Why I ride the bus

The Fort Worth T started a park and ride service from Park Springs and I-20 to downtown Fort Worth In October of 2008. According to the North Texas Council of Government s, I have saved over $3k by riding the bus since then. I don’t know if that is really true, but I sure change my oil a lot less than I did in the past.

However, that is not why I ride the bus. I am living proof if you make public transportation convenient and cheap, people will ride it. It has proved to be more relaxing than fighting traffic. The bus drops me closer to my office than my parking space. In addition it allows me to cycle commute. Ride the bike to the bus and then ride the bike all the way home. Again this is not really for “Green” reasons, but more so to get more time on the bike.

In short, saving the environment and reducing traffic are actually secondary benefits for my daily commute on the bus. It is just easier and I get base cycling miles.

Last Week with the Cast

Texas Tech losing football games seems to take away my writing muse. This in conjunction with living with a hand in cast seems to but quite the damper on activities. I spent all day Saturday sitting in front of the television watching college football. The Red Raiders did not reward my dedication by losing in the last few minutes in a game that ended past midnight. The highlight of the weekend ended up being watching Finding Nemo with Aedan and Tamara.

I am pleased that the future is quite bright for my muse and activities. The parents are coming to town for the weekend, the cast is coming off on Friday, the parents are coming into town for the weekend, the Red Raiders will be playing in the confines of Jones Stadium and the road bike will be ridden in the near future. If the hand will allow it, I will even start cycle commuting again in the cool fall weather next week.

Life seems to move fast, but the time in the cast has been slow.

Trip to Austin

I had a very good trip to Austin with my buddy Sean. Sean is one of the smarter people I know, so we solved many problems and covered lots of ground in our time in the car. Our conversations made the trip to Austin.

The game was very enjoyable, although the Raiders fell short; we walked out of stadium with our heads held high. Don Williams of the Lubbock Avalanche Journal did a fine job of summing up my feelings of the game

These eyes have seen Tech lose plenty of times in Austin, but this one didn’t have the same feel. Unlike in past UT laughers, Tech didn’t act psyched out, didn’t get pushed around all that much under the circumstances. the Raiders took it, but they also dished it out – Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche Journal 09/19/2009.

I have a tendency to think that I just left the Tech Campus in the past few years, but it is actually 19 This weekend was a constant reminder that I have truly become a forty-something alumni.

Sean and I visited his son Noah at the St. Edward’s. That is a neat little campus overlooking downtown Austin. It is just getting difficult to wrap my brain around the thought that I have friends with college kids. (This of course is from a guy whose grandson was crawling all over him last night) Noah dropped us off close to the stadium and we walked to find a college buddy John Esparza. Who we found was the Cubmaster of Pack 34 doing parking for the game at St. Austin’s new parking garage. We met two of three of John’s boys. John looked like all the other scouters that I have been working with since 1997. Again it became clear that we are reaching a much different stage in our life than I am letting myself believe. The weekend finished up with a visit with my cousin Mark Moran and his family at Rudy’s in Round Rock. As we discussed life, our parents, and families it was again apparent that we were full fledge adults.

These are really not life changing observations, but more facts to solidify my acceptance of where I am in life right now.

Black Cast

I went with the black cast this morning. I did not check with Leach, but I figure we are going with are white jerseys with the black accents for the game in Austin.

Much to my surprise, when the doctor pulled the pin out of my hand, it did not hurt. The pin had migrated away from the bone and actually was about to create an exit wound. I choose not to watch it being pulled out of my hand.

I am stuck in a cast for at least two more weeks, but the end is near. To quote one of my old Order of the Arrow Scouts:

At least it is one-step closer to cutting your own food. - Chris Houters, FB 09/18/2009

My Mother's Thoughts Today

I was sitting in my office in Dalworthington Gardens 8 years ago today. I got called into dispatch to be informed of the strike on the World Trade Center. It was a sickening feeling. They day was unraveling quickly and soon time stood still as I learned the Pentagon was struck as well.

My brother was stationed at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. The phone lines were jammed and nobody could find out his status. My sister-in-law just went up to my to my nephew Zach’s school and gathered him up. My family was blessed to learn rather quickly he was fine when he returned home to greet his family. Not everyone was as lucky.

My mother has been through these times more often than I have. My father was in the Battle of Soui Tre in Vietnam in March of 1967, five months after I was born, but prior to me ever meeting him. She sent out a rather thoughtful, well written email this morning to her three children, that I want to share.

SUBJECT: Two dates in my life
Good morning,
I sat and watched the 9/11 ceremonies from NYC, DC and PA which brought back two memories in my life that with the same emotion. The first was in March of 1967 and 9/11/2001. Your Dad and David both knew they were ok but I didn’t. It took only hours for us to find out that David was ok but it was two weeks before I hear from your Dad. As you know I read in the newspapers about the battle and there were quotes from Dad’s bosses and men that I knew but I heard nothing from your Dad. I saw two staff cars drive into my apartment complex the day after I saw the news on tv. It was a long two weeks before I got your Dad’s letters telling me about the battle. I was alone with with two baby boys with parents that didn’t know what to say but supported me the best they knew how. I now understand how Mamie felt and am thankful that Dudley had only a short wait to find out her husband was well and on his way home. I guess you three think your mother is loosing it in her old age but I felt like sharing these poorly written thoughts with you.

I love the three of you very much.
Mom

Lots of brave men and women don’t get to come home. I was lucky my family did.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

It is football season! It is time to address another compulsive obsession I have in my life. The Texas Tech Red Raiders!

I had a wonderful trip this weekend with Adam Rogers and Bryan Stevenson back to Lubbock to see the Red Raiders play North Dakota. I could go into a detail post on the game itself this weekend, but there are plenty of websites dedicated to that. In short they won the game they should have, but have much work to do if we are going to compete in the Big 12.

It has taken me a few years to figure out why a bunch of 18-22 year olds playing football is so important to me, but I think I have figured it out.

Lubbock is the closest thing I have to a home town. Part of my journey back each fall, beyond football is to eat at my favorite restaurants and walk the campus. The day after I graduated from Heidelberg American High School in 1984 I headed to scout camp. Besides a two day visit after my freshman year at Tech, I have never been back. More importantly, I was just a visitor in Heidelberg, a military dependent, and not really a resident.

When I stepped onto the Texas Tech University campus in August of 1984 I became a part of something greater than me. I became a Red Raider. I was not a visitor, but a part of a greater community. I got to buy sweatshirts, t-shirts and hats that identified me as a member. It truly manifested itself in my new passion for football. Suddenly I had a group of young men who could carry my banner far and wide.

If you followed College Football in the 80s, you would find my passion for Red Raiders rather foolish, but it has been much better lately. (Think November 1, 2008) I have come to understand other people don’t have the same passion for football than I do, but that is ok. I have accepted who I am.

New Cast

The doctor’s visit today went well. I am still in a cast but have a much better understanding of what happened in surgery.

This time it was really easy for me to read the x-ray. The pin that Dr. Whittenburg put in my thumb is designed so that he can pull it out in his office in two weeks. I did take a picture of pin on the outside of my hand, but my goal is to keep this blog PG-13, so I did not post it.

I envision some kind of claw hammer for him to pull out the pin, but I wager he has a special tool. I am betting it is going to smart when he does it.

The positive thing is that I can still put my “Guns Up” in my brand new red cast. So I am prepared for the game this weekend. Hit’m Wreck’m