HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BABY!

Today is our 7th wedding anniversary. The Lord blessed me with my life partner and I thank Him daily in my prayers. I can't imagine my life without Mel, and I look forward to growing old with her.

Thank you for 7 years of marriage, and more importantly, 13 years of being my best friend! I LOVE YOU!

MADRONE TRAIL REVISITED

The last time Hopkins and I rode was two weeks ago at Madrone Trail at Canyon Lake, north of San Antonio. Our morning ended abruptly with both of us getting pinch flats on the trail. Unfortunately, both of my spare tubes had holes in them, so it pretty much ended our day.

Today, armed with three new spare tubes each, we decided to try our luck at Madrone again. With the recent rains, we were concerned that the trail might be muddy, but it is so rocky, there were no mud issues.

It was a beautiful morning to ride, although neither of us felt in top condition. Hopkins seemed to be coming down with a bug because his stomach was queasy and he was very winded. My problems were alcohol related, having had one too many adult beverages at home last night.

We tried to push through our shortcomings and were able to ride further than last time. Eventually, Matt started feeling worse, so we found the park road and headed back to my truck.

Madrone is a challenging trail with varying levels of technicality. I look forward to heading back there and finishing the entire trail, as it is very scenic, with views of Canyon Lake at almost every turn. I would totally recommend this trail for intermediate and advanced riders, but head out early, as it gets very hot in the summer.

With the end of fiscal year madness over at work, I look forward to riding during the week again. When I don't ride, my body can sure feel it, as my stamina wanes considerably. Until next time, adios.

IT WAS ELECTRIC! LITERALLY....

As I mentioned in a previous post, I flew to Dallas this past weekend to go see Michael. For various reasons, we hadn't seen each other since he graduated from UTPB in Odessa in the Spring of 2007. The visit was long overdue.

I flew in Saturday only knowing that we were going to the Texas Rangers game, but nothing else. Michael picked me up and we were both hungry, so we decided to check out a restaurant in Deep Ellum called the Twisted Root Burger Company. To quote Pulp Fiction, "Uuummm, that's a tasty burger!"

After lunch, we decided to head to my hotel so I could check in and get settled. An hour and several construction detours later, we found the hotel. Mind you, we were NEVER lost, because we knew where we wanted to go, we just couldn't find a way to get there. That's our story and we're sticking to it!

After checking in and unpacking, we headed to Michael's apartment to pick up his bag. We wound up watching a rerun of Seinfeld and laughed our asses off. The game started at 7pm and we knew we needed to be there with enough time to find parking, so we decided to head to Hooters in Arlington for some beers, wings, and great conversation.

We made it to the game with time to spare, so we went to the gift shop and Michael bought me a cool Rangers shirt. Afterwards, we went to find our seats. Michael told me before that he bought us decent seats, but there was no way I was prepared...OUR SEATS WERE ON THE 11TH ROW! We were practically on the freakin field! IT WAS AWESOME!

Halfway through the game, storm clouds started hovering above the stadium, with spiderwebs of lightning threatening to strike the stadium at any second. As a precaution, the upper deck was evacuated and fans were asked to move to lower sections. By this time, we were starting to get a decent buzz, so being soaked by the rain didn't bother us a bit.

We cheered the player's nicknames (as dubbed by Michael), bet on the dot race, sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame, tried to dance the Cotton Eyed Joe, did the Wave, talked about anything and everything that came to mind, and just had the greatest time! Although the Rangers ultimately lost, they put up a good fight, eventually losing 8 to 6; having failed to score with runners on base in the 8th and 9th innings.

After the game, we stopped at IHOP and grabbed a bite to eat before heading to the hotel. Sunday morning Michael dropped me off at the airport and went home to rest and get ready for a WWE pay per view event he would be attending later. Michael and I promised each other to get together again soon, at least for the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, but hopefully sooner.

It was great to be back home although I was only gone overnight. I don't sleep well unless I am in my bed and with my lovely wife. After grabbing some burgers, Mel and I went home and I hit my recliner for an afternoon nap. Traveling is exhausting!