Mother's Day

A day of peace and quiet today.  Just what Mother ordered.  We were mostly around the house today, and I spend a good part of the day getting ready for dinner at home tonight.  Jack and his mother Laura came over for dinner and we had grilled chicken kebabs and shrimp, roasted vegetables and kale salad.  The recipe from Martha Stewart was a hit: everyone liked it.

I went to see the movie Cabin in the Woods last night and liked it:  three stars.  It kind of reminded me of an R-rated Scooby-Doo episode.  I wonder if others got that same vibe?

Today I not only did some lap swimming but also so pool lounging with my friend George at his house.  That was quite relaxing.  I also got the Shelby charged up and took it for a drive to get a soda this afternoon.  Carroll Shelby died this last Friday so that made me think a memorial cruise was in order.

Speaking of Memorial, we went to see the volleyball team play on Saturday.  Even though its off season the teams still get together unoffically and play.  We played McAllen Rowe and then Mission Veterans.  They lost both sets but didn't have their best player, my sponsored athlete Nina, and they had two new members.  So it was neat to see them play.   Better than an afternoon on the couch.

Summer Plans

State Bar Conference - June - Houston
UT Registration - June - Austin (same time of course)
Tim McGraw/Kenny Chesney concert - vacation
Trip to Dallas/Muskogee OK (fly/drive)
UT v. New Mexico State - Sept 8
King of the Causeway triathlon - Sept 15

May 9

Graduation is coming up soon and the invitations were stacking up, so I set out to send as many out as I could.  Reminded me of the Christmas cards, also one of my duties.  A productive evening.  I even walked one of them over to our neighbor's house - personal delivery.

Today we had a forecast for more hail!  That will strike fear into me now.  Everything got cancelled and I was glad to head home.  We got a little rain tonight but no damage.  We're still cleaning up.  So glad that we're not in Florida in 2004 when they got 4 hurricanes back to back.

My friend Larry had his birthday today.  Susan told me to pick out a gift at the golf store and I got him a very cool Odyssey 8802-style putter.  Not easy to find those these days.  He (and I) liked it.  I might get one myself next.  Also my friend Gracie had her birthday today.  May babies are the cutest!

Catching up

Things are kind of busy here with the home repairs going on.  Our roof is getting put on today.  Next will be the new gutters and the trim painting.  Then, clearing out the torn-up flower beds.  All to be done by the birthday party on May 20.

Sunday, I went driving in my friend Gus' Ferrari which was of course an awesome experience.  He said the car "smelled like road" the rest of the day.  A good change from sitting in the garage.

Monday, I had a doctors appointment to follow up on some lab results.  All was well!  We also had a Greeters meeting and my friend/neighbor Brad and I drove over there together.  We're now Chair and Vice Chair of that organization.

Today, I had a confernence call as well as a court appearance.  A busy day.  It was nice to be on the tail end at 4:00 p.m. today.

Earth Day 4/22

This week should be a short one since we leave to go to Washington DC on Friday for Sarah's (and Jack's) Constitution Team National Championship.   There are about 6-7 teams of 3 students who study for questions asked them regarding problems that they solve orally by their Constitutional research.  Kind of extemporaneous, like debate, but with the added study focusing on the Constitution.

This Saturday was the IB Prom so Sarah spent all day getting ready.  Susan's friends came over to help.  It was like Steel Magnolias with the ladies helping the young woman to get ready.  They left here about 6:45 for dinner then the the prom.

Today we had a tough running workout, my first since last Saturday.    We ran up "Green Mountain"which is acutally a respectable hill in McAllen, but man-made from a local road project.  It has turned into quite the recreation area.

Gravick Ranch

Sunday I was invited to go to the Gravick Shooting Academy with a number of friends. Having done a lot of driving the past few days, it was nice to let Henry drive. We left early to get there about 8:00 a.m. There was a group of about 16 of us, ranging in ages from 14 to 60 or so.

We started the morning shooting 9mm pistols. It had been some time since I had shot and I felt I was pretty terrible to begin. But there was a lot of instruction to take in and after a little while I got out of my head and started doing better. Like when my old friend Brent and I used to shoot clays, we had a saying: "Are you thinking?" If you were, then you were distracted. Stop thinking. I did make some better shots. We did all sorts of unusual things, from shooting through a car window, crouching behind a car, shooting a moving rotating star.

We broke for lunch and went back to the hunting lodge, the classic man cave with trophies on the wall, including.. an elephant. We even got to see the video of the elephant hunt.

In the afternoon, we went to shoot AR-15's which rifle shooting was something I was a bit more comfortable with. The rifles have a laser holographic sight which you see a red dot through the scope, you point the dot where you want to hit and shoot. Makes it pretty straightforward. We did some different shooting, crouching, left handed, through narrow openings. My favorite was "clearing the house", shooting while moving, turning corners, and then finishing off with the sidearm pistol. By the afternoon, I was more comfortable with both guns.

Our instructors were very good. One was the firearms instructor for the local Sheriff. Our host was former military (Delta Force, said Henry). So we learned a lot. I look forward to returning.

Good Friday

Today is Good Friday and we are now in Kingsville visiting the family. Once we got here it was a lazy afternoon with a long nap and then watching the Masters on TV. Having been to the course in 2010, it was neat to see it again. But the game the pros play is quite different that the regular game of those with handicap strokes. The idea of hitting a wedge into 13 and 15 for them is a lost art.

Yesterday I did go to the Maundy Thursday service. I always think of Kate as that is one of her favorite services, with the stripping of the altar. Afterwards I met Jeffry for dinner. He's a young guy about 26 and we've got a good friendship started. He's very educated, degree from Brown and on a Fulbright scholarship, about to start working on Wall Street.

My working out is starting to pay dividends. As I told my trainer today, I feel I'm gettting a base now to work from. Getting started is the hardest part.

Tonight Sarah and I are going to see American Reunion, keeping our string of R rated comedies going. Plus I heard there is to be a sequel to Horrible Bosses - score!