A friend in need

What is it with people's attachment to their cell phones? I admit that like mine well enough: I'll be missing it if I don't have it, don't like it when it runs out of juice, enjoy the opportunity to call anyone, whenever and like not having to remember or lookup a lot of numbers.

But when I don't have it - the world keeps spinning. I find another way to be in touch. Or not be in touch. Like George W Bush, I like to be as disconnected as possible.

If the house were on fire, I would not grab my cell phone.

I could go on a long trip with no cell phone.

Remember when digital pagers were state of the art?

Remember when voice mail became standard at work?

Remember when you got your first answering machine?

Remember those pink slips as to who called you?

Remember getting a busy signal?

Remember rotary dial phone?

Remember the Children's Telephone?

Remember Ma Bell?

Marathon coming up

Its about to be Friday 0000 and I'm looking forward to:

early morning run
productive morning at work
training 2 new people all at once in the afternoon

I've achieved one of my New Year's Resolutions - staff up the office. I've hired 2 new people to work part time. I'm looking forward to them assisting me. I've also got an IT person available to work in the evenings which is a major accomplishment.

Saturday I fly to Houston and will see family and friends. Sunday at 0545 I'll start off the day with the church service and then run a 4:45 marathon goal pace.

You can follow my progress in the Chevron Houston Marathon by following # 7139.

Only 2 days, 7 hours to go!

{one} how tall are you?
5-11 or 6-0. 6-0 in shoes.


{two} besides bills, what do you spend most of your money on?
travel


{three} what are your three favorite websites?
Twitter
Blogger
Lone Star National Bank

{four} what brand of tennis shoes do you prefer?
Nike


{five} what food can you absolutely not stand to eat?
Menudo


{six} How many pairs of jeans do you own?
4 and trying to pare down


{seven} if you could have any job, what would it be?
I'd have to say I like my job just fine. Perhaps it might be nice to be a full time author


{eight} have you ever ridden in an ambulance?
No


{nine} how many pillows do you sleep with?
1 - 2 if in a hotel


{ten} on a scale of 1-5, how organized are you?
It fluctuates! Depending on the day of the week. Better than average but not perfect

Busy day - getting better

Its late but I've got most all work done today. Today is Wednesday - Hump Day - and it was truly a "getting over the hump". I knew I would have to do some work this evening, so I caught a 15 minute nap earlier and am now wide awake :)

Tomorrow we have a number of trials, so I want to get a good start on that. I have hired 2 new people to asisst me at work so I'm feeling good about that. It was one of my 2011 goals.

The other goal is to spend some more "thinking time". For example, an appointment with myself. I've done that in the past and would like to continue. Former President Bill Clinton looked back to say, he wished he spent more time thinking while he was President. So while motion is good, thought is also good.

Sarah brought home a new book and I'm reading it "Awakenings". Very interesting initial discussion on Parkinson's Disease and the Dr. Thomas Parkinson who "cracked the code" on it in 1820 in London.

A Day at the Alvarez Ranch

We went to my friend Oscar's ranch today where he raises Beefmaster cows. It was pretty interesting - my other friend Brent raises cattle and so there's a lot I've heard about: artificial insemination, embryo transfer, embryo wash, etc. It seems like it a question of time and trial to get the right "recipe". He was pleased to say that 3 of his cows had sold for a total of $10k at the Three Rivers auction recently, so that was a coup.

We had a nice lunch. We were there with Sarah and his son Oscar/ "Andy" who is also Sarah's new beau. So they enjoyed spending the day together as well. After a tour of the ranch by Polaris, we enjoyed sitting on the patio. Very mild day. Later some other friends dropped by so it was an enjoyable afternoon.

Nice weekend

I've caught up on some sleep this weekend. It started by falling asleep on the couch Friday night after getting home from an early happy hour. No booze, just an early dinner after missing lunch. When I got home, no one was there so I watched my new TV :) and then dozed off.

I stayed up for Sarah at 11:30 and then went to bed and sleep a bit late. I had a final 10 mile run to get ready for the Houston Marathon on January 30. The run was great, faster than marathon pace, and during the middle of the morning to get used to being out at that time.

I am doing a bit of work this afternoon, then we are going to a movie tonight
NO STRINGS ATTACHED and then tomorrow to the Alvarez Ranch in the afternoon. So lots of good times together.

I'm trying to get things squared away since I'll be gone next weekend. The week should go fast. Then we go to Scottsdale, AZ Thursday Feb. 3

Bad News - an old friend

My first legal clerk job in 1990 was with attorney John Cochran, a real estate lawyer in Houston. He was a real gentleman, old school, former president of the club. I remember going to see him about a job and he was gracious, basically hiring a person with no experience. And at a good wage as I recall. I worked there for 6 weeks and tried my best to do a good job, even though I was pretty inexperienced. I had other jobs but that was the place I remember the most.

Fast forward, his son, also a Houston lawyer, a friend of mine (although I haven't seen him in some time)...


HOUSTON - A Houston attorney is facing a lot of time behind bars. Harris County prosecutors say Robert Greg Cochran, 47, took advantage of his clients after allegedly settling their legal cases and keeping the money.

Cochran was hired to represent Houston Flower Shop owner Peter Razzouq in a dispute with his landlord. Prosecutors say Cochran learned of an insurance claim Razzouq had from Hurricane Ike and began work on that aspect of the case without his client’s permission.
Investigators say Cochran actually settled the case and never told Razzouq about the $140,000 he pocketed. The Houston business owner says he's been ruined by Cochran's actions.

There is a second case prosecutors are releasing few details on at this point.
Harris County Court records show Cochran admitted taking Razzouq's money after meeting with the alleged victim in a dinner meeting.

Cochran is being held at the Harris County Jail on a $600,000 bond.

The video referenced a gambling problem - as my sister put it, SAD!

More Q's

{one} name one thing you worry about running out of.
Pilot G-2 gel pens and yellow legal pads

{two} what is your favorite pizza topping?
Sausage

{three} what is your favorite harrison ford movie?
Raiders of the Lost Ark, but also American Graffiti (remember him?)

{four} apple juice or orange juice?
apple juice from the NYC farmer's market. Had it once.

{five} what’s your favorite thing to do on a sunday afternoon?
9 holes of golf

{six} what is the wallpaper on your cellphone of?
Corvette ZR-1 in front of the 1017 Cafe in San Isidro, TX

{seven} do you have a favorite tv commercial?
Allstate Mayhem Lawyer

{eight} what is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Octopus in Lisbon Portugal

{nine} what is one piece of clothing you can’t live without?
blue dress shirt- my "flying shirt"

{ten} if you were a character from “lost”, who would you be?
The Matthew Fox one of course. Don't you think we look alike?

To Midland and Back

One of my goals is to drive to California. I accomplished leg #1 this last 3 days by going from McAllen to Midland (590 miles) and another goal was to drive the 80mph speed limits of I-10W in the AMG. Done! The 80 mph road did not disappoint as there was very little traffic. Like most roads, left lane for passing, and everyone kept about to the limit, but I could comfortably cruise at 83 mph. Very smooth! I left Sunday at 0800 and took the back way through Freer and Tilden (Highway 16 where it is 75 mph) and caught I35 to I-10 San Antonio.

I went to visit my friend Bill W. who moved from Harlingen back to his home town of Midland. I had not seen him in a while and of course, had never been to Midland. It reminded me of Albuquerque - high plains, dry air, kind of a little big town. Sunday night we had dinner at his apartment with his stepdaughter Hillary who was visiting from Texas Tech. That was a highlight. We went out for ice cream afterwards.

Monday was MLK Day so it was a holiday and we all spent it running around to get Hillary's car worthy for the next semester (inspection, oil change, insurance card). She left and then we drove around and saw the George W. Bush boyhood home, Midland H.S., Bill and Sean's homes, the Midland Country Club and a few other neighborhoods. Sean is our mutual friend whom put us together. That night we went to the Wall ST. Bar and Grill and it was a very nice local place. I recommend it. I had the teriyaki shishkebob with fried shrimp, wild rice, bleu cheese salad, bread and strawberry cheesecake. I was a happy guy!

Today I left about 7 after a Cracker Barrel breakfast but got lost and didn't leave Midland until about 8. The GPS system went haywire, after the antenna broke. I got on track and enjoyed the drive back, going past the Table Mesa Mountains. The Pecos area is very interesting. Then back on I-10 East, very little traffic. Got to San Antonio at 1:00 with time for lunch and got to my 2:00 meeting early.

Leaving San Antonio at 4:00, things caught up to me after it got dark. I took it easy and made regular stops, but got home at 8:15. No one home! Sarah is at a basketball game and Susan a work dinner.

Now that I've show I can drive across Texas, next step, to Tucson and then to So Cal!

It's Friday

I've been working so solidly this week that now that it is Friday, I'm just about spent. Amazing how a big to-do list earlier in the week gets down to the point of "wait til next week".

I'm heading to Midland, TX for a quick trip to visit friend Bill W. or Big Bill. Bill used to live here but moved back to Midland ( his hometown) and I have never been there. So I'm killing 2 birds with one stone. Actually more - this is leg 1 of my goal to drive to the west coast. Leg 1 is McAllen/Midland. Leg 2 will likely be Tucson to California and the last one, leg 3, Dallas to Las Vegas (preferably by motorcycle!). Why Dallas? Easier to rent a car or cycle from there.

Tuesday I'll be driving back and will stop in San Antonio for a business meeting.

My turn!

{one}have you ever been on tv?

No - but I have been in the newspaper several times in the past year or two

{two} what was the best movie you saw last year?

The Social Network


{three} do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

Always tucked in on the end. Nice and snug


{four} do you cut coupons?

No but I do enjoy a good emailed coupon. Used one for lunch at Nelore in Houston with Sarah.


{five} do you ever count your steps when you walk?

No - what kind of nut would do that?


{six} what sauce do you dip your chicken nuggets in?

BBQ sauce if I must, but I prefer "sauceless"


{seven} do you have any magazine subscriptions?

Lots: Rolling Stone, Runners' World, Men's Health, Motor Trend. Also enjoy the family subscription to Vanity Fair.


{eight} when was the last time you wrote a letter on paper?

Just this last week. 3-5 lines on a notecard is a great way to stay connected.


{nine} what’s your favorite fruit pie?
Apple - the classic

{ten} black olives or green olives?
Green - reminds me of being in Spain

Advice for the Younger Generation

I've been full of it lately... advice, that is. With the intern Ruben, I was telling him on his last day to make the most of his last semester in law school.

I told him to keep studying - finish strong! No letting up.

He was thinking of working as an unpaid intern. I recommended he get a paying job. The difference between the practice squad and the starting lineup. His excuse: it would be too hard. I looked online and found there were many court in New York (where he is) and that there would be lots of opportunities for someone that wanted to work.

I advised that he should take a trip before starting work. He said he had a friend in school who was from Lebanon. I suggested he go there and visit. Ruben said "He's been asking me to do that". I said "Go - they'll probably pay for everything while you're there"

Checking flights, you can get to Beirut (BEY) from New York for $969. Not a bad price for a long flight like that.

Interesting I found out about a new class of air service "Premium Economy" (contradiction?) It is in economy but the seats and legroom are larger.

Price differentials from JFK to BEY:

Economy $1000

Premium economy $2000

business class $4000

First class $5500

Just get there!

We'll see if any advice is followed....

My golf courses - Part I - McAllen C.C.

My friend Mark T. said today that the course he learned to play golf on, the McAllen Country Club was basically no good and that he didn't like it and would not play it again.

It got me thinking that I'm the opposite. I think good things about the courses that I have a history with.

So working back in time, here's my thoughts on the McAllen Country Club:

The golf course is divided by S. Col Rowe Blvd (2nd St.) and the old timers would recall how the course used to be only on the west side of that street. Holes 3-8 are on the East side.

The course is characterized by a compact layout. Most fairways are side by side, allowing a wayward shot to be played down the other fairway. A old style walkable course. I think it compares favorable to the Dallas Country Club in that respect. Not overly long, but many trees (especially for this area) lend to the need for the punch shot out.

The greens are usually in excellent condition. They generally slope from back to front, and are particularly fast, leading to the need for a good lag putt in the bag.

The course requires accuracy if not great length off the tee. Numbers 1 and 9 are played with an iron or fairway metal off the tee, but once in the fairway only have a wedge or 9 iron into the green. Number 2 and 8 are par 3's, with 8 being slighly longer and with a very difficult green. Water comes into play to the side of the green on #2.

Long drives are the order of business on the east side par 4's, numbers 3, 4, 5 and 7. With a good drive a mid to short iron will get you home.

Number 6 is a par 5 and is a risk/reward with the driver off the tee. Water comes into play on the second shot to the left. Many trees encroach on the fairway and will catch even the slightest errant shot.

On the back side,#10 may very well be the quirkiest hole with a cement ditch crossing the fairway that could catch a long drive from the back tees. Even if you clear the ditch, more trees grow into the fairway.

More long drives called for on the next 4 and 5 par holes, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 18. South 10th St. comes into play on the back side as O.B. is a possibility over the green and off the left side on #15. It can be very distressing to see your ball bouncing in that busy street!

The signature stretch is appropriately 16 through 18. #16 is an uphill long par 4, the number one handicap hole. Even with a good drive, you still have a second shot mid to long iron carry over water to a small green. Layup is ususally a good option. Play it like a par 5 and birdie it.

Number 17, downhill par 4 plays much shorter than the card reads. Brings the OB over the green into play. Not the bouncing ball on S. 10th Street again!

Number 18, back uphill to the modern clubhouse. OB left off the tee onto Wichita. A good drive will leave a challenging iron shot to an elevated large green. A fine finishing hole that is not easy to par, much less birdie.

Overall, a fine course for the members and fortunate guests. Local knowledge a must to take advantage of the holes where a good drive can make a differerence and knowing when to adjust your iron distance can make a differnce between birdie and bogey.

Great day back

It was a tough day to get up, but it turned out to be a great day. All the hard work I had done for my big new client came to fruition when he called and asked "How are you coming on that?" I had it all lined out. Perfect!

I went to Justice Greg Perkes' investiture today. It was like a wedding with my friend Mark as the best man and my friend Dori as the friend of the ex-wife. Mark introduced him as someone he had known since a young age. The old crowd had all grown up on the same street.

I got a good run in as well. 1 mile X 4 @9:45/mile.

When I got home the Color Guard was here watching a bootleg version of Black Swan.

My Best Golf Round

Interestingly, my best round of 69 (October 27, 1982) had a similar disjointedness.

I played the first 9 holes with Tracy and Flip. Shot 34 (-2). It was about 5:00 pm when we finished. They left so I had to find a new person to play the second 9 with me.

I teamed up with Clint for the second 9. I hit #10 in regulation but I was on the back and the pin was in the front. Green sloped back to front. I 4-putted for a 6. Now I'm back to even par.

I did settle down and parred the next 2 holes and then birded #12 and #13 to go back to -2. It was white-knuckle ride to finish. Lots of pressure! On # 17 (long par 3, I hit a good 3 iron but missed the green and made a gutsy up and down for par. On # 18, I hit driver / wedge to 4 feet. With the pressure on to shoot 68 and score the best of any Austin High player that I knew ... I missed it. 69.

Looking back at the scorecard, I also see that there were temporary tees set up. The tees on many (not all) holes were forward of the usual places. Considering that Lions Municipal in Austin was 6001 yards from the blue tees, it was definitely playing short. But as my dad said "You played the course as you found it". And no one else on the golf team shot anywhere near that low that day.

9 holes today

Its been such great weather I had to hit the course today for 9 holes. I ran into John K who invited me to play with his group. We played "Wolf" which I had not done since I played with Bob and Co. at Golfcrest Country Club in the late 9os. That was some time ago!

I started rough, going OB on 1 and then making a mess around the green on 3 for a handicapper's 7.

After then, I got going and parred # 4 and #6 and #9 for a 43. It was such a positive round that I saved the scorecard and plan to go play the second 9 holes this week and turn in the scorecard for handicap purposes.

Talked to Ed today and he recalled Sean's story about his best round of 68. Sean started on hole # 13 (eagle 2!) and played 13-18, then went to #1 where he played until dark. He then went back the next day and completed the round. Coming into #12, he was playing for a safe par and 69, and lo and behold, sunk the birdie putt for 68.

Ed seems to think that was somewhat "unofficial" starting on 13 and finishing the next day, but I don't think its any different that a tournament being postponed.

The question was "What's your best round?" - Not "What's your best round in competition?"

He also likened it to hitting a hole in one when playing alone (which he has done). Count it! How many people have done that under any circumstances?

Like Clint Holmes said of his 1 single Billboard hit - "How many do you have?"

Happy New Year!

I think that I have a new second-favorite holiday (after 4th of July of course). Its New Years Day. We had a nice family day, things were quiet but not dead, and there was a lot to do.

I did get up early to do my 22 mile training run. I think there were more cars out at 0615 that at 0900. People going home from the night before I guess. I ran well and felt that I was not fading.

We went to Dillards for a big sale and the mall was crowded. I guess that's a good sign for the economy. We looked for a restaurant to go to that was open ( I had already chowed down at the food court) and we went to Luby's. Blackeyed peas were free! My kind of promotion.

That evening we went to the Vipers game and sat courtside. Thanks Larry! We had gone to his house for New Years Eve and it was a lot of fun. Afterwards we came home, changed into PJs and watched Easy A.