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.

Snowkids

Taken in Roswell, New Mexico in late 1992 (I think). The kids came over to my small place on Kentucky Ave. and we made a snowman. Michael’s mittens got soaked and he managed without them after that. Great job kids!

The Extra Mile

When does 340 feet feel like a mile?  When it’s almost straight up!

I did my usual part way up Pusch Peak hike yesterday.  Since I had the day off, I decided that I had time, and just enough extra water, to climb to the next “saddle.”  My normal hike starts at 2,682 feet at the parking lot on Linda Vista.  I then hike about a mile and a half up to the “first saddle” on Pusch Peak.  That’s about 3,670 feet, so just short of 1,000 feet vertical.  It’s a really fun and challenging hike, although you have to be careful coming down.  It is steep and the loose rock can help you to fall!

Once I made it to the “first saddle,” I rested and looked up to the next one.  It’s very vertical, and according to Google Earth, it’s 4,010 feet above sea level.  That’s another 340 feet.  So up I went.  I’ve just started hiking and biking again, so I’m not nearly in my best shape.  I had to rest several times on my way up.  However, Once I got up there, the view is AWESOME!  Here’s a look at my apartment complex taken from the “second saddle” in July of last year:

Now the entire hike all the way to the top of Pusch Peak from Linda Vista is 2,679 feet (vertical), which means the “second saddle” is over half way up!

This is really good to know, because I may have found a more direct, although much steeper, way to the top of Pusch Peak!  The last time Michael and I climbed to the top, it took over 6 hours round trip!  Of course, now that I think about it, I was out hiking 3 hours yesterday.

My legs are sore.  That’s a good thing!

Army Intelligence

Is NOT an oxymoron. Not anymore (not that it ever really was).  My son Michael has made it official.  He is now a proud member of the Army Reserves and I am now a proud father of a member of the Army Reserves!!!

Michael is one of the smartest people I know.  I don’t say that just because I am his Dad and I am proud of him.  He truly is one of the smartest people I know!  He has a full scholarship to an honors college where he has maintained a 4.0 GPA.  In high school he founded the Calculus club.  His Junior year he was a member of an engineering test team that finished second in the State of Texas and twenty-first in the nation!  He had enough AP math credits from high school that he has been taking Junior level math classes his freshman year in college (honors college, remember).  He is far enough ahead that he is considering finishing school a year early!

So, now he adds to his “resume” the Army Reserves.  He scored high enough on the ASVAB to qualify for any job in the Army.  He choose intelligence!  First God gave him intelligence and now he has chosen it as a job.  Seems appropriate :-)

He is taking the Fall semester off to go to basic training and then learn his job.  He can’t be deployed as long as he is in college and he can’t be stationed any more than 50 miles from school.  He is making enough $$ to quit his tutoring job in the math department which will give him more time to study.

He’s always talked about joining the Army since he was a kid.  The volatile world we live in did not deter him.  He wants to serve his country.  He is even looking for adventure on top of a military clearance and experience.  The Army is getting one class act of a kid man! Army Intelligence indeed.

I couldn’t be prouder, even as I pray for his safety.

Favorite Christmas’ – 2007 in Roswell

Yes, it’s true. This year was another favorite Christmas!!! I was invited to hang out with the family and extended ex in-law family in Roswell again. I have to be honest. They treat me better then I deserve and I appreciate it!

The drive from Tucson is about 575 miles. I left Sunday morning, December 23rd and arrived by late afternoon. I would have been there a bit sooner, but a few miles after I left the apartment there was a guy trying to push his car up a slight hill to the gas station. I stopped and helped and found out how out of shape I am!

Anyway, the 575 mile drive took a little over 6 1/2 hours. I checked into my hotel and shortly after Michael called and said they were at the house (his grandparents house) and to come by. I was amazed at how much Roswell had changed and grown! A lot of hotels and a lot of new restaurants. Part of it is the alien tourism. Most is probably from the oil boom. Another big part from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center being based there. It all adds up to little Roswell, New Mexico growing!

The weekend was filled with a lot of family fun. Amber and her husband Michael were there with my granddaughters. They are SO CUTE! My son Michael stayed with me at the hotel because the house was packed.

We did a lot of fun stuff. Most of it just hanging out at the house and enjoying each others company. I am so grateful that I am accepted as family. It really is amazing.

Christmas Day was awesome. The tree was lost in a sea of presents! The kids slept in until after 8am! I’m not sure how that works, because we were always up before the Sun. Anyway, opening all those presents took quite a while :-) Josh got a Wii, so I spent a lot of the rest of the day bowling along with Michael, Natalea, Josh, Lauren and others. I have now decided. I want a Wii!

Dinner was turkey and ham and all the fixin’s. The deviled eggs were just as awesome as I always remembered! Turns out Jodina made ‘em this year. They turned out just as good as when her Mom makes ‘em. Then it was time to bowl for real!

Gene, Michael’s Grandpa, owns the bowling alley in town. Every year they host Christmas in Roswell, we all go bowling. The bowling center was closed on Christmas, but we know who has the key :-) This year was particularly interesting. Turns out Michael’s friend from college also has grandparents in Roswell! They were instant messaging and found out they were both in town, even though neither one knew the other had family in Roswell! So, Michael invited Rachel to bowl with us. I am not a good bowler. If I hit the 1-teens I’m doing good. I did have one game of 137! The rest in the high 90′s. Funny. On the Wii I was bowling in the high 100′s and had two games over 200, but I digress :-) Mostly the bowling was about hangin’ out and having fun! Rachel is really nice and it was nice to meet one of Michael’s smart college friends.

So, about a half hour before we leave, it starts to snow! By the time we left, it was sideways snow coming down hard!!! It was awesome! We drove back to the house with wet roads, but grassy areas turning white. We ended up with a quick inch of snow just in time to make it an official white Christmas!

I drove back the next day and the roads were clear even though there was still some melting snow to enjoy on the side of the road.

There were a lot of highlights to this Christmas. Mainly the time spent with my son Michael, my daughter Amber, my grandkids, and with the ex in-laws who always make me feel welcome.

Thanx for another great Christmas!

Spaghetti

I remember being a kid and going to visit Grandma and Grandpa and looking forward to a great big plate of spaghetti! Grandma’s sauce was the best! After all, she was born in Sicily and made the sauce her whole life.

As I grew older, I realized I wanted to learn how to make the sauce my own self. I asked Grandma for the recipe. Not only did she provide the recipe, but actual one on one instruction on some of the finer points. I think I was 21 or 22 when I really started making the sauce on a regular basis. I remember once having a party and making two or three batches for everyone. Of course, when I got married, it was something I made for the family regularly. After my divorce I made the sauce often when Michael would spend the night or the weekend. One time he gave me the best compliment ever.

“Hey Dad, you should open a restaurant.”

“I only know how to make four things.” I said.

“Yeah, but they are all good!”

After my divorce, my ex-wife once said, “Your sauce is the only thing I miss about you!” She was joking… I think :-)

Michael gets upset when I share the recipe. Last night I was over at friends and brought the sauce. My friend Matt was very kind and said nice things about the sauce. His wife Mary and our Pastors wife wanted the recipe, so of course I passed it on. Don’t tell Michael!

I’ve taught my daughter Amber how to make it. Michael has the recipe as well. The sauce lives on!

I guess next time it’s time to make the meatballs. Those are awfully good too!

My Son

Can I brag about my son for a minute? He’s awesome! God has given him many gifts! Michael called me today to tell me he is going to take a piano class at school. He is a freshman at Texas A&M Commerce. As a freshman, he’s taking junior level math classes, but I digress. He has shown a real talent for music for some time now. The first time I noticed was when we went to Oregon in 2003. He was plinkin’ around on my sister Karen’s piano and was picking up on it fast! Even playing things by ear right there on the spot. So, that Christmas, I got him a keyboard. He taught himself parts of popular songs, and some chords. He started reading some music and was even playing some Beethoven! Now, he’s decided to take actual lessons and grow in this talent God has given him!

In case you didn’t know. Michael has earned an academic scholarship to the honors college at Texas A&M Commerce. In high school he founded the Calculus club. As a junior, he was part of an engineering test team that placed second in the State of Texas and twenty-first in the nation! He’s also an artist and has discovered rock climbing. Did I mention that he was fast enough to run on the varsity 4 x 100 relay team?

Talented kid and I am most proud of him. Best part? He calls and we talk like adults who actually like each other. ’cause we do :-) If you ever read this Michael. I Love you son!

Birthday Snow! 1999

January 30, 1999

We woke up on my birthday to 5 inches of fresh snow!
	The birds were thankful for a stocked bird feeder
Michael gives Popcorn a hug after putting finishing touches on birthday snowman.
	“Look Popcorn! It’s a masterpiece!”
Pretty tall snowman if you think about it.
	Birthday snow really is the best kind…