Wow, I don't know where to start.
Summer is over.
I went to fish camp again, this time as a counselor. Session D - Aqua - Camp Nick McGuire.
It was amazing. Accurately put with "amazing". I can't believe how genuine people are. I understand, don't worry, that some are not genuine. Most are not. But i met some of these freshman, and other people, and they are just so cool. It was so great.
Cool stories:
-Tuesday 8 p.m. Miori Morris Arrant and J Richardson and I take off for Cincinnati, then after driving straight through and catching the night game at the Great American Ballpark, in Cincinnati (which the Cards won 6-5, and which an old Ag came over to us and sat with us for a few innings - talking about his days at A&M '81-85 - and talking to us about stuff), we drove into Chicago, and got in about 3 a.m. After winding our way through the Southside (Inglewood) at 230 a.m. , we made it to our hotel. We woke up at 1030 and caught the L to Wrigley. We got off and walked into the stadium to hisses and boo's and Huck Fouston t-shirts. Classy, Chicago, Frank was wrong about ya'll. So we go catch batting practice for the Astros and then we go up to our seats. Wrigley Field is absolutly marvelous. It is pure baseball. No advertisiments everywhere, no huge LCD screen, not even an automated scoreboard. Simply pure baseball. It was so cool. So we sit down in the upper deck behind home plate, and this guy comes and sits in front of us. He turns around and says, "Whats up guys? Ya'll go to A&M?" To which we said, "Yea." Turns out he just graduated last semester, and was chillin' in Chicago - he has a job there, and is still an Astros loyalist. So the game starts off with a double by Biggio and a home run by Bagwell. 2-0 in the first inning. So all 5 of us and our new friend are standing up yelling, blah blah - all juiced. Then the bottom of 3 comes up. 0-2 to the pitcher Mark Prior 1 out - all we need to do is throw him a curve. No, Brandon Backe, please throw him 4 sinkers in the dirt. Please put him on base and give up 2 hits and walk the next 2, so we can allow Alou to sac fly 1 run in and then we can throw Sammy Sosa his belt high fast ball that he likes to HIT TO RIGHT FIELD. Yes, thats just what we'll do, give them 5 runs, and put ourselves mentally out of the game.
So the game sucked, but after that, we went to Gordino's or something like that - and had the best pizza, well ever created in the world. While we were there, and just getting our pizza, Steven Miori looks up and shouts - "Weathers!" And Daniel and Jeff Weathers flash through my mind. Nope, Dave Weathers, number 35 for the Astros, relief pitcher. So he says - "Hey guys." We finish our meal and I devise a scheme to quickly interrupt his meal with his family and explain that we have to go back to college tomorrow, but good luck with the rest of the series. So he stops us and we talk a/b A&M for a while - football, nonetheless - and he tells us he is a big Alabama fan. He wishes us luck and a safe drive back. We go walking back towards our hotel and we stop by the ESPN Zone, and the Virgin Megastore. Then we go to the full service Marriot and swim in the pool and sit in the hot tub. We go out on the 9th story deck and overlook the lit up city, while liting up cigars, and taking many cool pictures. So we stop back by the awesome pool/cigar/bar lounge area - where they are jamming John Mayer, and these guys turn around from the bar and say "Ya'll from Houston?" To which we answer Yes. So turns out all these guys are from Plano, one, who was EXTREMELY wasted, went to Texas, and his buddy went to A&M. So drunk Texas guy is just rambling on providing for us many many laughs, telling us about Mormon ***** and on and on... then out of no where - he blurts out "Are yawwwl Crocker Cocks?!!" And we look at each other in amusment and say, well yes - I'm in my second year there and this guy spent 3 and the other guy (morris) spent 2. Crocker
Hall is my dorm, and its awesome. Our mascot is a Rooster, so we are the cocks. It was completely random in conversation as well as in our lives. We happen to go to this other hotel, swim in their pool, stop by their lounge, strike up a convo with this guy, who is not even from A&M , but knows alot about it, and his buddy like - "practically lived there" but just was there all the time he said. It was crazy. After declining rounds of beers, citing our drive home as a reason, we left and we are fixing to get up at 6 a.m. and head back home, to College Station.
I can't wait to be back, start classes, get a schedule, hang out with my freshmen, because all of them that i have met are so cool.
Man,
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Sunday, August 08, 2004
Monday, August 02, 2004
Here is an excerpt from a radio interview with Secretary Rumsfeld. I got the link and ideas from Jon Boben's blog (http://jonboben.blogspot.com).
"...troops in Iraq had recently come across – I’ve forgotten the number, but something like 16 or 17 – warheads that contained sarin and mustard gas.Now these are weapons that we always knew Saddam Hussein had that he had not declared and they have tested them and I have not seen them and I have not tested them, but they believe that they are correct that these, in fact, were undeclared chemical weapons -- sarin and mustard gas -- quite lethal and that is a discovery that just occurred within the last period of days."- Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Wednesday, June 30, 2004
http://www.dod.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20040630-secdef0949.html
July 16th, David Ortiz, gets tossed from the game and throws a bunch of bats at the umpires. 5 game suspension handed out.
He appeals it.
Then, he drops the appeal. David Ortiz owned up to his actions.
July 24th, Alex Rodriguez is hit by a pitch. On the way to first base, he gets into a shouting match with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. Varitek hits A Rod in the face with a palm/glove.
A Rod begins swinging and they fight. Benches clear and people join in. Wow, the Bo Sox / Yanks rivalry is intense, probably more intense than any in sports.
A Rod gets fined a whopping 2000 dollars (as well as Varitek) and a 4 game suspension.
A Rod then holds a press conference next day to announce that he plans to appeal the suspension.
Let me get this straight, you tell extremely harsh words and then don't walk away, and then you throw punches, and you expect to get minimal punishments.
I took some excerpts from http://www.mlb.com
"Any time you get into an altercation like that, Major League Baseball should do something," Rodriguez said. "My words were very strong and ugly, but they were simply a reply and a repetition of what was said to me. I thought four games was too much.
"I've never been called out like that before in my 10-year big league career," the third baseman added. "I was surprised and shocked, and in the heat of the moment, I did what I did."
Rodriguez, who missed just one game from 2001-03, also hinted that Varitek should receive more games than he did because, as a catcher, he doesn't play every day to begin with.
Grow up A Rod, grow up and own up to your actions. You over-paid sissy.
In other news, I went to New Braunfels this weekend and got to hang out with Sheridan, Erin, and Carly - aka "Disturbin' da peace!" Meeting my new friends Blain, Brandon, Brian aka Porkchop, an old friend STEEEEVE, and hanging out with Camp McGuire. Higher and Higher and Higher and Higher, you know who WE be; we be camp MCGUIRE!
I'm done working at day camp, which is nice. But i really enjoyed having an impact on those kids, and hopefully they will take something from what i shared with them this summer. If they do, my summer couldn't be more complete.
Its about the effects you have on people's lives, its not about what you do. Well, it kind of is about what you do, but pictures will not live on after you die. Things you accomplish are just that accomplishments. They are memories, and they are defintiely worthwhile - but diplomas and pictures and certificates and badges and cash and all that jazz will go bye bye in the end. But what you say to people, what you tell them, the effect you have on their lives, that, friend, will stay with them forever.
Invest in things worthwhile, and focus on things that are beneficial. Thats what i'm trying to do.
Veritas.
"...troops in Iraq had recently come across – I’ve forgotten the number, but something like 16 or 17 – warheads that contained sarin and mustard gas.Now these are weapons that we always knew Saddam Hussein had that he had not declared and they have tested them and I have not seen them and I have not tested them, but they believe that they are correct that these, in fact, were undeclared chemical weapons -- sarin and mustard gas -- quite lethal and that is a discovery that just occurred within the last period of days."- Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, Wednesday, June 30, 2004
http://www.dod.mil/transcripts/2004/tr20040630-secdef0949.html
July 16th, David Ortiz, gets tossed from the game and throws a bunch of bats at the umpires. 5 game suspension handed out.
He appeals it.
Then, he drops the appeal. David Ortiz owned up to his actions.
July 24th, Alex Rodriguez is hit by a pitch. On the way to first base, he gets into a shouting match with Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek. Varitek hits A Rod in the face with a palm/glove.
A Rod begins swinging and they fight. Benches clear and people join in. Wow, the Bo Sox / Yanks rivalry is intense, probably more intense than any in sports.
A Rod gets fined a whopping 2000 dollars (as well as Varitek) and a 4 game suspension.
A Rod then holds a press conference next day to announce that he plans to appeal the suspension.
Let me get this straight, you tell extremely harsh words and then don't walk away, and then you throw punches, and you expect to get minimal punishments.
I took some excerpts from http://www.mlb.com
"Any time you get into an altercation like that, Major League Baseball should do something," Rodriguez said. "My words were very strong and ugly, but they were simply a reply and a repetition of what was said to me. I thought four games was too much.
"I've never been called out like that before in my 10-year big league career," the third baseman added. "I was surprised and shocked, and in the heat of the moment, I did what I did."
Rodriguez, who missed just one game from 2001-03, also hinted that Varitek should receive more games than he did because, as a catcher, he doesn't play every day to begin with.
Grow up A Rod, grow up and own up to your actions. You over-paid sissy.
In other news, I went to New Braunfels this weekend and got to hang out with Sheridan, Erin, and Carly - aka "Disturbin' da peace!" Meeting my new friends Blain, Brandon, Brian aka Porkchop, an old friend STEEEEVE, and hanging out with Camp McGuire. Higher and Higher and Higher and Higher, you know who WE be; we be camp MCGUIRE!
I'm done working at day camp, which is nice. But i really enjoyed having an impact on those kids, and hopefully they will take something from what i shared with them this summer. If they do, my summer couldn't be more complete.
Its about the effects you have on people's lives, its not about what you do. Well, it kind of is about what you do, but pictures will not live on after you die. Things you accomplish are just that accomplishments. They are memories, and they are defintiely worthwhile - but diplomas and pictures and certificates and badges and cash and all that jazz will go bye bye in the end. But what you say to people, what you tell them, the effect you have on their lives, that, friend, will stay with them forever.
Invest in things worthwhile, and focus on things that are beneficial. Thats what i'm trying to do.
Veritas.