October 31, 1997

It's Friday and I am thankful for that because this week has been too long at school. It's also Halloween and I am staying the night at Allen's house tonight and we think we are going trick or treating. I didn't go last year but we think we have a pretty cool plan for it. I can't wait to go over there and I'd rather not go to school today.

Mom drops me off for tennis practice which is also first period. We practice, I try as usual not to sweat too much as I don't want to stink before class. After tennis I have reading and then history. Both classes seem to drag on forever. Biology is fun today as we do a Halloween experiment. Lunch is fair. It's very different in high school. We do not have to be in the cafeteria and can walk around the campus for the entire lunch period. Stephen and I grab a snack and do just that, walking around until fifth period. Algebra 2 might seem boring and I did not do well in Geometry last year but this year I have been doing very well and I plan on once again telling Allen that I am in Algebra 2 while he is still in Geometry. This is in spite of his exponentially higher GPA of course, details details. I finish the day with English and luckily today dad is picking me up so I don't have to take the bus home.

Once we are home I pack my bag immediately and watch some TV hoping for the time to go quickly. Allen calls and says he will be home about 5, so dad will take me over there then. Sometimes dad lets me drive even though I don't have my permit yet, but not today which is OK. I arrive at Allen's and we eat pizza and then talk about our costume plans. We are going as angry Dallas Cowboy fans. This consists of wearing Cowboys jerseys which I have to borrow one from Allen, and then wearing paper bags over our heads. This is to hide our shame since this is the first year in a while that the Cowboys are not stellar. We write the Cowboys record on the bags and catch phrases like "cruisin for a losin" or "Bummin in Big D." We set out around his neighborhood to collect our bounty of candy. Some people laugh at our costumes and one guy who was actually wearing a Cowboys jersey himself was kind of mad but still gave us candy.

After an hour or so we decide to walk to the Diamond Shamrock to get some drinks and then walk home. We still have paper bags on our head in the store and people are definitely staring at us. We go home and see how well we did with our candy. Not too bad considering we are not that young anymore. For the rest of the night we listen to the radio, KRAD is always our choice, and mess around on the computer. Allen always has cool stuff on his Acer computer. We call and request some songs and chat with the DJ's at KRAD. Maybe we are lame but we have fun and we are not doing anything wrong. We stay up to well after midnight and play a couple of games of Bill Walsh College Football on the Sega, and Allen gets the best of me tonight. Finally by 2:00am we decide we should try and go to sleep. He tells me a little about Flour Bluff and I comment on how I want to be out there and not at Carroll. Maybe next year, we will see if our house can sell.

December 31, 1998

New Years Eve. What am I doing today, absolutely nothing. I sleep as late as I can, and then when I wake up I just lay in bed and listen to some music; Less than Jake, Blink 182, and Lit. I think Cory slept in too, we really don't have much to do today and I think mom and dad want us to stay at home tonight.

Finally my door creeps open and Misty runs into my room and jumps on the bed trying to wake me up, I finally concede and get out of bed. I still don't have a TV in my room so I need to go downstairs to see what football games are on and to get something to eat. I look over at Cory's room at see that he is still in bed, lazy kid. I got up at 11:30 and now its after 12 and he still isn't up. I get a Diet Coke and make a pastrami sandwich and see what football games are on. The Liberty Bowl is on, not much of a game, most of the good games are on tomorrow and then the championship game between Tennessee and Florida St is on the 2nd, so I'll have to watch that. I mull through the sports section of the paper and see what else is on TV. Cory finally comes downstairs near 1:00 and eats a meager lunch too. We get Misty riled up and chase her around a little and work on her jumping skills. She can now jump on the couch almost every time.

The afternoon is boring. I talk to Allen on the phone and discuss our lack of New Year's plans. Last week we were driving around in the Volvo and chillin. It was a great start to Christmas Break, but now the break is nearing an end and I still can't really drive the Volvo just anywhere yet, still need permission. Allen and I talk football and school and more sports. I see what Scott and Justin are up to tonight, and apparently they are doing the same thing as Cory and I, sitting at home while our parents are at the Padre Isles Club party.

Mom offers to make us dinner and we staunchly refuse. I think we just want to eat frozen pizzas and popcorn. Mom and Dad leave about 8:00 and our night begins. Well, we don't do much. We play some Super Nintendo, Mario Kart and Madden. We get bored with that and since nothing is really on TV, I listen to some more music. Right near midnight I have the MTV new year's show on with Carson Daly. It's kind of lame, but they have Green Day performing in a little so that is cool.........January 1, 1999......... At midnight, Cory and I decide to blast some music out on the patio. There is a party going on across the canal and we compete for who can have the loudest music. We turn up Metallica and then Smashing Pumpkins. This is literally the highlight of our night. It's pretty cool as all the 20 year olds across the canal cheer us on. We turn off the music and let Misty go to the bathroom and put her in her crate. Mom and Dad get home near 1:00am and go straight to bed. We wait until about 2:00 till turn in. It was fun but kind of uneventful. Maybe next year I will be able to go out and do something.

August 22, 2001

College is here. I've been up here at TCU for almost a week now with Frog Camp and moving in and Howdy Week and stuff, but today it really begins. I have three classes: Calculus, Freshman Comp, and Spanish 1. The first class is Calculus and it's at 9:00. I wake up about 8:00, very early considering the past three months I have probably only gotten up before 10:00 about five times. I let the music on my alarm keep playing since I still don't have a roommate. My roommate who was supposed to be from Columbia never showed up and I am supposed to get one soon, but still by myself which has been OK with me so far. So I am listening to music and checking email and hanging in my room for a while. At about 8:20 I walk down the hall to meet Jeff and his roommate Kyle to go to breakfast. We all have our first class at 9 and decide to eat breakfast together beforehand. We walk over to the main and I get eggs, bacon and hash browns, I wonder if I will eat like this everyday? We eat together, fairly quickly since we do not want to be late for our first class.

I head my own direction to Winton-Scott for Calculus. I sit towards the back of the room next to a girl who is fairly cute, and I think about striking up a conversation with her later. However, in the next two minutes some guy, who it turns out is her boyfriend walks in and sits in front of her, talks to her and holds her hand for a minute before class. So I decide this should not be my strategy for picking seats in class. Calc is boring for today, we go over the syllabus and he talks about the textbook and says to look over something because Friday we will work some problems. Towards the end of class my stomach starts hurting and I know I need to make it to the bathroom soon. Class gets out and I hurriedly start walking back towards Milton Daniel. I cannot make it so I get into the student center and head to the bathroom. Wow, first class, first day must have got my nerves upset.

I head back to the dorm and walk over to Jeff's room. He is watching The Price is Right so I sit in his much cleaner and organized dorm room and watch too. He says he and Kyle both had stomach problems and had to use the bathroom too. His next class is at 11 and mine is at 12. We almost finish Price is Right and he goes to class and I head to my room for a few minutes. Freshman comp is in the Bailey Building and class only lasts about 20 minutes as it seems the teacher wants to get out of class too. I ponder getting lunch but only have 25 or so minutes until I have to be in Reed for Spanish. Instead I get a Pepsi at Frog Bytes and walk around the student center for ten minutes. Spanish is interesting. The teacher is really funny and we start by going over the Spanish alphabet. Two other guys comment how "this is a college course" because it seems easier than my high school Spanish class. After Spanish I go over to the student center and walk over to the Baptist Student Ministries Office to visit with Tony. He is the BSM director and I met him at Frogpalooza and he told me to come by Wednesday to chat with him. We talk about church and BSM for a few minutes. He seems really cool and I look forward to going to there events and everything.

I head back to my room and take a much needed nap. After a couple of hours, Scott calls up and wants to play ping pong. We play in the Milton Daniel Lobby for about an hour. We then go to the Main for dinner. I never really had a lunch so I am kind of hungry, I don't want to use too much money on my card and not have any left over in December so I am cautious about what to eat. I get chicken, fries and a coke and it costs about $6.00, not too bad I guess. Scott goes back to Moncrief and I go to Milton. I watch TV in my room by myself and Jeff comes by for a few minutes and tells me all the people he keeps meeting and how he thinks he will join Pi Kapp fraternity. That's cool and I tell him a little about BSM. I debate doing some reading for English or looking over Spanish stuff but opt to get online and watch TV instead. About midnight I get to bed since tomorrow I have a class at 8:00am. First day was OK, it's not quite the same as high school but it's still fun. We will see how tomorrow goes.

September 14, 1989

It's Cory's fifth birthday and we are going to Jungle Jim's for his birthday party. It's really exciting. I had mine their last year and it's super fun. They have a roller coaster inside and it goes backwards too! I'm looking forward to the pizza and video games there too.

It is kind of scary today. A hurricane hit the Texas coast and now mom and dad say there could be tornadoes here in San Antonio. Apparently one hit a few miles from us and took the roof of an HEB, and I'm a little scared because I have seen videos and pictures of tornadoes. There is also a lot of thunder and lightning in the area.

We head to Jungle Jim's, Cory has a lot of friends and two of my friends are coming too, well Jason and Mikey are both of our friends but they are my age. We get there and most of us head straight to the roller coaster first. It is really fun and then we go over the bumper cars. I ride them twice and then Mikey and I play some air hockey. He is one year older than me and bigger and i think I can beat him, but my attempts come up lame and I lose.

We all head to the tables and eat pizza and coke. Jason and I get this idea to put mustard on our pizza and it actually tastes good. A couple of others try it, but not everyone thinks it is a great idea. Cory gets some cool presents. A couple of Ninja Turtles figures including Shredder. We think that one is really cool and it will make for some fun playtime at home. We eat some chocolate cake and play some video games, which aren't dad's but its OK he says. We play some more games and finally have to go home. It is still raining but I don't think there will be any tornadoes. We go home and have to go to sleep, it was fun. I wonder where we should have our birthdays next year?

September 9, 2009 (9/9/09)

9-9-9. Is today supposed to be a special day? It is just a typical Wednesday to me and that means work. I get up early and start getting ready for work. Eat a simpleton Raisin Bran breakfast. Krista gets up, but then promptly goes right back to bed. She looks so peaceful sleeping in the morning, and it makes me quite jealous that I have to go work so much earlier than her.

I am the first one at the school again. I unlock, turn on the AC, put my hot pockets in the fridge and sit at the computer. Students trickle in, though not as many as in year's past as attendance is lower at West this year. Once Gayle and Sylvia get there we head to classes. I have my only break of the morning since I don't teach literature. Then we have math followed by Chemistry and grammar. Finally the morning closes off with an hour of World History. Finally it's lunch as my raisin bran has worn off. I heat up my hot pockets and get a Diet Coke with Lime and head to the conference room to eat lunch. I eat with Gayle and Sylvia and we talk about class, dogs, students and my apartment.

The afternoon is slow and I am glad when 3:00 rolls around. I head home and am quite tired. Krista is not home yet and I immediately crash on the couch. She wakes me up when she gets home and I head to go workout as she is leaving for a meeting at church. I do some bench press in the gym and talk with Ryan Kerr. I run home, shower and eat a not so exciting dinner composed of bratwurst, broccoli, soup and Iced Tea. I watch some tennis, the US Open and am upset when Melanie Oudin loses. I see a few advertisements for The Beatles Rock Band and am inspired. Not to buy the game but to listen to some Beatles which I do for about 30 minutes. Krista gets home and we watch the first episode of So you Think You can Dance (yes I am even watching it). We debate watching Top Chef but will wait until tomorrow since it's late. We are both quite tired and turn off the lights and head for bed about 11:00.

May 5, 2008

Cinco de Mayo that means party for my Spanish I class today and Presley's party at his house tonight. There is one big thing on my mind today and that is Krista. Josie told me last night that Krista does not have a debatable boyfriend anymore and that even though she is leaving in a week for New York that she is interested in getting to know me this week. Josie did not give me her phone number so I am debating how to contact her and when. Well, I am not going to do it this morning and it's Monday which means I have to open the school this morning so I better get going.

I am the first one at the school as usual and most students don't roll in until around 8:30 except for Marcus and Colby. Before they get there I do one more facebook stalk of Krista's page and decide that I will write her later today, but I need to focus on work this morning. Spanish is 3rd period and I have brought some Mexican snacks and we will watch The Office with Spanish subtitles for our Cinco de Mayo Spanish I celebracion. Other morning classes are fine, no one was really paying attention much in Chemistry, but that's not unusual. No real Mexican food for lunch but I do have Mexican inspired hot pockets...Three Cheese and Chicken quesadilla, pretty good. Afternoon study hall seems to by slow and I keep thinking about what I will write to Krista and what I should say.

By three o'clock most everyone is gone, even Denise is leaving early from school today and she asks me to lock up the school. Before I go I am going to write Krista a facebook message. I think a while and then just let it flow. I tell her "heyy I enjoyed your show last week, I heard you're leaving town soon so if you want to get together sometime this week for coffee or something let me know. I know you could be busy with finals or something so if you have time let me know. I would have called you, but don't have your number so here goes: I lost my phone number can I have yours." I hope she appreciates the humor. The message is sent, I lock up the school and head home.

I hang out with Robert for a while watching TV and then decide to check my facebook just to see if she has written back. I am not expecting much since it's only been like an hour and a half, but to my astonishment she has written back and asked if we could get together tonight! And left her phone number! I guess my pick up line worked. So I get my phone out to call her and she answers. We chat and tell her I am going to a Cinco de Mayo party and invite her along and what do you know, she accepts. Sweet, except I have just booked seven people in my truck that only holds six. Rodney just told me a few minutes before I checked facebook that he was going so I call him and tell him sorry my car was full and I miscounted. I owe him for this one.

Scott and Josie get there, Josie is excited and Robert and Gomez have no idea what's going on, but we head to TCU to pick her up. We pick her up and for some reason Robert and Gomez are riding in the front seat with me so Krista has to sit in the back right, farthest away from me. Gomez is excited to see an old friend going with us and we have good conversations. We get to Presley's and introduce people and hang out. They have a new puppy in addition to their other two dogs, a rabbit, a turtle and a kid. I see Krista holding the new puppy and talking about how she loves small dogs, which is cool because I kind of do too. We finally get a little bit of time together and talk about our schedules for the rest of the week. She tells me she is busy tomorrow so I ask her out for a date or to get together on Wednesday and once again she accepts.

We had a good time and thank Presley for having us over and head home, same seats in the car again, grrr. I drop Krista off first, which I realize is stupid, but have already exited University. I should take everyone back to my place and then take her home last and give us time to talk, I guess that will have to wait until Wednesday. We drop Krista off and Gomez says lets talk about Krista, he still doesn't know about the situation, but he will soon. We head home and James, Scott and Josie head home and Robert and I hang out since Mike is out of town in Chicago. I think the night went well and am thinking how much time I can spend with her before she leaves, well if our date goes well. I am getting ready to go to bed and I get a text from Krista asking if I text much, well I do now. We text a few things and then I head to sleep, quite happy and excited to see where this goes.

November 22, 1990

Its Thanksgiving which means no school. I was kind of getting tired of it anyways and luckily dad took us out early yesterday, maybe one day we will get more than two days off for Thanksgiving. Sean and Justin came in last night. They are my cousins or second cousins I think is what mom said. Whatever its fun because Cory and I have some people to play with. We eat a small breakfast because our mom's told us not to fill up because we will eat a lot later which I remember is a big thing on Thanksgiving. The four of us go outside in the back yard and start playing in the fort. It's pretty cool and we play defend the fort. Sean and I are on a team and naturally we win since are both older.

Uncle Jerry, Uncle Larry, Aunt Jeanette and Lauren just arrived and we give hugs to them and Lauren joins our play time. We walk around the neighborhood a bit looking for friends or something to do and then we go back to the house. They say its time to eat and we all gather around the table, say prayers and dig in. I go for dark turkey, mashed potatoes and cranberries. Maybe its good but I avoid salad or green beans and whatever the other stuff we have. We eat and then our dads and uncles start taking naps but we go into me and Cory's room to play games. We start with candyland and move on to chutes and ladders and trouble.

At only 9:00 they say its time for bed and we protest of course because it's not a school night. It's cool though because Sean and Justin and me and Cory all sleep in sleeping bags on the floor making for a fun night. We try to get Lauren to sleep in there too but her parents say its too crowded. We talk, laugh and eventually fall asleep.