Michael Makes Some Great Plays for the Panthers

I was going through some old videos and found these from Michael playing football in high school. They are short clips, but they demonstrate has versatility on the field! I’m hoping to find some of his track stuff.

Fun at the Yuma Fun Factory

Guaranteed White Christmas

Thanx to the internets!  There is a Christmas Blizzard brewing right now pretty much over Lubbock, Texas’ head.  The storm started as rain in California, but brought snow to some areas south of Tucson.  The storm sank further southward than originally expected and the forecast for Lubbock changed from rain and some snow to some rain and more snow!  Right now the Hub City is covered with about 6″ and it’s coming down sideways.  The 7am observation at LBB is:  “Snow, Freezing Fog, Blowing Snow and Windy, 26.”  I’m jealous, especially since I should have been there had I had a few extra $$s.  Thankfully, there is the internets.

This gathering storm is now plowing east.  The kids and grandkids north of Dallas are under a Winter Storm Warning and they could see rain changing to snow by this afternoon and maybe an inch or three just in time for Christmas!

Add this snow to what is already on the ground and a large chuck of the U.S. is fixin’ ta have a White Christmas.  If you aren’t, then just surf some web cams, put on some Bing Crosby and dare to dream!

I’ll Be Home for Christmas

As in right here in my apartment.   It’s a bit odd that I don’t feel that bad about it.   I DO miss my kids and grandkids in Texas, but there is just no way I can swing a Christmas trip this year.  Other than missing them, I am good with laying low this year.

I have friends locally that are going to ask, “What are you doing for Christmas?”  and they might invite me by ’cause they feel sorry for me.  I appreciate it!  But honestly, I am good with some alone time.

It’s not usual, I guess, but I do very well in a crowd, one on one, and by myself.  When I first took the Myers-Briggs personality test when I was a teenager, I was right down the middle extrovert/introvert.  This surprises people I know, because when I am with people, the extrovert comes out.  However, I really need my alone time or I go a little crazy.  Of course, I need my hangin’ with the peeps time too or I go a little crazy.

I am looking forward to the two or three Christmas gatherings I have yet to attend in the next couple of weeks, but I am also looking forward to watching a little football Christmas Day and making some phone calls.  I’ll be home for Christmas.  Celebrating with my Savior on His Birthday observed :-)

Audio – On the Vic McCarty Show this Morning

Vic McCarty is a good friend of mine.  One of the best and funniest guys you’ll ever meet (if you ever meet him).  We used to work together at KBIM-TV in Roswell, NM.  I was directing the news back then and he was the Sports Director.  Eventually I became the Weather Anchor and I helped sports shooting football and directing the Vic & Van Show in between.  Vic and I were also part of the (almost) unstoppable media team at the annual Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament.

Vic moved on to Traverse City, Michigan and I am now in Tucson.  Thanx to Facebook and the internets we have kept in touch.  He invited me to be on his radio show this morning.  It was my 3rd appearance and always fun.

This morning we talked about the storm that blew through Tucson that is heading for Traverse City.  Here is the audio of the 6 1/2 minute interview: 

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I Ate an Eel

Yeah.  I know!  Who knew that would ever happen?!

When I was a kid in Oregon and swimming in the Mollala River, running into eels wasn’t a good thing.  Not because they were dangerous, they were just kinda gross.

Flash forward 30 years to this afternoon.  Pastor Steve invited me to lunch and suggested sushi.  I’ve had sushi once in my life and that was just this past Summer.  I’m not even sure that counts.  It was sushi that you buy at the grocery store complete withe wrapped in plastic packaging.  Still, it was pretty good!  I do like just about everything, so I was willing to try sushi for real.

We met at Kampai Sushi located on the NE corner of Oracle and Orange Grove.  Pastor Steve had some good suggestions as did the waitress.  We ended up getting a platter that included two “rolls” and 9 chef’s choice pieces.  I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I didn’t tell my pastor this, but when I saw “rolls” on the menu, I was thinking, you know… rolls.  Like bread!

Anyway, we had a “volcano” roll and a “playboy” roll.  They both had crab meat, so I figured it was gonna be good!  It was!  Pastor helped me figure out the chop sticks (I wasn’t a complete rookie, but the pointers helped) and the wasabee and we were off.  The rolls were awesome!  The pieces were varying degrees of good to really good.  The shrimp was my favorite.  The eel, well, that was my least favorite.  A little bit slimy and very soft meat.

The rolls were so good we ordered an encore that had soft shell crab.  mmmmm!  Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I will skip the eel.  The eel sauce, on the other hand was pretty tasty.

North Coast San Diego

I’ve always loved the North Coast of San Diego.  As a teenager my brother Chris and I would visit Mom in Mira Mesa.  She would work near the coast and we would hit the beach!  I remember swimming all day body surfing.  The workout was incredible and it was just so fun!

My favorite places were Torrey Pines and Cardiff by the Sea, although Cardiff had some seaweed.  That’ll freak you out a little bit when you are swimming along and some seaweed brushes your leg.

I went to visit my brother this past weekend.  He is living in Oceanside which is even north of San Diego’s north coast.  I got there early enough to make a bee-line to Torrey Pines to watch the sunset and roll some video.  There is nothing like the smell of that salty air, especially when you haven’t been near the ocean in a few years.   Here’s a picture, although it doesn’t quite do the sunset justice:

Chris and I had a great visit!  The highlight was Sunday when he cooked bar-b-que and some of his friends came over.  Quality people and great food.  The Chargers even beat the Eagles.

On Monday morning when I left to come home to Tucson, I had to take the scenic route to the freeway.  I paused at the Pier in Oceanside and again in Carlsbad for these pics.  I can’t wait to visit again.  Just need the money and the time all at the same time.

Texassize Weather

Keith Monday tells me this picture is 1999ish.  That fits about right.  This is the combined ABC28 and CBS13 (Texassize) weather team at the time.  Good times!

Matt Hines, Matt Miller, Keith Monday, Ron Roberts, Mike Shaw and David Young.  There are a few folks here I don’t remember their names.  My apologies.  I’m not good with names.  I really need to work on that.

Lubbock TV

CBS 13 & ABC 28

Yes, that’s the President. As for my camel hair jacket with purple spot tie? It only proves that I had (have) no fashion sense :-) This was taken when President Bush was running for Governor of Texas.

Roswell Gus Macker

Gus Maker 3-on-3 Basketball came to Roswell, New Mexico in the 1980′s. At KBIM TV we had a media team in the Maker. There were hundreds of teams coming in to town from all over to brave the heat for 3-on-3 basketball glory! It had great economic impact on Roswell. Hey, teams gotta eat!

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