Senior Year at Austin High

Here is my student ID from Austin High School in Austin TX, Class of 1983.  I recall taking that photo and thought it turned out pretty good at the time.  I guess that's why I have kept it all these years.

Back in 1982-83, Austin was much smaller, about 350,000 people, about the size of today's Tulsa OK.  Now Austin is easily 3-4 times that size.  The growth has come at the expense of the city schools.  Back then Austin High was in the largest UIL classification, District 26-AAAA.  Westlake was only a wimpy AAA school hardly worth a thought and Lake Travis was a primarily a retirement community. 

I was a good student, on the Honor Roll, and recall taking some challenging classes like Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus, as well as Physics. I was also on the Golf Team usually playing #2.  A highlight was our team finishing second in District (to Crockett) and going to the Regional Championship in Corpus Christi.  At the time, the Austin schools were in the District IV including San Antonio and Corpus and points south.   I recall that San Antonio Churchill was the powerhouse, winning the Region.

Some memories were:  A school dance on a Friday night, with a TV set up to find out "Who Shot J.R.?"   Also, the tailgates at Mount Bonnell or Red Bud Trail after football games, open lunches where we could leave campus to go to Holiday House, or Bert's BBQ or El Arroyo (you could even walk there).  Later in the year, I recall three wonderful words "Senior Off Campus" where you could leave early and of course the grand finale to every high school movie, the Senior Prom held at the Hyatt Regency on Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake).

A lot of years have gone by and we've lost some good people that come to my mind:  Our class clown, Aaron Kluth, the self described "Loud and Proud" Ruth Ann Brown and the unforgettable "Pflug" Jon Pfluger. 

I'll be getting together with my classmates for my good friend Richard's wedding next month.  We'll have Jeff there (number 1 on the golf team) and Vic (who I got into trouble together with him once).

Easy like Sunday

It's a quiet Sunday here at home.  I did go to the Cars & Coffee at the Black Iron Cafe and even walked there and back to get some exercise.   Lots of exotic and classic cars.  I aspire to have one of each one of these days but I think of it like a pet - better for it to choose you.

Lots of sports watched yesterday, Longhorns then Astros.  Today I watched a little of the early game Texans/Colts and am now waiting until tonight Cowboys/Eagles for more.

We go up to Fort Worth next weekend to visit Sarah and Travis so that will be a lot of travel.  I'm going to try and take it easy this week in preparation.

Trapped in the Henhouse

Trapped in the Henhouse

By Gregory Turley

Timothy awoke with a start with the sun coming into the window. He was wrapped around Ellie warmly spooning her from behind. But there was not time for more this morning. Last night’s sex was sweet, he thought. His penis hardened at the thought, but he had to say “Down Boy”.

Visiting hours were long over, and he had already been warned not to be in the dormitories after 7 p.m. that Sunday night. Why hadn’t that alarm gone off at 3 a.m. like he planned? Now it was 7:30 a.m. and the sun was out. To make matters worse, he could hear the other women students in the hallway getting ready for classes.

He jumped out of bed and started looking for his pants and shoes. Ellie groggily wiggled awake and looked with amusement at Timothy jumping around on one leg.

“You know I’m not supposed to be here. If security finds me, they said they would throw me in the county jail for 30 days for criminal trespass.” He was panicked now.

“They never do that” Ellie laughed.

“Easy for you to say. I’m the one that’s got to get off of this campus pronto.”

Ellie rolled over to look at Timothy. “Right now is the worst possible time for you to try and get out. People are up and getting ready for the 8:30 classes. That is the busiest time. Why don’t you wait until everyone leaves for that first class, then once things have calmed down, you can make a break for it. If you go then, you’ll have a better chance of making it out.”

“What am I supposed to do for the next hour?”

Ellie eyed the morning wood of Timothy poking through his baggy boxer shorts with his pants around his knees. “I think I can think of something. Come over here.”

He absentminded walked over to her beckoning hand from the bed. As he got closer, she reached up his leg through his short and started massaging his testicles. She wiggled his penis out of the fly and it stood at firm attention. She rubbed his penis a few strokes before working his shorts down and pulling him closer to her mouth.

He stood there, barely able to take the juxtaposition. She was gently sucking his member as he was standing there. He instinctively gently took the back of her head for support. But his eyes wandered to the window. He crouched down a bit to get out of the window view. He was thrilled and scared at the same time.

He guided himself out of her soft mouth. “What’s the matter?” she inquired.

“I don’t want us to get caught.”

She pulled the cover down to expose her naked midsection and her trimmed public area. Seeing it in the light really turned Nicholas on.

“Why not go out with a bang?” she inquired? She stretched one leg up as her hand drifted down to stroke her clitoris. “Now come over here”.

He stepped out of the pants he had just a minute been hopping around. Shedding his undershirt, he crawled back into the single dorm bed they had been in and snuggled up again her to get warm. He was already hard from her fellatio. Since she was on birth control, he quickly but deliberately slid into her vagina and she hummed with approval. “Oh yes…” she said.

Settling back in under the covers, he lost himself in pleasurable strokes in and out of her vagina. They giggled quietly and could heard the other students getting ready for classes. He felt himself rock hard as they switched from various athletic positions.

After warming up in a missionary position, Timothy began stroking deep and deeper. He knew that he should probably have already left long ago, but instinct took over. He was like a dog in heat. He pushed in as far as he could, trying energetically to fall inside Ellie’s warmness.

“I have something to tell you” she said, as he reached his penis in deeper that he had been, getting his full length inside. “Um-hum” he grunted distractedly. “This is going to be the last time we do this. I’m leaving for home at the end of this week.”

He tried to pull out to talk about this surprising turn, but she reached behind him and held him inside her. “Keep going. We’re already both in trouble now. Let’ make this one to remember.”

“In that case…” He pulled out for a break and motioned her over her stomach. She didn’t normally like the doggie style, but this morning was going to be an exception. He throbbed with raw anticipation. As Ellie sank into the mattress and and her knees spread wide, he saw her warmness staring right at him, beckoning him to come inside. He aimed and plunged in.

How he felt to be rearing up and down, like a wild stallion! As he arched his back to reach full height before crashing down, over and over, he briefly lost himself. But as his eyes opened, he happened to glance out the window throught the open blinds. He saw the campus security detail, two of them, talking to each other outside. He recognized the more stout black man as Officer Huff, who Timothy had already had a run-in with. He was the one who had issued the previous warning for criminal trespass. Of all people…

“Why are you stopping? leaned back Ellie. Do you need some help?” She crawled off from below and stretched a bit before she climbed into his lap and finished him off with her on top. They both climaxed. He gasped with pleasure as he shot his load deep inside of her. She fell over and into him arms.

After only a brief recovery she said abruptly “Now, you’ve got to get out of here. It’s quiet now. This is it.”

He hurriedly put his clothes on and promised to call after he got back to his apartment. He planned his escape to go down the hallway, to the left. There was a staircase at the end. No waiting for any elevator. Then he should be able to go out the side, make a quick walk to the front parking lot, and leave directly. It was a bit a risk in the daylight on an all-female campus, but he was going to have to do it.

“One last kiss, my love?”

She gave him a quick peck. “Now go! Call me when you get back.”

He straightened his pants, checked for his keys and phone and took a breath in and out. She cracked the door, looked down the hall, and said “the coast is clear.” And off he went.

Down the hall, down the stairs, out the door, all was well. As he stepped to go on the back pathway to the parking lot, he was feeling good. He came around the end of the hedges and saw his truck in the same spot. He smiled and felt like running the last bit, bouncing with happiness.

Until he moved forward to see Officer Huff and his cohort. “Stop right there kid”. Timothy considered making a run for it but he couldn’t go back on the path and it was unlikely he was going to be able to get to the truck, get inside and get past the front gate half a mile away if they called ahead. He stopped and they came and grabbed him and quickly handcuffed him. “You’re under arrest for criminal trespass. And this time, you’re going down.”

Timothy felt like the entire campus was watching as he was led to the security office. In the back room of the security office, Timothy awaited pickup from the sheriff to the county jail. Officer Huff came in later to toy with him.

“I remember you. You just couldn’t stay away from her, could you? I saw your truck in the parking lot last night and this morning. You even parked in the same space as last time.” Huff shook his head, and said “You’re not very smart are you?"

Thomas figured he knew everything at this point. “I guess not”

“Let me ask you”, said Huff. “Was the fucking you got worth the fucking you’re going to get by the judge?”

Timothy looked in the distance and carefully considered the answer.

Taking Out the Trash

When I was in law school, we heard many times that "the people you are in school with are the people you will be working with in the future."

Like many things I heard at that age, I thought No Way.  The profession seemed way too big for that.

And it was not always so easy to try and like everyone.  The cutthroat competition didn't help.  And at that time in the 90s, the University of Houston was a much more diverse place that I had been.  People from all walks of life were there, black, white, male, female, Christian, Jew, gay, straight, rich, poor.  There were times it was not so easy to mesh and there were clashes.

One class I remember was Trial Advocacy.  There were only 12 of us in there and while I was trying it on for size, there were others that were Very Serious about this course.  So the level of competition was high, for there could only be one winner and one loser in these contests.

One of my classmates, Lucy was someone that I didn't have much in common with.  I didn't know much about her and that didn't help.  She was very competitive.  I was not.  I fell behind in the class.  Because it was a night class, I did not get out until after 9 p.m.  One night I was driving home, very frustrated about the whole class, when I got a wake up.  If I don't figure this out, I'm going to get a C or worse for a grade.  And the thought of that happening intentionally was something that upset me.  I had to figure it out.

I decided that I should seek help from another Professor Lauren Ravkind who was a new professor.  I went to ask what to do to get better and she gave me some good advice:  Anticipate the problems so you can be ready to solve them when they are called to attention.  In short, Proper preparation prevents poor performance.  I was able to right the ship and got a B in the class.  I didn't have any problems with other classmates thereafter because I was focused on my own performance.

We finished that class in 1991 and graduated in 1992.  After working in Houston for 10 years I moved to McAllen TX where I did not know anyone to speak of.  I rented my office at 504 E Dove.  Thereafter a law firm moved in next door.  There is an alley between the two buildings.  At the time I didn't not have any employees and one day I was taking out the trash to the back.

Guess who looked out her window at the law firm and saw me walking my taking out the trash?  My old UH Trial advocacy classmate Lucy!  Imagine her surprise at seeing me in her hometown.  And working right next door.  Since then we have become friendly, her nephew and my daughter were in the Memorial High School band together.  We see each other at all the functions and around town, since it is not that big on some levels.

So be nice to your law school classmates.  That time-honored advice has some truth to it.

Number 12 at Augusta National

I was over visiting a friend of mine in his law office conference room. I was admiring the picture on the wall of the famous 12th hole at Augusta National.  My friend (whose father put it up) did not know what it was a painting of.  So I told him the story...

Number 12 is probably the most famous hole in golf.  As part of the Amen Corner, holes 11, 12 and 13 along Rae's Creek, it is part of a pivotal back nine stretch in the Masters Tournament, considered the crowning achievement of men's professional golf.  The tournament is always held at the same place, Augusta National Golf Club, since 1934.

A lot of tournaments have been won and lost on that hole.  Perhaps the fact that it appears to be a straightforward shot even for the average player (about 160 yards) makes it deceptive.  But with water in front, bunkers in the back and a hard and fast and shallow green makes hitting the green very difficult. Add in the pressure of the tournament and you've got a recipe for a historic event.

Also it is simply a very pretty picture.  The water, the flowers, the bridges, the sand, all surrounded by lush green tones.  It's no wonder that most golfers, pro or not, consider going to Augusta, Georgia as akin to a pilgrimage to Mecca, something everyone should do once.

How do I know about all this?  I've got 2 different pictures and photos of number 12 hanging.  As I told him, every lawyer's office should have a picture of Number 12

Torance Wafer

Nearly 20 years ago, I was the city prosecutor in Texas City, Texas.  You can't make up a name like that.  Texas City (near Galveston) was a city of about 40,000 people and had a large industrial base.  A blue collar place, it was also quite integrated and "West Texas City" made the town about 35% black and 65% white at the time.  There were not many Hispanics then.

Most of the matters we had were of the traffic variety.  There was no code enforcement, and some truancy.

One of my most interesting cases involved the charge of Falsely Indentifying Yourself.  Normally there is no criminal requirement to produce ID when you are not driving.  But it was a crime to falsely identify yourself.  While this was probably to keep someone from using a Fake ID, it caught our friend.

According to the report I read, the police officer was investigating some matter and our hero happened to walk up.  The officer asked "Who are you?" and our hero slurred his words which came out "Tony Williams".  When the officer was talking to other people they told him, that's not Tony Williams, his name is Torance Wafer.  So Tony/Torrance got a citation and demand to go to court.  Possible $500 fine.

Why would someone say a fake name?  Probably to avoid a warrant check and an arrest.  Maybe just being scared.  But talking to Tony/Torance I figured it out.

Now this was back in 2000 before I had heard of Snoop Dogg.  And Tony/Torance not only looked like Snoop e.g.  tall, thin, black, long hair, but he also sounded like him, a very soft voice, probably had been smoking some marijuana which made him look and sound very sleepy.  Taw [murmer] Wa [murmer] was how he said his name.

But the capper was when he said "How could I possibly hide who I am?"  He then held out his forearms, palms of hands up, for me to see.

On the left side was tatooed T O R A N C E and on the right side W A F E R.    His name was right there in one inch block letters, no other tatoos there to hide.  Clear as Day.  Beyond any reasonable doubt.

I then used my prosecutor authority to Seek Justice and we dismissed the criminal charge against Torance Wafer.  Fortunately for him, he had not other charges or warrants and was able to walk out right away. 

I hope Torance is doing well now and that he pats himself on the back for keeping his wits about him in a stressful situation in court.  I won't forget him!

La Bruja

Fifteen years ago, I was in my office on the Friday before Labor Day.  That was a day I always associated with some pressure to finish something.  It falls not only at the end of a month, but also the following Monday is a holiday resulting in a short week thereafter.

I had someone scheduled to come in.  Her name:  C H, and she brought in a lawsuit for her company.  I didn't know much about it at the time, of course.  The deadline to avoid default judgment was Monday.  I didn't know if it would extend the date automatically until Tuesday, she seems worried, so I got a basic answer out that day which resulted in a timely filing.

That case would go on to haunt me for years.  Over ten years in fact.  I used to say that she and I had an anniversary on that date.  Throughout the case went through insurance claims, insurance denials, expansions and contractions, more lawsuit, bankruptcy, dissolution, deaths, new lives.

Finally I decided that the problem was with me.  I should have never acted on such impulse, driven by a desire to fix something that was not a problem of my doing.  But the pressure of that day just got to me.

So I have since decided that that Friday before Labor Day is an unlucky day and that any work is best avoided.  Thereafter I do not work on that day.  One day will not make a difference in the long run.

The Mayan Calendar is divided into 18 months of 20 days each.  The other 5 days are a separate month named Wayeb which are the unlucky days.  So the concept of an unlucky day is nothing new.

Here in the Valley perhaps the Mayan influence and the unlucky days is still prevalent.  In fact, one theory I have thought is that C H is a Bruja ( a witch).  Not evil or bad, but with some supernatural aura or power.  It's possible.  And with powers that you don't understand, it's best to keep your distance.