was good to take a few hours off and head over to J-Ron's house for beers and burgers.
Their dog Coach was a big hit and probably enjoyed the evening as much as anyone.
Coach is definitely a momma's boy - when Machel even looks his way he responds immediately.
Contrary to how it looks, even J-Ron gets mucho love from Coach.
Hayden took a break from playing with his Hot Wheels to pose for the camera.
Posted by CDogg at 08:35 AM | Comments (0)
July 08, 2007
J-Ron and Leelee
I just got back from dinner with the J-Ron family and I have to stand by my assertion that I am going to steal his wife Machel. Everything she cooked was amazing and the sausage that Ron grilled wasn't even burned. (I doubt the leftovers she gave me will last until lunch tomorrow... midnight snack, here I come.)
After whupping Ron's butt at Arena Football 2: Road to Glory, and being equally whupped by Hayden at a Nascar game, we were treated to chocolate pie and television. The pie was so good that I hardly noticed the TV was on the Lifetime network... until Leelee Sobieski showed up. What a perfect way to top off an excellent afternoon, sweets with a sweetie. She, like chocolate pie, has always been one of my guilty pleasures.
Good people, good food, good times!
Posted by CDogg at 07:41 PM | Comments (0)
July 04, 2007
Happy Birthday America
Here's to everyone have a great 4th of July holiday!!
Posted by CDogg at 01:15 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Update on the water at (in) Mom's house
Yep... the water continued to rise and as of right now it is chest deep in the kitchen. Uggghhh.
Posted by CDogg at 01:21 PM | Comments (2)
July 02, 2007
How high's the water Momma?
I just got back in town from a quick trip down to Inez to deliver Scooter home and to see if I could help out with the preparations for flooding. Yes, all that horrendous rain we have been having in the Houston area is a bit worse 100 miles to the south.
This shot was taken just a few feet off my mom's driveway. My brother Tim (behind me) setup a stick as a water gauge and we were checking to see how fast things were rising.
The good news is that the rate of rise is slowing as the rains have stopped, the bad news is that the water is about 40 feet above normal levels, the ground is soaked from weeks of rain, and the forecast predicts two more weeks of the wet stuff.
Posted by CDogg at 09:27 AM | Comments (0)
June 11, 2007
Hey
How's it going? Just thought I'd ask.
Posted by CDogg at 11:07 PM | Comments (8)
May 19, 2007
Great way to kickoff the festivities
How do you kick off a Podcamp? With a night of ribald songs and waaay too many shots. We downed "Mind Erasers," "Buttery Nipples," "Lemon Drops," and a few that I can't remember. The night started at the Naked Iguana and moved over to Durty Nellie's where the piano dude entertained us with everything from horrible disco tunes to bawdy drinking songs.
The night ended at just after 2AM and we walked backed to the hotel - just two blocks away. I will try to remember all the details for my next podcast... for now, it is time to sleep as Podcamp kicks off bright and early in just a few hours.
Posted by CDogg at 02:17 AM | Comments (0)
May 14, 2007
On the road again
On the way to Mom's house the entire road was closed. (They can do that on those lonely stretches of country road.) It struck me as odd that the flag woman was uber-hot. The whole scene was a little surreal.
I am in town because my mom has been having some balance and falling-down issues and I just wanted to be around as we find out what is going on. I am updating the blog from the waiting room while she visits her doctor. Hopefully, it is something minor.
Posted by CDogg at 02:40 PM | Comments (1)
May 13, 2007
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day to my mom... the best mother ever! She has been a great influence in all that I do. She has been a guiding force in what is "right" and "good." She has been a source of comedy and joy. She has been a calming force in turbulent times. She will always hold the title of "Worlds Best Mom," and I love her.
Posted by CDogg at 06:24 AM | Comments (0)
May 10, 2007
You know what they say about good help
Tony came by today because we are working on a couple projects together and of course, when he comes over, so does Ginger. The two of them are hard at work.
Actually Tony was a lot of help as usual, he just takes full advantage of idle time. Ginger also did a fine job in her role of looking cute.
Posted by CDogg at 06:41 PM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2007
Tony broke my couch
Now, I am not going to cast aspersions at my fellow Monster of the Midsection by saying he needs to lose some weight (or did I just do that?) but my couch now sits alone on the curb waiting for the garbage men.
It served me well for many years, it held the asses of friend and foe alike, it never complained as the surface area covered by said asses continued to expand. That came to a metal-twisting end yesterday as several springs just could no longer bear the load.
It is just another sad end in a long line of couch deaths. Okay, the line isn't that long, but the deaths are sure memorable. My last sofa died a fiery death and it was on that fateful night that I learned a valuable lesson about falling asleep with candles burning.
You see, I woke to the most horrendous smell and a strange glow in the room. With my feet tucked up in a fetal position, I had been sleeping on the opposite end of a couch that now featured jets of flame roughly four feet high. (Thank goodness for long couches)
I lept from the non-burning end, ran to the sink, tore off my shirt, doused it in water, and proceeded to fight the flames. It took awhile but I finally won the battle.
That was the first time I made that lonely couch-drag to the side of the road. This one wasn't nearly as traumatic, but it certainly brought back a lot of memories.
Posted by CDogg at 09:03 AM | Comments (2)
April 25, 2007
And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down...
I should be heading to Houston's Intercontinental Airport (IAH) right now, but I sit in a holding pattern at my desk. Why the delay? A little thing called Mother Nature.
It's really amazing to think about how the natural ebb and flow of the planet can throw a monkey wrench into the plans "of mice and men." In the old days, it would mean maybe having to harvest early or plant late, but as we continue to develop our "society," the disruption becomes larger and affects more people.
I am delayed because my sister, flying in from Raleigh, is sitting on a tarmac waiting to take off. My sister is delayed because the airline (America West) has been told they cannot head to Houston right now. America West is delayed because IAH is not allowing planes to land during the bad weather. As Houston is a hub for air travel from all over the country and the world, planes from all airlines are circling the airport or sitting on runways worldwide waiting for the weather to clear. Even if cleared up in the next hour or so, the delay will domino through 100's of scheduled flights until they steal back enough time to get back on track.
It all comes full circle as I am sitting in the weather that is delaying people across the planet.
Oh yeah, and the most important delay of all - Lou is waiting patiently for the weather to clear so we can go on our morning walk.
Posted by CDogg at 07:46 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2007
Noice
I got a call last night, about 10:30 or so, from the neighbor. This is a kid I have literally watched grow from diapers into a giant high schooler (6'3" or better and built like a linebacker.) You know what they say about the bigger they are...
...yeah, that is his Ford 4x4 sitting in a huge hole - wheels up. This is no small vehicle, I think its a Bronco or something and it has a lift kit and the monster tires. When he parks next to his parent's Explorer, it dwarfs the thing.
I am still unsure as to how he managed to get the thing upside down in a hole and worse... how he is going to get it out. My Ford Focus really isn't up to the task of pulling him out.
Jeff, take some shots today in the light so we can see all the gory details.
EDIT: As Russell pointed out in the comments, I forgot to mention that everyone is okay.
Here are the daylight photos
Posted by CDogg at 06:41 AM | Comments (4)
March 31, 2007
RWTWD salutes "The Mescan"
I have to take a second and, in the name of international relations, thank my good friend "The Mescan" for his assistance this past week. No, the Mescan is not from Mexico... he's actually a German-born American that has been a good friend since my early college days. I said international relations - not US/Mexico relations.
That aside, he was extremely helpful this past week as he took time out of his schedule to come help me organize some part of my life in preparation for adding some new duties. The trip doubled as a fact-finding mission for him because toward the end of May, he will likely be moving to Houston.
He will be looking for employment and let me say, friendship aside, you will not find a harder working, more honest person. He has a background in the home medical field, but will fit in well in any job that allows him to help people. If you'd like his resume, let me know.
He made his first appearance in the RWTWD back in '04 as the Best Costume Ever. (he's the one that isn't a psychotic dictator)
Posted by CDogg at 04:54 PM | Comments (1)
March 16, 2007
Good news and bad news
As Lou and I embarked on our walk this morning, a car pulled up and the driver said, "Hey, how are you doing?" (or something like that) The problem was that the morning sun was blinding me and I really couldn't make out the face. I headed over and saw that it was DJ and Romeo. It was just over a year ago that we met because Romeo got out of his fence. It was great to see both of them again.
The bad news is that Romeo has a bum leg. Back in December (or was it January?) they were in a car wreck and the impact paralyzed his right front leg. It sounds like it is going to be removed soon. :( He seems to be taking it quite well (as dogs do when faced with injury - we could learn a lot from them) and will probably do even better without the leg hanging.
We decided to get Lou and Romeo together for a play date way back when we first met, and never have. We are going to try again to make that happen.
Posted by CDogg at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2007
Surrounded by greatness
Everywhere I look one of my friends is getting some sort of publicity... it appears I am surrounded by famous people.
My long-time friend from Victoria, Tony Vasquez was in the local paper handing out an award for the women's bowling champion. (He is the one on the left.)
You'll remember him from many appearances here on the blog - most notably his Kim Jong-Il costume for Halloween.
Another good friend, Ruben Gonzalez recently got some slightly more impressive pub. He was featured in the new issue of SUCCESS magazine.
Ruben is a former Olympian turned motivational speaker. Ruben's story is one of inspiration and motivation as he chronicles his journey to unlikely three-time Olympian. I have had the pleasure of knowing him as a friend as well as in business and am alway happy to hear people talking about him... albeit never surprised.
These are two of the nicest guys on the planet - kudos guys.
Posted by CDogg at 11:21 AM | Comments (0)
January 21, 2007
The Game is Afoot
Mike and I went to a Houston Social Gamesters event last night and had a great time. I have been a member of the group for about three years now and no matter how inclement the weather or how far I have to go, I faithfully attend about once a year :) (they meet monthly and sometimes even more frequently so that tells you how bad I am when it comes to attendance.) I never fail to have a great time when I do make it out for a night of competition, strategy, good times, and of course... food.
The event was in the Sugarland/Richmond area and ran from 6PM to about 1AM and I think there were right at 20 people in attendance. Everyone brought something to eat and it was arranged on various counters - potluck style. After the eats, at least five tables filled with games and gamers. The first one I sat down to play was Escape from Atlantis. While it looked like a kiddy game, the playing pieces were deceiving as it was a pretty strategic game of kill or be killed. After that I moved to a different table for another game I had never heard of - Domaine. It too was a blast and involved an even higher level of strategy.
I think Mike had a good time and despite the fact that he didn't get to play Age of Mythology (which he brought with,) it looks like he might be up for coming back to another one.
I have to thank Denise and everyone at Gamesters for their patience in allowing me to fit my attendance into a pretty tight schedule... it is great when a free day coincides with one of their events.
Posted by CDogg at 05:32 PM | Comments (0)
January 11, 2007
Miss Manners, he ain't
I am sitting outside a CVS Pharmacy where I have sat for the past 65 minutes. Why am I here? Because my friend is very inconsiderate. We went to dinner and as I was taking him back to his house, he asked if I would drop by so he could print out some pictures using the automatic machine. I agreed and we headed over. After a few minutes of being bored watching him thumb through his memory card thumbnails, I opted to go out in the car and watch the video iPod. I watched EVERYTHING on the damn thing.
I called him from the parking lot at 40 minutes and said, "You have passed the length of common courtesy. Its been 40 minutes already." He said it would be just a little longer. Steamed, I went back to listening to podcasts. He called at 56 minutes and said, "I'm printing them out now." Holy crap! I asked how many and he said some ungodly amount like 150 or so. I informed him that I thought it incredibly rude to turn a "quick stop" into such a long trip. His response was, "I thought you were going to print them with me." What can you say to that? haha I hung up.
The store is now closed, he is still inside printing and I am venting. It wouldn't be so bad if this wasn't the same friend that spends an awful lot of time pointing out flaws in all of my other friends. Telling me things like, "you should just wash your hands of them." I am not going to name his name, he knows who he is... I just think its pretty crappy to be so self-absorbed and inconsiderate of other people's time. It doesn't matter that all I wanted to do was go home and relax with my dog... he took that option away. Actually, I could have just left him... his is only about ten blocks from his house... but I am a good friend.
If it weren't for electronics... the iPod and my laptop... I might not be so accomodating. (PS. He finally came out after an hour and 23 minutes)
Posted by CDogg at 10:16 PM | Comments (1)
November 16, 2006
Pics from NC
Some quick pics from North Carolina
I was heading out to shoot some pics for and got a little silly in the mirror.
Lou and Nick fighting over his stuffed puppy (which Lou got from my mom about a year ago, and is still his favorite toy.)
That, my friend, is excellent ice cream cake.
Posted by CDogg at 05:48 AM | Comments (0)
August 12, 2006
Shots from a week ago
Tony V. was in town last weekend and we did some things around downtown. I was surprised to discover something else I never knew existed in Houston. Apparently, George Bush (the good one) has a monument... now, we are not talking the likes of Washington, Jefferson, or Lincoln... but it does actually say it is a monument. Is it just me, or shouldn't a monument be a little more monumental?
Its nice and all... but a monument?
Its a very nice little park, George cuts a fine figure next to Tony...
... and his view certainly is nice.
I am not really ripping on the thing... its a very cool little piece of Houston, I just thought they should have called it a park or something a little less... well... you know.
Posted by CDogg at 10:16 AM | Comments (0)
June 25, 2006
Something fishy here...
I still want to know how it was that Mike made such a good looking kid... I mean, I can see it from his wife, Julie... but Mike?
At least he's bringing him up right - with the silver and blue!
Posted by CDogg at 09:09 PM | Comments (3)
June 02, 2006
EJ may have just made an enemy
As you know, I am watching Tony's dog, Ginger. Well, when EJ came over the other day he was rattling on about something and paying no attention to Lou and Ginger sniffing at his feet for attention. He went on and on about whatever and finally sat down. By this time, Lou had went over to me and laid under my desk. Ginger was still at his feet looking up at him.
Apparently, EJ had not even registered that a second dog was down there and assumed it was Lou all the while. When he finally quit talking, he reached down to pet Lou and exclaimed, "Holy CRAP! What happened to you buddy?" He thought Lou had gained a lot of weight, got a different haircut and shrunk a couple inches.
After I clued him in that it was Ginger and not Lou, he started referring to her are "Bizarro Lou." I am pretty sure that is not going to sit well with Tony and Julie, but it is kinda funny.
Here's Lou:
...and Ginger (Bizarro Lou):
Posted by CDogg at 09:14 AM | Comments (1)
May 24, 2006
They say its your birthday...
Best wishes on your special day, Laura!
Posted by CDogg at 08:26 AM | Comments (2)
May 14, 2006
To Mom
Happy Mothers Day, MOM!
You are the greatest* mom in the whole world.
(A painting I did for Mom in 2001 - acrylic on canvas)
* not an exaggeration
Posted by CDogg at 08:59 AM | Comments (9)
April 13, 2006
Results of the trial
Ooops... I addressed what happened in my court appearance on the podcast, but failed to put it up here for those of you who just read the site.
Bottom line - everything was cancelled and my friend is getting some sort of a settlement deal and there will be no trial or prison time. Again, after it is finalized, I will give the details, they point out some interesting weaknesses in the legal system.
Posted by CDogg at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)
April 09, 2006
I'm going to court
Well, without giving too much away about the case and the friend that is involved, I thought I would let you know that I am heading to criminal court Monday or Tuesday. A friend has been charged with a crime and I am going to be a witness for the defense. It will be my job to convince the jury that the friend is not a criminal and that he should not be going to jail.
I am all for punishment when someone does something wrong, but not unless it is deserved. I met with the lawyer Saturday to go over the basic information of the case and will be "on call" to take the stand.
I thought about bringing in the audio recorder and making a podcast out of it, but figured that it probably would not help the friend if I caused a big commotion in the courtroom when they discover I am recording the proceeding. I will give you more details after the case is resolved.
Finally, all those years of watching court dramas is about to pay off!
Posted by CDogg at 09:25 PM | Comments (1)
January 12, 2006
Pics from the trip
Well, the flickr site has a bunch of pics from the PodcasterCon2006, but I thought I would put a couple here as well.
Okay, they are not really from the con, but they are from the trip.
Nick tearing it up on the motorcycle. (It was the only time he would let me take a photo)
Big Head Fred (Buck) and Lou walked Cheyenne around the beach.
Posted by CDogg at 04:23 PM | Comments (0)
January 09, 2006
Congratulations Mighty Mike!
Well, its official... the end of days is near - as is evident by the fact that Mike Wright has bred. Not only has he bred, but he has shocked the world by doing it with a real live female... his wife, Julie.
A huge congratulations is in order as Bradly Ray Wright made his arrival January 9th at 1:09am. Both Mom and baby are doing great. Brad was 7 lbs 14 ozs and 20.75 inches long. Way to go!
Now get that boy a football and a Cowboy's shirt so we can start training him right!
Posted by CDogg at 09:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 06, 2006
70 - From Texas to North Carolina at 1300 mph!!
#70 - Join C-Dogg and Lou as they drive cross country enjoying the sights and sounds of our nation. That's right - a 1,300 mille trip in one hour!!
(Time: 54:49)
Lou waiting patiently for his Hardee's meal!
PodAsia
podcast411
On a Podcast - Cruisebox
Geocaching
History According to Bob
IMAO Podcast
Jawbone
Posted by CDogg at 08:25 AM | Comments (0)
December 08, 2005
63 - Update on travel plans for 2006 and Nardo's big day
#63 - A quick mention on the progress of A Podcast Christmas Carol, travel plans for 2006 and Nardo the Nardless.
(Time: 14:18)
More Than Seventeen - Adrina Thorpe
Posted by CDogg at 07:54 PM | Comments (1)
October 31, 2005
Weekend Update
Yet another busy weekend... if you listened to my Saturday podcast, you know about the fall I took in the garage Friday or the return to basketball stardom. Let me pick it up from that point.
After I put the podcast to bed, I waited around a bit for Tony and Allison to arrive from Victoria. They were going to his sister's party Saturday and came in early to hang with me. When they showed up, we all went in the backyard, kicked back in the cool weather with a nice fire burning and chilled while listening to some music. I think we finally went to bed around 3AM.
Saturday, started off with some computer work until my guests woke up. We then headed out for a breakfast buffet courtesy of Tone. We pigged out pretty good and then headed to store to get some Halloween makeup. Once home, we watched a little TV and talked about what we wanted to do. It was decided that we would take Lou for a walk.
Allison walked Lou while Tony and I strolled along behind. We headed all around the neighborhood and back into the woods by the bayou. As you can see from the photo, Lou was none too pleased with the large Frankenstein we found along the way - he growled, barked, rutted up the ground, and generally protected us. It was a good walk after our large breakfast. Allison and I did some video karaoke while Tony checked his email etc. and then we watched some more TV until it was time for them to get dressed for their costume party.
I put on Tony's face - as he was wearing cloak ala the Grim Reaper. The design was best described as a "creepy dead guy." They headed off to the party and I put together the PMC Top10 for this week. That podcast is exploding in listenership and despite getting a few critical emails, I think it is going very well.
Sunday, I woke up and was inspired to change the PMC Top10 logo - I like the new one a heck of a lot better. EJ kept calling and wanting me to help him trim the bushes at his folk's house, but I put him off while I worked. Then, I went out and trimmed my own bushes while Lou ran on the lead in the front yard. EJ & I headed to the library to return some stuff and after a couple side trips returned to trim his parent's shrubs. We then went for a bike ride around the 'hood before calling it a night.
I got an email from iSportsCaster asking me to be one of the podcasters for the NFL teams. After telling them I didn't audition (in my best - I'm a big podcasting star - attitude,) I was signed up to do the weekly Dallas Cowboys report. It was something we were looking at doing on Lone Star Gridiron anyway - expand into other areas of Texas football, so it seemed like a good time. I put together the first Lone Star Gridiron Cowboys Cast and posted it to both sites. Both sites are looking for a Houston Texans reporter too if you are interested!
There you have it - another weekend without much down time. It's good to get back to work. :)
Posted by CDogg at 09:27 AM | Comments (1)
September 30, 2005
Chill Cast #1 - Lou and I kick back in the backyard with a cool drink and ramble
#46 - The first ever Chill Cast. The wind played havoc with the microphone, but there is nothing like hanging out in the cool air with a cool drink, a cool dog, and mindless rambling.
(Time: 43:12)
My backyard
My sunflowers
Sparrow Beach
Serenity
World of Warcraft
Roger Miller - Jason Fleming
Roger Miller - Engine, Engine, Number Nine
NOTICE!!!!
Please add this podcast to your favorites at the Pickle! You only need to do it one time - no monthly voting - just once!!!
I have a special favor to ask... Show #50 is coming up and I would love to get some audio feedback about the first 49. Please, please, please send your audio files to cdoelle@gmail.com or call the voicemail line 206-202-3644.
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
Posted by CDogg at 09:46 AM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2005
Lou and Nardo, a sad tale, and TONS of movie PREview reviews!
#41 - Podcast supply running low, Lou and Nardo getting along fine, a sad tale, tons of movie preview reviews!
(Time: 32:03)
Lou and Nardo taking a break...
Lone Star Gridiron
The Zone Read
World of Warcraft
Podcasts I am digging
PodCheck Review
Earthcore
The Big Show
Movie Review
Lord of War
PREview Reviews
Waiting
Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Flightplan
Pride & Prejudice
Elizabethtown
V for Vendetta
Chronicles of Narnia
Rize
Domino
21 Grams
The Weather Man
Fun with Dick and Jane
Oliver Twist
Corpse Bride
Legend of Zorro
Desperado
2046
Murderball
Two for the Money
Shopgirl
Aeon Flux
Saw II
The Fog
The Constant Gardener
DOOM
Cars
Chicken Little
In Her Shoes
Ice Age 2
Walk the Line
Jarhead
Cry Wolf
Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang
Serenity
Firefly
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
I want to thank all the listeners for tuning in - the growth has been amazing and I really appreciate the feedback. If you have a comment on anything you have read on the blog or heard on the podcast, take a second to call 206-202-3644 and leave your audio feedback. The line is setup to record your audio and email the .WAV file to me... anytime day or night - drop me a line or leave a voicemail.
Posted by CDogg at 09:37 PM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2005
039 - Props, best wishes, good tunes and saving the planet all in one episode!
Its catch-up time and time for me to hand out some props, some get-well wishes, a criticism and yes - I even saved the planet this weekend. Oh yeah - some great tunes too!
(Time: 21:14)
Fosco & Jack's Kickass Podcast
Skepticality
FTL
Jawbone Radio
K9Cast
Digital Flotsam
Lone Star Gridiron
Houston MetBlogs
This Week in Houston
S.W.A.M.P.
Cafe Artiste
Blind Willie Johnson-If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down (1927)
Warren Zevon-Mohammed's Radio (1986 Tralfamadore Cafe - New York)
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
Posted by CDogg at 11:49 AM | Comments (2)
August 29, 2005
Wayback - January 2, 1989
First entry of the new year! Well, I've been to see Dawn every night for the past five days. Don't freak out - theres nothing romantic going on... she is happy with her friend Brad - in fact, she's in Corpus Christi visiting him which probably explains why I found the time to write.
My foot injury flared up - it developed an abcess and just as I thought it was getting better, it swelled up and started hurting. This morning I went in to see Dr. Ted and get it fixed. It was his day off and he saw me anyway. (He is a good friend of my dad.) He cut it open and squeezed all the puss and blood out. It hurt like #@*!! Right now its 9:30PM and it hurts like hell. I haven't been able to bicycle or play basketball in several days.
I also lost my voice yesterday. I don't feel bad, but I can't talk very good.
In the sports world - #1 Notre Dame deated #3 West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl total to capture the National Championship. UCLA defeated Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl. UCLA's quarterback Troy Aikman is likely to be the number one draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys - but I think if Steve Walsh decided to quit college ball early, he would be a good choice.
Well, I guess that's all for now and until next time, may all your jumpers hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
PS. In reading back, I realized that I didn't explain the foot injury - back on the 20th, I stepped on a toothpick which went into my foot about an inch. It was right on the ball of the foot making walking impossible. It got better and a couple of days ago, it started to swell so I had to get it cut open today.
Another interesting post... I spent an awful lot of time that Christmas break writing about Dawn even though we had been broken up for a very long time at that point. Reading the post also caused me to reflect on the fact that my dad, his friend Dr. Ted and Notre Dame's football program are now dead. The post also points to conclusive evidence of what I call my greatest sports prognostication flub ever... I was in the Steve Walsh camp and thought that Aikman would not develop into a long-term pro QB. Oh well.
Posted by CDogg at 02:36 PM | Comments (0)
August 28, 2005
036 - Logan stops by and we talk about the hole in his head, lightning storms, Florida's weirdness and more!
A long-time friend drops by for the show, he chooses a new name for security reasons and we rap about all manner of strange things.
(Time: 23:57)
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
Posted by CDogg at 05:43 PM | Comments (0)
August 24, 2005
Busy, busy week
How many times have I used that title for a blog entry? It seems like every week is a busy, busy, week - but this time... it is super busy. We have been doing a corporate video shoot all week and will continue that this afternoon. Monday, I went for the tech setup and check - it was supposed to be from about 10am to 11am... I was there until around 9pm! Let's just say that some of the other folks involved in the production were a little behind in their setup.
Yesterday was a fun day... in a hectic sorta way. We did a three camera shoot that was projected live to large video screens and recorded. It was a five man operation as my brother Tim and nephew Scooter came into town to assist. Dave, Dave, and Tim worked the cameras, Scooter handled gopher duties and I produced the show from backstage. I sat at a panel of three monitors on headsets to the camera crew and called out the shots while assisting the switcher in determining what went on the big screens. In actuality, the camera guys did such a great job that my job was pretty darn easy. I spent more time on the switching that directing the cameras.
Today, we continue the shoot by filming what the client refers to as their "Skit Night." It will again be a three camera shoot, but since it is not being switched or projected live, we will not need to do much in the way of direction. That will free me up to schmooze with the client about things like editing etc.
Thursday will be another long day/night as we will be shooting a party and band... I expect it to wrap around 1AM. It will be followed by a keynote speech Friday morning... and then we will be done. Whew!
Oh yeah - but Saturday, Mike, Scoot and I are getting up early to head to San Antonio as the Lone Star Gridiron podcast will be covering the Texas Classic - the annual kickoff to the high school football season. We will be there for three games so it will be another VERY long day.
Well, gotta run - just thought I would update folks on why I haven't returned calls/emails or posted on the blog.
PS. Oh yeah, I gotta squeeze in two Lone Star Gridiron podcasts, one Riding with the window down... podcast and the latest PMC Top10 Countdown all before I go to sleep Friday. Did I say I was busy? :0
Posted by CDogg at 11:03 AM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
Faces of EJ
I was asked by EJ to put some of his pictures and video clips from the accident online so that his folks could check it out.
They are up - but let me warn you that if you are easily grossed out, there is one in particular that you do NOT want to see.
Posted by CDogg at 09:15 PM | Comments (0)
August 09, 2005
Grim Reaper: Hey Buddy, don't get too comfy.
Well, death has sent me a reminder of my own mortality recently. It started when a client and friend passed away from cancer recently and nearly continued yesterday when another good friend was in a head-on collision. Many of you know EJ and know that he has been in Florida running his roofing business for the past year.
I got a call from him early yesterday saying that in a couple weeks he would be heading back to Houston for awhile. A few hours later, I got a call from a mutual friend that said EJ was involved in an auto accident. The details were sketchy at best with his condition being described as "serious and okay" in the same sentence. After tracking down his parents and finally erasing all the layers of "he said, she said" stuff - I finally got to talk with EJ.
Apparently, he was a passenger in a pickup without a passenger's side airbag. The head-on collision messed him up pretty good leaving a huge gash across the forehead and several torn ligaments and broken bones in his right hand. He escaped the reaper purely by luck and is now facing countless surgeries by hand specialists and cosmetic surgeons.
Things like this used to roll off me and my "I'm invincible" mentality - but more and more, it makes me sit up and take notice of how short our time in this gig really is.
Posted by CDogg at 08:31 AM | Comments (3)
August 03, 2005
030 - Clean podcasts baby - rant continued - rockin tunes!
WOW! This podcasting thing is getting exciting. I just had to throw a show down because all this stuff was rattling around in my brain. This show features some great songs, talks about CLEAN podcasting, reprises an earlier rant and just has a good time!
(Time: 20:52)
MENTIONED IN THE SHOW
PMC Top10 Countdown
K9Cast
Jawbone
Lone Star Gridiron
Greater Houston Podcasting Association
Houston Chronicle Tech Blog
Bitz of Brin
TUNES
Sick of Chicks - Brother Love (get ya some!)
Lose Control - De La Vega (get ya some!)
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
HEY HELP OUT!!
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 04:56 PM | Comments (0)
July 24, 2005
023 - Music Man - Lord of the Rings - PMC Top10 and more!
Another soundseeing tour - this time I take my mom and her friend to see the TUTS presentation of The Music Man. We also went to the museum of Natural Science to see the Lord of the Rings exhibit. The show is bookended by two blistering songs by Brother Love.
Theatre Under the Stars
Houston Museum of Natural Science
PMC Top10
Brother Love!
featured songs: Push (buy album), Sick of Chicks (buy album)
(Time: 19:26)
Intro and outtro music is I'm on Board by The Ride Theory.
HEY HELP OUT!!
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 09:18 PM | Comments (2)
July 20, 2005
020 - Deep thinking 20th episode
I wax philosophical in my (wow) 20th episode (Time: 16:17)
HEY HELP OUT!!
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 03:58 PM | Comments (0)
019 - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Podcast
A little soundscape featuring one of my favorite musicals - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. (Time: 18:30)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (DVD)
HEY HELP OUT!!
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 01:22 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2005
Bummer News
Dave, Laura - I am sorry to hear about Swee'Pea... it is a very tough thing to go through and I completely understand what you are feeling. If there is anything I can do, let me know.
Posted by CDogg at 05:59 PM | Comments (1)
July 04, 2005
Podcast #012 - 4th of July - Skype - Gamesters etc.
A ton of stuff going on with this podcast (Time: 17:56)
* An update on the Tour de France after Stage 3
* 4th of July idiocy
* Problems using Skype and Audacity together
* Just started Houston Podcasting
* Look ahead to Stage 4 of the TdF
* Still trying to get listed on iTunes
* Gaming with Houston Social Gamesters
----Snorta (game I couldn't remember)
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 09:38 PM | Comments (2)
July 02, 2005
Podcast #011 - Tour de France Stage 1
A recap of Stage 1 of the Tour de France
Please take a moment to vote for this podcast at Podcast Alley.
Posted by CDogg at 08:39 PM | Comments (0)
June 30, 2005
WOW - Now that's some chocolate!
My friend and co-host of Lone Star Gridiron, Mike Wright came by this morning and brought with him some brownies his wife Julie created. When I say created... I mean these things are works of art. WOW! The first thing that caught my attention was how perfect they 'looked.' Yes, they looked perfect - she did some sort of swirl on the top (the fudge covering of the brownie) that looks like something you would find at a 5-star restaurant.
Not to be overshadowed by the appearance was the taste... Jiminy Christmas! These things are soooooo frickin' good. I had two of them and forced myself to walk away and ride my bike. After doing ten miles, I figured I earned another. I just finished it and had to blog. I think I will use them as incentive to exercise... look for my riding mileage to skyrocket as they are worth it!
Julie, all I can say is that you need to quit everything else you are doing and become a chef... I have heard about the brilliant dishes you have created for Mike, but even if you just open a pastry shop - you will make a lot of people very happy! Thanks again and congrats on the bun in the oven too!
Posted by CDogg at 11:03 PM | Comments (1)
June 26, 2005
Another action packed weekend - Day 1
Tony and Allison came into town because Ally is bowling in a youth tournament. It's good to seem them as it has been quite a while.
The day started off with a trip to the dog park when Tony arrived. (Allison came in with her mom so we didn't see them until later in the day.) I didn't take any pictures because I figured I had plenty of recent dog park pics. As it turns out I wish I would have because we met a really cool little dog named Bentley. He was ball of activity and spunk.
After the dog park, we came back to the house and chilled for a bit. Tony and I caught up on "the haps," and then headed over to Katy Mills Mall to find a Dallas Cowboys hitch cover for my nephew, Nick. I still haven't found one. At the mall, we decided to grab a bite. There is something about when Tony and I get together that seems to make us do dumb things... like order an entire pizza at Sbarro's and split it instead of just a slice like normal. We also stopped by the chocolate store and bought a bar of dark chocolate (mmmm.... dark cholocate.)
It was time to head to the bowling alley and watch the tournament. Allison was a ton of fun as usual. We cut up and played around between frames. She did pretty good averaging more in her three games than normal.
It was then back to the house to relax a bit and screw around on the computers. Tony's PC is crashed so he got online and caught up on his email, games etc., while I logged on and played some World of Warcraft (Windrunner server). Time sorta got away from us and next thing we knew it was 10PM. We wanted to go catch Batman Begins so we had to settle for the 11:55 showing.
Before leaving, I let Lou outside to do his business and he got all fired up about something in the bushes. It was pitch black outside so I couldn't see what was up until I ran back in for my little pen flashlight. In the dim beam I spied what appeared to be a cat or maybe a large rat dodging him as he climbed into the shrubbery. When it ran across the path, I spied what looked like a HUGE rat! Being a country boy, I knew exactly what it was - a 'possum!
Lou tracked it down and pounced on it and, as they do when threatened, it rolled over and went rigid. Lou sniffed around and then looked to me as if to say, "see what I got? cool, huh?" I grabbed Lou, put him in the house and grabbed a towel to carry the opossum. It played dead right up until I lifted it by the tail. It then slowly opened its eyes but didn't get too excited as I took it into the front yard to release it. (Access to the bayou is much easier from there.)
With the excitement abated, we went to the movie. I will write up a full review of Batman Begins later, but let me say that it is without a doubt the BEST comic book movie with a DC character ever created. At the theater Tony offered to buy the drinks and proceeded to order us each a large soda. Have you seen these drinks? There must have been a gallon and a half in each one! I think he is trying to kill me... haha.
We made it in around 3:30AM and after being up until 4AM the night before, I was pretty bushed.
1
2
3
4
5
1 - Tone "gettin after it"
2 - Ally scheming
3 - Allison's team
4 - Playin possum
5 - Relocation
Posted by CDogg at 11:43 AM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2005
Doing my part to advance science
Thanks to a link I found on Laanba's blog, I took asurvey being conducted by MIT.
Posted by CDogg at 09:04 PM | Comments (2)
Gauntlet is Laid Down & Tour de 1/10th is on!
Manny has done it - he called me Granny once too often. After outriding me a couple weeks ago, he decided that he earned the right to talk smack. Those of you that know me well know there is nothing I hate worse than a sore-winner. To me, it is the ultimate classless act to rub it in someone's face after you beat them. Sore losers I can abide... their pride is hurt, they are defeated... if they want to throw up an excuse or two - more power to them. I mean afterall, if I just beat you at something, how does it hurt me if you bring up the fact that you have a pulled muscle, skipped your prerace meal, or heck - had your underpants stolen by gnomes throwing you off your game? It doesn't hurt a bit.
I realize that victories for some people are few and far between and the temptation to talk smack (expecially when beating a more skilled competitor) must be great. But come on - do the right thing.
Anyway, Manny bought his bike four months ago and in that time, I rode maybe 3 times while he has been riding regulary. He beat me fair and square with this disparate amount of training, but can he do the same if I have training time? That is the challenge I have placed in front of him. Give me four months of training and lets do it again... then lets see who comes out on top. I realize that I am giving him eight months of training to my four months, but I will take that handicap as I feel my 18,000 miles and 23 years of cycling experience should more than make up for having half the training.
To that end, I am once again attempting to do what I call the Tour de 1/10th. I take the distance of the Tour de France riders each day and do 1/10th of that amount for time. In the past several years I failed to finish until last season where my times put me at 147th place.
This years race:
1 Saturday, July 2 19 km 1.18m
Fromentine > Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile (TT)
2 Sunday, July 3 181.5 km 11.2m
Challans > Les Essarts
3 Monday, July 4 212.5 km 13.2m
La Châtaigneraie > Tours
4 Tuesday, July 5 67.5 km 4.19m
Tours > Blois (team / TT)
5 Wednesday, July 6 183 km 11.4m
Chambord > Montargis
6 Thursday, July 7 199 km 12.3m
Troyes > Nancy
7 Friday, July 8 228.5 km 14.1m
Lunéville > Karlsruhe
8 Saturday, July 9 231.5 km 14.3m
Pforzheim > Gérardmer
9 Sunday, July 10 171 km 10.6m
Gérardmer > Mulhouse
R Monday, July 11
Rest day - Grenoble
10 Tuesday, July 12 192.5 km 11.9m
Grenoble > Courchevel *
11 Wednesday, July 13 173 km 10.7m
Courchevel > Briançon
12 Thursday, July 14 187 km 11.6m
Briançon > Digne-les-Bains
13 Friday, July 15 173.5 km 10.7m
Miramas > Montpellier
14 Saturday, July 16 220.5 km 13.7m
Agde > Ax-3 Domaines *
15 Sunday, July 17 205.5 km 12.7m
Lézat-sur-Lèze > Saint-Lary Soulan (Pla d'Adet) *
R Monday, July 18
Rest day - Pau
16 Tuesday, July 19 180.5 km 11.21m
Mourenx > Pau
17 Wednesday, July 20 239.5 km 14.8m
Pau > Revel
18 Thursday, July 21 189 km 11.7m
Albi > Mende
19 Friday, July 22 153.5 km 9.5m
Issoire > Le Puy-en-Velay
20 Saturday, July 23 55 km 3.4m
Saint-Etienne > Saint-Etienne (TT)
21 Sunday, July 24 144 km 8.9m
Corbeil-Essonnes > Paris Champs-Élysées
TOTAL 3,607 km 224.1m
Posted by CDogg at 09:28 AM | Comments (0)
Lone Star Gridiron Launches!
Chris Doelle & business partner Dave Sneed just launched the Lone Star Gridiron Podcast. LSG is the first and ONLY podcast dedicated to high school football in the Lone Star State - Texas! Every week show hosts Chris Doelle and Mike Wright will highlight the top stories in Texas high school football and give a preview of the best upcoming matches.
Drop by the site, listen in to the first show (the audio is a bit rough while the new studio is being setup) and then tune in each week for the best in Texas high school football. Lone Star Gridiron is also up for consideration for the Podcast Awards and between now and June 30th, it needs all the nominations possible so that it can be considered for the balloting. Please click on the link and nominate Lone Star Gridiron under the sports category.
Posted by CDogg at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)
June 16, 2005
Family Reunion - Day 2
Day two started off early as I awoke about 6:00am and took the bike for a spin around Hot Springs. It was pretty sweet flying through this otherwise traffic-clogged little burg with hardly anyone around. I did meet a cop who informed me that it is illegal to ride on the sidewalks as I cut across in front of the bathhouses. I only did about 8 miles, but they were a far cry from a little jaunt in Houston. The onlyelevation changes in Houston are the overpasses - here, even the areas that look flat are really long slow climbs.
After I got back, I hooked up with the Rich, Andrea and the Doelle clan for breakfast. (Thanks, Rich) We loaded up Julie's Yukon and headed out to Wal-Mart to process the photos from the day before. They planned to surprise everyone by giving out pictures from day 1 during our dinner. With pictures in hand we headed back downtown after only a couple side trips. Tim and I managed to run by and pick up a geocache while Julie and Sandra were doing some shopping.
Back at the hotel, it was time to gather for lunch and despite the good-natured ribbing about ham sandwhiches again, it was nice not to have to go out to eat. The goal of the reunion is to see people you haven't seen in awhile - this allows us more time to hang out and reconnect.
After lunch, several bunches headed out to various activities such as the alligator farm, the winery, the bath houses and more. I used the time to catch up on some business. By the time I was finished, I had scheduled a video shoot and photography session for Saturday as well as a client visit Monday. Dave seemed to have things well in hand despite the fact that he was dealing with a flat tire when I called.
Tim, Sandra and Julie returned from The Winery about that time and invited me to go along as they did some shopping downtown along the strip outside the hotel. As there is nothing I hate more in the world than shopping, I naturaly said "sure" and took off. It was pretty painless and in fact, entertaining.
We got back in time to cool down a bit and change clothes for the evening banquet. The centerpiece was a bunch of flowers surrounded by the framed pictures from day 1. The gang did a smashup job decorating the banquet room with enough candles to qualify as a three-alarm fire. Despite the fire-hazard, they pulled it off well.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Prior to the actual meal, we held a chinese auction... it was a lot of fun as usual. The meal was another chance to chat with the extended family. After the meal, the kids went swimming and the rest of the gang headed out on the patio to toss back a few and shoot the shizzle. We were regaled with many of the old stories and one or two new ones, but the cool thing was how easily everyone fell back into old comfort levels. A lot of us have not spoken, written, or hardly thought of the others since our last reunion, four years ago, but you couldn't tell it by the cacophony of laughter.
7
8
9
10
11
12
After awhile, the girls (Andrea and Cheyenne) wanted to go ride go-karts and asked if I would join. One of the above-mentioned old stories by Tim involved me wanting to ride a go-kart just because Troy wanted to... I remember it differently, but in Tim's defense - it did make me want to ride some right then. Richard, Cheyenne, Andrea and I headed off to the go-kart track and had a really good time.
1 - Chinese auction
2 - Chinese auction
3 - Chinese auction
4 - Chinese auction
5 - Chinese auction
6 - Chow time!
7 - Dan & Ann
8 - Rich
9 - Mom & Julie
10 - Mom & Carol
11 - Ann & Dan
12 - Avis, Mom & Carol
The reason we are all here...
Posted by CDogg at 06:33 AM | Comments (0)
June 14, 2005
Family Reunion - Day 1
The day started off a little slow because I had to wait for Shiny to wake up. We finally said our goodbyes to Lou and headed out about 10am. (This will be the longest Lou has been without me since I got him... but I think he will do fine in Dave's hands as they are the best of chums.)
We rolled out of town listening to country music and blathering nonsensically about everything we saw. Somewhere around Nacogdoches, Cheyenne wanted to listen to her Avril Lavigne CD (so she could point out something about one song.) We ended up listening to the same CD OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND... well, you get the idea.
After only one or two harrowing near-misses going down winding mountain roads (she has this annoying habit of pushing my hat over my eyes just as I "really" needed to see,) we made it into Hot Springs.
(As we crossed into Arkansas, we stopped at the welcome center to commemorate the event - then stopping for gas in the midde of nowhere, came across some hillbilly attendants and this archaic pump)
It was good to connect with the part of the family tree that I rarely see. We gathered around and shot the bull for a couple hours while grabbing a snack. After that, the group headed down to the pool area to talk and/or swim. It is from there that I am writing this blog.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1 - Julie, Madison & Tim
2 - Mike, Hannah, Carol & Madison
3 - Dan & Ann
4 - Ann & Andrea
5 - Troy & family
6 - Me
7 - Avis, Penny, Pam & Steve
8 - Carol & Mike
9 - Cheyenne & Andrea
10 - Sandra & Tim
Posted by CDogg at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)
Shiny Takes Over
Well Hurricane Shiny (my niece) rolled into Houston and proceeded to take over. She agreed to ride with me to Arkansas today so the folks dropped her off yesterday on the way. She waited patiently as I completed all my work-related duties and then unleashed her fury.
Okay, it wasn't really bad - we actually had an excellent evening. First, we went through some photos on my regular and my photo blogs. That got her inspired to shoot something so I handed over the Casio camera and she went to town in the backyard.
After that we went to Chili's for dinner where she proceeded to laugh so much she nearly choked to death. I told her that I am not really sure how to perform that new-fangled hiney-lick maneuver and that seemed to dislodge her chicken chunk.
1
2
3
4
5
1 - Cheyenne stalks the photographic world
2 - I took this shot of her taking a closeup shot of a lizard
3 - She caught a very nice shot of her new buddy - Lou
4 - Shiny was obsessed with trying to get a shot of me with food in my mouth (I will spare you the rest of them)
5 - Shiny learning that you can't eat and laugh at the same time
Posted by CDogg at 07:20 AM | Comments (4)
June 12, 2005
Weekly Dog Park Visit
Once again, the Saturday dog park visit was moved to Sunday. This time Clancy stayed home and Jeff came with Mindy and Kali.
We met a super sweet Great Dane and Kali found some cool brindle Boxers.
On the way home - Lou is tuckered out but still smiling.
I had a yellow lab that kept bringing his retriever dummy toy and dropping it at my feet. I guess I looked like the playful type because sure enough, I picked it up and whipped it off into the water. He would sprint to the pond full blast and then launch himself halfway to it, swim out, nab it, and return it back to my feet. Despite the heat, it was fun as usual.
Posted by CDogg at 12:01 PM | Comments (0)
Is this what facing your mortality is about?
Ever since helping Manny pick out his sweet