Thursday, December 31, 2009

Christmas Show & Tell Part II

A nice surprise gift was waiting in my mailbox when I returned from Mississippi last weekend. It was a padded envelope from LaRue Tactical. I opened it and it was a holiday card and one of their famous dillos.



Thanks LaRue! I'll give it a whirl tonight to open my beverages while ringing in the New Year.

Christmas Show & Tell

For Christmas I got a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 (it's a 22LR).



I thought I'd go ahead and get a 22 to make it a little cheaper to go shooting. At first I looked at the standard 10/22 and the Marlin and Remington models. My father-in-law offered to sell me his Henry Golden Boy as well. I saw the M&P online so we went down to Cabela's to check one out. And you know the rest of the story.

This gift wasn't really a surprise so John bought a scope for it for me. It's the BARSKA 3-9x42 IR Contour Compact Tactical Scope.

In other exciting gun news; Kaci bought Nunnrey his first gun...a Red Ryder BB Gun. Hopefully he hasn't shot his eye out with it yet.

Monday, December 28, 2009

John's Wedding Causes New Casino Rule

If you came to Biloxi for John's wedding you may remember that after the reception we headed back to the Isle of Capri for some post party drinking. We ended up wheeling a cooler to the Lava Bar (the round bar in the lobby area) full of leftover beer from the wedding. I don't remember much past that because I was so hammered, but I don't think anyone ended up saying anything about the cooler.

This past weekend I stayed at the Isle while visiting my parents for Christmas. As we were walking to the hotel lobby from the parking garage I noticed this sign on the wall (not the house phone part).



I didn't try to bring in a cooler last weekend, but I did have a few drinks down at the bar Saturday night. They have some nice deals going on if you are in the area. During all college/pro football games they have $1 draft and $10 buckets.

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Twas the Night Before Christmas

You may recall from Yuktown Highlights that I received a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas last year. This year my wife kept the theme going and added to my A Christmas Story collection. This year I got a You'll Shoot Your Eye out t-shirt and a leg lamp. Below is the view from my front yard looking in through the window (excuse the crappy picture from my phone).



Luckily, my wife had already gone to Yuktown for the holidays when I took this picture. Not so sure she would approve of me proudly displaying my lamp every night like I've been doing.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Government Efficiency

I'm happy to report I'm no longer wanted by the City of Austin as of today.

Last month on my way home from work I got a speeding ticket. I opted for defensive driving to get the ticket dismissed and for whatever reason I received a notification that I had a warrant out for not showing up to court. Here's how things went down.

11/17 - I received speeding ticket for 55 MPH in a 45. I'm still questioning how my truck was able to get to 55 MPH since I had just turned onto the road from a complete stop on a perpendicular street. I'm not positive I could have even got up to 45 MPH, but whatever.

11/20 - I show up at the City of Austin Municipal Court to request permission to take a defensive driving course and have the ticket dismissed. I receive paper work stating I have until 2/18/2010 to take the course and submit the proof to the court. I also pay a ridiculous $111 "administrative fee".

12/16 - I receive notification via mail that the City of Austin has issued a warrant for my failure to show up in court for my speeding ticket. Um...see last note...I did go to court.

12/21 - Today I submitted my defensive driving course certificate and driving record from the Texas DPS and the issue has been resolved.

Few thoughts on the subject:
  • Why would you issue a warrant for me after I already showed up in court and they said I have until Feb of next year to take care of this? I can even pull up the record at the City of Austin's website showing that I paid and requested defensive driving prior to the notice of warrant.
  • What exactly did my $111 administrative fee cover?
  • Why did I have to pay DPS to get a certified copy of my driving record? Are they telling me that the officer that pulled me over was unable to pull my record up to make sure I had no outstanding warrants or other violations?

Friday, December 18, 2009

Hooters Wing Party

Last night we had another wing party in Round Rock. Needless to say...my tummy no feel good this morning.

Nunnrey, have you had your party yet? The deadline is counting down.

Erik, do you have a report on your party yet?

This should help

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas/central-texas-digest-fort-hood-officials-tighten-gun-129469.html

In the wake of the Nov. 5 mass shooting, Fort Hood leaders have announced stricter gun registration policies for the Army post. In a command policy sent out Monday, Lt. Gen. Robert Cone, Fort Hood's commander, wrote that soldiers and civilians who intend to bring a firearm onto Fort Hood must register with the Directorate of Emergency Services.


Why not shooting rampage registration?

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Saturday, December 12, 2009

PPT Suggested Roadtrip

Might be some of yall interested in attending next year's event after watching the 2009 highlights....

USPDF

Friday, December 11, 2009

Chicken Fried Steak Review



Had CFS at Silver K Cafe in Johnson City, TX today. Good size to it, and was aight taste-wise. Afterwards I saw a sign around the corner for a different place claiming to have the best CFS in TX or the world or at least Johnson City. Guess I'll try it next time.

Breaking News: Tiger's 13th Mistress

Who would Tiger not hook up with??? This morning I read allegations about Tiger's use of escort services and we've already seen some of the butter faces that are speaking out about their affairs with the golf great. Backtoms has learned that Tiger has finally hit rock bottom.

We've learned that Tiger's 13th floozy goes by the name of Devon. Devon earns an honest wage during the week, but on the weekends makes a living by dancing at the local jiggly wiggly. Here is a picture of Devon.


Backtoms caught up with Devon and asked how the affair began.
Tiger came in late one night to the club and sat at my satellite stage. He was out of singles so he tipped me with his business card. His cell phone number was on the back of the card and he told me to text him when I got off work. I did and he asked me to meet him at the motel so he could 'wear me out'. Truer words were never spoken!
I think I just threw up in my mouth.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Let Me Post That For You: RAVE

Ryder sent this out yesterday about those crazy bulldogs:


Kids these days.

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Triple Dog Dare

From the SunHerald.com:
It's become an annual winter tale: A young boy gets his tongue stuck to a metal pole, perhaps as the result of a dare. This year, the scene straight out of the movie "A Christmas Story" unfolded Tuesday morning in Boise with a boy of about 10. Boise firefighters used a glass of warm water to free the unidentified boy from the metal fence pole.
Haha...JT, after you finish testing your 9V batteries how about you give it a whirl for us.

Beer is Good. And People are Crazy.

1) I'm taking a stab at brewing beer. We made up a couple batches in college using a Mr. Beer kit. I've stepped up the operation a little this time. Using a 2-stage fermentation kit now. Trying this Muntons Pilsner to get the hang of it, and will see about stepping up the difficulty a little next time.

2) I had no idea that so many people liked Tiger because they thought he was such a class act (as opposed to being great at golf). Example of a dumb former fan:

Former Woods fans turned to his own Web site to vent their anger.

"I want my money back from Nike for all of this useless garbage that I have spent my hard-earned money on for the past 10 years!" one person wrote on his message board. "They put this person out there and we bought it, and now it turns out he is a lying."


What was he lying about again? I missed those commercials where they claimed the clothes and golf junk would keep the butterfaces away.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Drank Part II

Just now getting around to testing out a can of Drank I bought back in September. It's not too bad. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

My backup occupation

Came across this while packing up my desk today (doing some office move stuff over Thanksgiving).



So, I do have something I can fall back on if James keeps beating me at the pond.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Fishing Clinic

Saturday afternoon after watching the game, John took me around the corner to a pond so I could teach him how to fish.

They weren't really biting, but I was able to go ahead and catch one for him.

Bad Dawgs

Another good one from Bad Dawgs last week:
10:40 a.m. A student reported getting into an argument with his ex-girlfriend on Collegeview Street.
At least tell us how it played out in the end. Did they make-up?

Friday, November 20, 2009

Hooters Wing Parties

We knocked out our first of two Round Rock wing parties last night. Let this serve as a reminder to schedule in San Antonio and Dallas.

We ordered a batch of their hottest last night, and I guess we caught them on an off night--they weren't all that hot. We challenged them to make them hotter, but to no avail. Don't get the inconsistency on the heat. I've had them pretty darn hot before.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Bad Dawgs

What exactly was the problem with this one:
8:20 a.m. An employee reported someone wanting to leave at Burger King.
Do most people want to never leave?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Thanksgiving in Vegas 2009 Update

Just a reminder that Vegas will be giving away money over Thanksgiving. So far we've got:
JT and Lisa
Nunnrey and Kaci
James and Shey

Michael, are yall in or out?

The invite is open to anyone interested. We are staying at the Bellagio. I believe we all get there on Wednesday, November 25. Some of us are leaving the night of Saturday, November 28, and some are leaving on Sunday morning.

Vegas To Do Item

Deja Vu in Las Vegas has taken advertising to a new level. When in Vegas I'm sure you've seen the trucks driving around with the stripper billboards and all of the cabs with strip club ads, etc. Deja Vu now has a live stripper on a pole in a truck cruising The Strip. You can check out the video at Fox 5 Vegas.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Erin Can't Get Enough of Deebo

MSU, Ala. game on ESPN primetime

STARKVILLE — For the second time in four weeks, a Mississippi State home football game will be broadcast in prime time on ESPN.

The visit by No. 3 Alabama (9-0, 6-0 SEC) to Scott Field Saturday will be kick off at 6 p.m. on the network with its top crew of Brad Nessler, Todd Blackledge and Erin Andrews. The trio was in Starkville on Oct. 24 when Florida beat State 29-19. At the time, that game was the third most-watched college football game of the season on ESPN.


Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Does Anyone Know Her?



Her name is Megan and she went to Harrison Central on the Coast.

Why am I so interested? I'm glad you asked. Check out Prostitution sting nets 17 arrests from Sunherald.com:
D’IBERVILLE — Undercover officers across two Coast counties came up with a solution to being recognized by the prostitutes and escort services they try to arrest or raid. The officers swapped territories Thursday night for an operation that netted 17 arrests.
And then check out the photo gallery of those arrested. Megan is the first person proudly displayed. A quick Google search will result in her Facebook page which has this picture.


Quite frankly, she looks like one of the bait and switch pictures one would see in the strippers direct to you ads. Then when the stripper actually shows up (or so I'm told), you get Gloria (see the fifth picture in the photo gallery...yep, the one that needs to be told one more time).

Anyway, if anyone is interested...John is setting up a defense fund for Megan. What do you think the price difference is between Megan and Gloria?

Need a New Home?

If I'm ever in the Cullman area and looking to buy a new mobile mansion I know where I'm going to look. Head down to Cullman Liquidation Center. Check out their commercial:

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Twilight Saga: Frozen Goods

Earlier this year, Shey started reading the Twilight series. I knew she was a little nuts about it when she finished the series and immediately started over with the first book. When the first movie came out she bought it on DVD and forced me to watch it. Not impressed.

Friday night while catching up with everyone at The Grill (for the last time) the Twilight series came up again. Come to find out most of the women of Backtoms are obsessed with this series. The volume of the conversation elevated and the women started looking slightly hot and bothered discussing the books. Now I see how we must have looked when discussing Platinum Plus back in the day.

!!!Exaggeration alert!!!
I don't remember the exact conversation, but Daniel chimed in on Kim's obsession with the books. He said something along the lines that prior to a "make out" session he offered to go stick his johnson in the freezer for her.

No spin zone
I think he actually said something more like he offered to stand in front of the freezer for her, but with our group I think it's understandable how that quickly degraded.

Either way...due to the extreme laughter I didn't hear if Kim took him up on the offer or not. But I did see this a few months ago. Keep it in mind if you are looking for a holiday gift for your significant other.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Starkville Hotels: The Regal Inn

I'm proud to say that I've never had the pleasure of staying at this hotel, but here is what I was told about this establishment by friends that stayed there this weekend.
  • Controls on the a/c were missing. One of the guys had to go to another room to see what the labels were supposed to be to make the appropriate adjustments to his unit.
  • Stains on the bed/chair that looked to potentially be blood or some other bodily fluid.
  • Empty condom wrapper in the drawer next to the Holy Bible.

I was drinking so I don't remember the rest of the stuff, but maybe Deebo can enlighten us with more info about this one since I think he might have paid an hourly rate to stay Saturday night.

Starkville Hotels: Americas Best Value Inn

I've got to say it seemed slightly better than last year, but maybe I just drank more this time. Our room was lacking an alarm clock and a remote control. The phone had the button for a wake-up call, but that didn't work and the hotel did not provide the service. The towels are standard bath towel size and feature ~40 grit size with the absorbency of a single-ply paper towel. Made drying off quite pleasurable.

Before you even have a chance to enjoy the towel be sure to check out the shower which begins with a flush out feature. When you turn on the water it looks like coffee grounds are coming out.

As with any hotel room I try to avoid direct contact with the comforter if possible. Friday night I woke up shaking because I was so cold. I adjusted the a/c unit and then tried to warm up on my wife. After she yelled at me I found myself with no choice but to wrap up in the comforter.

Our door handle was also a treat. To close the door from outside the room you actually had to insert the key card to allow you to turn the handle up before the door would pull shut.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Starkville Hotels

Heard some interesting stories this weekend about hotel rooms people were staying in. Unfortunately, Starkville only seems to have a few decent hotels and those are close to impossible to get on football weekends. The rest of us get to see some entertaining stuff.

Stefanie and I had the pleasure of staying at Univ. Inn right outside of campus. We checked in and made our way to the back of the hotel to our room. This was my first time staying there, but had set my expectations low based on what James told me about Luke's room last year. I quickly found out that the description was not exaggerated. The light switch didn't exist, some of the lights didn't work, the deadbolt didn't seem to work, and the door didn't lock in the shutmost position (i.e., you could push on it and it would open up some). The toilet paper was low grade, and the roll I had the pleasure of dealing with was adhering to itself in such a way that you couldn't get it to unroll without the opened biscuit can effect. Between the insecure door and the group of dudes chilling in the parking lot I called the front desk (from my cell phone), and asked if they could give me another room (like one in the main building as I was told I had when I made my reservation). To their credit, they did let me move to another room. It was in the 500 building facing the inside parking lot. Here are some pictures from my phone that don't really do the place justice (blogger isn't letting me add more than what's below right now, but it's enough).


Not sure what all this extra stuff on the beds was. The sheets/comforter look to be a little old. The only thing separating you from the mattress was a thin fitted sheet. We cannibalized the sheets from both beds to try to build up a buffer to sleep on. The sheets had various stains on them so I'm not sure we were really protecting ourselves.


I didn't bother trying to use the phone.


I didn't test the tv to see if it was operational.


This was kind of interesting. Guess it was some kind of fancy-pants shower back in the day.

Since folks were comparing the color of the water in their rooms we decided to play it safe and brought in bottled water for tooth brushing. We left our luggage in the car to keep it clean, and ended up just sleeping in the clothes we wore to the game. There were two bath towels in the room, but no other towels. Stefanie didn't trust the shower or the towels that did exist. We hopped our dirty selves in the car bright and early and got the hell out of there. The people I talked to at the desk were friendly, but I hope I don't find myself having to stay there again.

My wife adds that the first room smelled like pee, and the second room did to a lesser extent. I don't remember that, but I could have been delirious from all the driving I did this weekend.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

It's official. I'm old.

Got this in the mail today.

Tailgate Plans

Whats the plan for the weekend? I'm bringing my tent but don't know where I'm going.

Food, drinks, etc???

Kinda funny

Counterfeiting charges for man printing $50s in lap-dance scheme

Friday, October 16, 2009

Please Don't Call Me Cheetos

Nice write up about the Korean students at MSU in The Reflector.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Recession Hitting Everyone

You know how I like my rap...one of my co-workers sent this clip to me yesterday about how Slim Thug is feeling the recession. It's from The Daily Show. It's pretty funny...give it a watch.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Beauty Tip of the Week

Ever finish shaving and think to yourself, "This didn't take nearly enough time"? Yes? It's your lucky day. Allow me to present the Anthony Perfect Shave kit. You get things kicked off by washing your face with the Glycolic Facial Cleanser. Next you drape your face with a warm towel for a bit. When that's done you apply the Pre Shave Oil followed by the Shave Cream. A little work with a sharp razor (instructions on how to shave included), and it's time for the After Shave Balm. If that's not enough steps you could use some Tend Skin before the balm. It'll be noon before you make it out of the house.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Odd Looking Tiger

Saw this Great Dane on ESPN GameDay yesterday.



I don't think Zeus would have cooperated while that was painted on him.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Keepin' it Real

Just got finished browsing The Sixpack and saw where not only did the squids get a year of probation for thier bid day inident from the school, but now they have had their charter revoked by the national chapter. The thing that made me laugh was everyone discussing how it happend. Some dude claimed that it all started becasue a girl cried rape and the response was, "no dude, you are thinking of Lambda Chi."

I thought Maxey wasn't allowed at the house anymore... "he tried to kiss her and she slapped him with a felony"

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Bad Teacher Update

Former Biloxi school teacher Rebecca Dawn Bogard was sentenced today to seven years for the statutory rape of a 15-year-old boy.

Circuit Court Judge Roger Clark suspended six years, leaving one year to serve in its entirety.
Previously covered in Bad Teacher and we had a follow-up poll in Bad Teacher Poll Analysis.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Bama Fans = Awesome

I couldn't resist sharing this one.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Beauty Tip of the Week

Haven't hit y'all with a tip lately. There's a place called Pish Posh Patchouli's in Rosemary Beach, FL that sells Sweet Tart soap (it smells like SweeTarts candy). Warning, this stuff might be to the obese as Axe is to women.

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Goldfish...yummy!

From Foxnews.com:
Authorities say a Houston-area woman who was burned up at her former common-law husband fried their pet goldfish and ate some of them.
I can remember in college when people were eating feeder goldfish out of my aquarium while they were still alive. What is wrong with you people? Taking the food out of my fish's mouth...

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Why have I been going to Starbucks???

Five Everett bikini baristas charged with prostitution

EVERETT — Five baristas are accused of engaging in prostitution at an Everett bikini espresso stand following a two-month undercover police investigation into complaints that the women were selling more than coffee.

Detectives say the women were charging up to $80 to strip down and flash customers while fixing lattes and mochas.

Investigators saw the women expose their crotches, lick whipped cream off their co-workers’ private parts and pose naked for pictures inside the Grab-n-Go Espresso stand on Broadway, according to police reports obtained by The Herald on Wednesday.

Detectives also witnessed some of the women charging customers to touch their bare breasts and naked buttocks. Touching of that kind, for pay, falls under the city’s definition of prostitution.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Let Me Post That For You: Extra Cash

Luke has found a way for John, JT and me to make some extra cash:
SEMEN DONORS NEEDED

Fairfax Cryobank was established in 1986 and provides infertile patients with anonymous donor semen in the United States and many foreign countries. We are currently seeking healthy college educated men of all backgrounds between the ages of 18 - 39. Donors earn approximately $100-150.00 per acceptable sample. This program requires a six month commitment and each donor is expected to produce one specimen per week on site.

The semen donation hours are Monday - Friday from 7:30 - 1:30 PM.

Learn about the donor program by visiting www.123donate.com

Apply directly online at www.123donate.com.

Do not share personal information with anyone via email, please apply directly at our website.

Looks like they are currently looking for donors in Austin and the Twin Cities. I'm assuming my 'clean living' and big-boned body would make me a poor candidate, but I'm always up for a little extra scratch.


Monday, September 21, 2009

Drank

Our original plan was to stay overnight somewhere on the way back from FL. We left around 1PM yesterday, and the Bandit in me decided to make it a non-stop trip (rolled in around 2:30 this morn). Luckily, I happened to stop at a gas station in Baton Rouge and saw they had some signs for Drank on the door. I picked up a couple cans and will report back on them after I try it out.

Also, no adverse effects from the alcohol and my meds. If anything I'd say the alcohol helped wipe out the infection.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Don't Mess With Shorty Smoothe, Cracker

Intoxicated man tries to hook up with convenience store customer

CRESTVIEW -- A man who goes by the name of Shorty Smoothe became angry when a convenience store customer didn't recognize him, even after he told her his nickname.

He started the conversation by asking if she had a husband. That's when she told him she didn't know him, which enraged him, according to the report.

The man's daughters and other customers told the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office deputy that Shorty Smoothe started cussing at her and calling her names.

"(Expletive) you," he yelled. "You (expletive) cracker. Do you know who I am?" He then grabbed her shirt sleeve.

Sunday Sales in Starkville

From The Reflector:
Beginning Sunday, Starkville residents will have the ability to purchase both beer and liquor by the drink in local restaurants.

The State Tax Commission approved Starkville Sunday liquor sales in a 2-1 vote Wednesday. Sunday beer, liquor and wine sales in restaurants approved by the Mississippi Office of Alcoholic Beverage Control will be available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday beer sales in off-premise locations, including grocery and convenient stores, will begin Sept. 27. The new alcohol code takes effect immediately.
What is this teaching our youth? Back in my day it paid off to plan accordingly if you wanted a cold one on Sunday. You needed to stock-up on Saturday or include a quick drive over to West Point in your Sunday festivities. This will simply create a society of drunk, lazy students.

Welcome to post-Prohibition.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tales From The Road Part I

It's that time of year again. Time for my yearly FL vacation. We left TX on Monday morn. Stefanie found these at a gas station in Louisiana.



Longtime readers know that I'll eat boiled peanuts shell and all, but I agree that frying them makes it easier.

Checked out the Hooters in Denham Springs, LA (right next to Bass Pro Shops).

We stayed a couple nights in Biloxi, but we didn't get into much fun. I did get to check out the Urgent Care place in B-town. I had an ingrown hair on my neck that got infected. I got a shot in the @ss, and then they cut out the offender. So, I'm now walking around with a big bandaid on my neck and instructions to:

1) Stay out of the sand
2) Stay out of the water
3) Don't drink

Now, 1 isn't a big deal to me. I can live with 2, but 3?

Anyway, we got to the condo this evening and it's pretty cool.



After some minor research I've also decided to test #3. I figure I'll drink until I feel bad. Then I'll know the limit, and can back off of it by 1.

Kanye Strikes Again



Kanye is a gay fish.

Go to http://kanyelicio.us/ and then insert any URL at the end to have him insult the site (example: http://kanyelicio.us/http://backtoms.blogspot.com)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Time Waster: People of Walmart

If you haven't heard about this yet you should check out People of Walmart.

I'm waiting for someone to post a picture of:
  • Luke wearing his 'fill to here with beer' t-shirt
  • Luke with his 'pimp of da year' t-shirt
  • John buying some beauty products

Bad Dawgs

Here is a good one from today's edition:
6:40 p.m. A juvenile was transported to Oktibbeha County Hospital after getting an object stuck in his or her nostril.

Somebody trying to snort some Legos or something?

Monday, September 14, 2009

Trashed or your money back

From the Daily Mail:
Organisers brag they will breath-test all partygoers, with the one found to be the most drunk getting free entry the following week.

Adverts for the Tuesday night special, dubbed Trashed, say it has 'one simple aim', which is to get revellers 'nailed, battered, done-in and, well, proper ****ing trashed'.

And the promotional material adds: 'If you're legal to drive at 3am, we'll refund your entry money because in our eyes you're not Trashed, so we've failed in our mission.'
I don't want to go all the way to England for this, but if any of your local bars decide to follow suit let me know so we can come check it out.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Paint Over

Non-Biloxi peeps might as well skip this one.

John's been hassling me to post about this one (I guess so he's not the only one posting about fashion and beauty). And since I'm sitting here drinking beer waiting on MSU to play while watching Texas struggling against Wyoming I'll go ahead and knock this one out.

Daniel pointed out Smiley winning Design Star last year. If you've been keeping up she now has a show on HGTV called Paint Over. Earlier this week I watched a couple of episodes and there was a good moment in the first show where she is asking the chick what she thinks about the results of a room makeover. The chick says she loves it and then Smiley says something along the lines of, "...good...I get nervous designing a room for someone with a faux hawk..."

And she wasn't kidding...the chick had a faux hawk, but she also sported sort of a mullet like haircut. I'm no big fan of the mullet and was hoping Daniel would come out at any moment and slap her in the back of the neck for me.

Anyway, check out the show (daily at 3 PM CT on HGTV). I'm not sure I'd want her to redo any of my rooms, but to keep in perspective I'd have every wall in our house some shade of white or khaki if I had my way.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Holster shortage in NYC?

http://nypost.com/p/news/regional/brooklyn/so_much_for_packing_um_rod_jXKO6I6jK3RgVNDNWClDoI

A 15-year-old Brooklyn boy shot himself in the penis Sunday after fumbling with a gun that had slid from his waistband, authorities said yesterday.

Khamir Grant was then arrested for reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon -- the same charges levied against Burress, who shot himself at a Manhattan nightclub in 2008, law-enforcement sources said.

Monday, September 7, 2009

My New Safe



Labor day was good this year. The Bulldogs got a win, had the day off today, and finally got a gun safe for the house. These suckers are heavy, but luckily John has a good back. I had somewhat decided on this one a while back, but it was on sale this weekend so we headed down to Cabela's yesterday to pick it up.

Now I don't have to worry so much about thieves getting a hold of my Red Ryder.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Warning: It's dangerous to break into Texas houses

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/09/05/0905sanmarcos.html

SAN MARCOS — About 2 a.m. Friday, when a San Marcos resident heard a commotion outside his bedroom, he grabbed his .40-caliber Glock pistol and opened the door, police said. When he saw a teenager pointing a gun at him, according to police, the resident fired several shots that left two Luling 16-year-olds dead and another teen seriously wounded. A fourth teen fled to escape from the gunfire, police said.

Three of the four youths appeared to be holding weapons, police say. One had a handgun, and the other two had pellet guns that looked like handguns, police said.


Note to any potential renters, our San Marcos condo is in the safe part of town.

Friday, September 4, 2009

What is going on in LA?

Excerpts from Foxnews.com:
Abu Mansour al-Amriki — or "The American" — has become one of the most recognizable and outspoken voices of terrorist propaganda.

He was born Omar Hammami in May 1984, and he grew up outside Mobile, Ala., in the city of Daphne.

Despite inching toward a population of 25,000 in recent years, Daphne still maintains "the ambience of a small town where the people are friendly and caring, and newcomers soon become good friends," according to the city's Web site. The city has streets with names like "Whispering Pines Road."

In fact, U.S. News & World Report calls it one of the "Best Places" in the country. And among Daphne's top assets, according to the city's Web site, are its "reputable schools."

During his later teenage years, Hammami attended Daphne High School and frequented the Islamic Society of Mobile, one of the most popular mosques in the Mobile area. It's unclear whether he was always a practicing Muslim, but a source told FOX News that he has family ties to Islam. A call to the mosque was not returned.

As for Daphne High School, it looks like the all-American high school straight out of the TV show "Friday Night Lights" — complete with the picturesque football field and massive flood lights. Before classes each morning, a small group of students gathers in front of the school to hold hands in Christian prayer. A short time later, a different group carries out an American flag, lifts it to the top of a pole, and stands hands-over-hearts as the "Pledge of Allegiance" is recited over a loudspeaker.
Luke, what the heck is happening to your hood? You need to get Clayton and Big Steak to put a leash on that puppy. It's probably all been downhill since Michael C. got shot in the nuts with a BB gun. Now everyone is in a jihad in LA.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Must See TV

If you haven't seen Rehab: Party at the Hard Rock Hotel you really should. Season 2 started this week and it airs on truTV on Tuesday nights. It's about the pool party at the Hard Rock on Sundays during the summer. It's filled with everything that makes great television: drunks, douche bags, chicks in bikinis and drama.

This week they showed a group of dummies coming out to find their buddy a new chick (since he had just been dumped). The dude proclaims that he wants to find the hottest chick at the party. He ends up hooking up with some exotic looking chick with huge, fake cans. He later finds out that the chick is really a dude...or at least used to be. This doesn't stop him and he asks it out on a date.

It's also worth mentioning that the Hard Rock in Biloxi has it's own version of the party called Detox. Weekly, they put up pictures on the website. I guess times have changed since my years in B-town...looks like the place is overrun with knuckleheads wearing Ed Hardy shirts and augmented chicks running around.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

JT's Reading List Review: Classic Literature - Fiction

Holy crap! I just realized it has been a couple of months since I started listing some of my recent reading. So back to it.

Before I start out with my classic literature review, I forgot one non-fiction book I have read recently.

The Lost City of Z (David Grann)
This is the story of early 20th century explorer Percy Harrison Fawcett who was obsessed with exploring and mapping the Amazon forest. For wanting to read the story of this guy in book form, go for it. However, when it comes to non-fiction for me, I am more than happy to read wikipedia for the basic facts. It was an interesting story, but when I stupidly did some internet research halfway through the book, I ruined the rest of the book for myself. This is pretty interesting in regards to learning about the Amazon and may trigger other reading interests. Good enough to read, but not strongly recommended if your tastes are anything like mine.


Classic Literature

The Three Musketeers (Alexandre Dumas)
I really did enjoy this book. Of course I read it after I had seen movie adaptations. Most of the movies do justice to some of the adventure and interaction between the characters, but often missed a lot of the details within the book (like most movies). Trust me, if you have only seen the movies, you would still enjoy reading this book. I really was surprised at how different the book really is than the movies, especially with plot directions.

The Man in the Iron Mask (Alexandre Dumas)
I had to laugh when I finished this one. Again, very good and worth the read if you are into some historically-based adventure fiction. And once again, this book really is different from the movies that have been made. For example, the DiCaprio film focuses solely on the prisoner who is the brother to the king of France. However, that is only about a third of the entire story. The rest of the book wraps up the stories of the original Musketeers. Apparently, this is the last book in a series about the Musketeers while the The Three Musketeers is the first. I have not read the in-betweens, but if they are anything like these two, then they may be worthwhile to read.

The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
I can’t tell you how much I really enjoyed this book. This is one of those stories that, if you have not read, I would really recommend that you do. A good telling of the revenge of man who was wronged at a young age. Enjoy this one.

Anna Karenina (Leo Tolstoy)
I have seen a lot of reviews that say this is one if not the greatest novel of all time. I agree it was good. This book tends to be more of a chick book due to the love stories involved, but I did enjoy it. If you have a lot of time, pick it up, you might just enjoy it. But if you are looking for instant satisfaction in your reading, this may be a little long for you.

The Brothers Karamazov (Fyodor Dostoevsky)
This is an actual murder mystery set in the time where Russia was moving to a socialist society. Read the reviews on the link, decide whether you want to read or not. But, I would recommend this one, because I did truly enjoy this one. It is a fairly long book, but I did find it enjoy the time I spent on it. It has been a few years since I read this, but it will end up back on my future reading list.

Catch 22 (Joseph Heller)
I loved this book. I was just looking over some of the reviews on Amazon and it keeps mentioning that this is anti-war, a pacifist dream book about the absurdity of war. There is a review that links this to the inspiration for M*A*S*H. OK, great. I loved MASH. I never cared that the underlying message that war was bad in all cases like they tried to portray in the show but the damn thing was funny. Of course, saying that the book represents the foolishness of war and set it in WWII seems pretty silly to me. I guess the years that preceded WWII are usually forgotten since they were the failed efforts of pacifism and acceptance of the folks that were looking to take over the world, whether given to them peacefully or taken forcefully. Anyway, I really enjoyed reading this and laughed out-loud at some parts. How can you not love that the definition of a Catch-22 in the book, if I remember correctly, is that to get out of the war you have to prove that you are insane, but wanting to get out of the war is the proof of sanity.

Of course, I would be remiss not to mention that if you have never read Huckleberry Finn, read it. It has been too long to have not read this classic of American literature. Also, pick up A Streetcar Named Desire or at least see the Marlon Brando movie. Classic. Good enough that I wrote the same Critical Analysis for both 11th grade and 12th grade English.

I believe my murder/mystery novels are next.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Cougars--Not Exactly What I Had Envisioned

Did you know a Miss Cougar America was recently crowned? Care to see some of the National Cougar Convention attendants?

Thursday, August 27, 2009

More Twin Peaks stuff

So we covered the waitress that posed with the rifle in the parking lot here. I heard them talking about her again on the radio today. Guess the chick is going to pose for Playboy.

Update: Her new website

My latest toy

There hasn't been a gun post in at least a couple of days. Got a Remington 700 SPS Varmint with stainless barrel in .308 last week. Just gotta decide what scope I want to put on there.

Monday, August 24, 2009

College Pick'em 2009

It's that time again. I sent out invites this morning, but please feel free to forward the invite to anyone I missed or your other friends. Pre-season predictions are welcome. And if Ben sets up his money league I'm sure he'll post the info here.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Twin Peaks Watch

We stopped by Twin Peaks yesterday to make sure it was still safe for the general public. I give it my stamp of approval. James's truck was dirty, and they even took care of that.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Bad Way to Start the Day

This morning while on my way to work I was eating an English muffin. I ate half of it and grabbed the other half to start on it. On my second bite of this half I noticed what appeared to be a hair on my muffin. Not too alarmed since I assumed it was mine or Shey's I simply put the muffin down and continued on to work.

When I got in the parking lot I picked up the muffin to inspect a little closer. If it belonged to Shey I wanted to know so I could give her a hard time about it. But no...not this time...I could see that the hair was sticking out of the middle of the muffin like it had been baked in at the factory. Gross.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Latest Additions





I know Tarkus and others are dying to see the latest upgrades to my AR-15. Here's what's been added:

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Doing my part

John Mackey (CEO of Whole Foods) had an op-ed in the WSJ last week proposing some suggestions for health care reform. You can see it here. This resulted in some of Sean's fellow travelers getting worked up with some suggesting a Whole Foods boycott.

Now, I don't agree with many of his decisions in general (e.g., the message board scandal). But it's funny to see the libs in a tizzy, so I kicked off my anti-boycott and picked up some stuff from the flagship store on my way home today.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Hate Crimes: Bum Edition

Excerpts from Hate crime law may be expanded on The Daily Texan:
The bill, co-authored by U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, could make attacks on the homeless equivalent to those dealing with race, religion and sexual orientation. It would require law enforcement to track crimes against the homeless — something few law enforcement agencies in the nation do at this time, said Michael Stoops, National Coalition for the Homeless executive director.

“It’s clear that [hate crimes] have been happening,” he said. “We think by adding homelessness, it will send both a symbolic and practical message that attacks against the homeless will not be tolerated.”

“We have crimes that are occurring with homeless involved all the time, but when we say hate crime, we try to be very clear that somebody has said, ‘You homeless bum,’ or something that indicates it’s been an act of hate because they’re homeless,” Troxell said.

House the Homeless also works toward raising minimum wage, set at $7.25 nationally, which Troxell said is not enough to cover basic living expenses.
“A full week at [minimum wage] and you won’t afford the basics of life in Austin and, without that ability, you’re going to end up homeless,” he said. “If you’re homeless and on the streets, then you’re subject to these atrocities where people conduct these hate crimes.”
I'm having a hard time believing this is serious. The article describes an incident in which some punks used a pellet gun on some homeless dudes downtown. Guess what...they were arrested and confessed to the crime they committed. So why exactly are our lawmakers wasting time to make a new law? How about stiffer penalties for the existing law if that's what is needed?

And does it really matter what they make the minimum wage? I don't really think a high percentage of the homeless population is trying very hard to work. They've already got more expensive medical care than me. They can get free meals and shelter so the only 'work' needed is just enough to cover drug and alcohol costs. And I'm told by my downtown source that many of the homeless accomplish this by: aggressive panhandling, acting as lookouts for drug dealers, and theft. If they really wanted to work they could easily show up at one of the many day-laborer hang outs and do some honest work.

Sunday, August 16, 2009

What's Better Than One Hooters?

Thirteen Hooters


As John pointed out in Back from the big D, and I mean Dallas we decided to take on the challenge yesterday:
  • ~9:00 AM - John makes the call and asks if we are going to do this today. I reluctantly agree.
  • ~9:45 AM - Depart to run some errands and head to DFW
  • 11:45 AM - Arrive at the Czech Stop for some kolaches
  • 1:25 PM - #1 Hooters of South Arlington
  • 1:43 PM - #2 Hooters of Ft. Worth; we go ahead and eat lunch here; John shows his philanthropic side and donate to charity to have his truck washed by the bikini team in the parking lot; we also saw some dummy hit the one nice (parked) vehicle in the parking lot...a Porsche
  • 3:14 PM - #3 Hooters of North Richland
  • 3:34 PM - #4 Hooters of Arlington
  • 3:55 PM - #5 Hooters of Irving
  • 4:18 PM - #6 Hooters of Grapevine; on the way to this one saw some chick throw her car in reverse on a ramp for a toll road...not a good idea
  • 4:49 PM - #7 Hooters of Lewisville; this location had the best layout
  • 5:23 PM - #8 Hooters of Addison; independently told by two sources (Tarkus and Erik) that this location has one of the best talent pools...we weren't too impressed
  • 5:49 PM - #9 Hooters of Plano; on our way out John does his good deed for the day and changes a tire of some girl in the parking lot
  • 6:34 PM - #10 Hooters of Mesquite; leaving this location we see a grass fire on the North side of I-30
  • 6:59 PM - #11 Hooters of Dallas; the largest Hooters in the world; met Jeff, Kristin and Erik here for dinner
  • 10:20 PM - Stop at the Czech Stop for round two of kolaches
  • 10:43 PM - #12 Hooters of Waco
  • 11:39 PM - #13 Hooters of Killeen
  • 12:45 AM - Finally get home
If you are wondering how to take the fun out of Hooters...follow the above recipe. Anybody want to try and beat that single day record?

Back from the big D, and I mean Dallas

Ever been to 13 Hooters in one day? James will be posting a summary of our trip later. Just two more passport stamps here in Austin, and they'll be finished. I'm spent.

Friday, August 14, 2009

I Can Smell It in the Air

College football season is near. What better way to kick it off than with Cowboy's latest video about Alabama's season opener against Virginia Tech.


I wonder if this dude is related to Luke.

Bums Need More Money

Homeless patients weigh in on health care debate from News 8 Austin:
One look at the long line outside of the CommUnityCare Clinic housed at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless will tell you how much need there is for health care among Austin's homeless.
The Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (or ARCH) is a nice looking building conveniently located 1 block from Austin's entertainment district. I'm glad we have such high-dollar real estate set aside for our homeless.
"There's a major, wide range of problems, as far as behavioral, mental health, dental and vision," clinic administrator Tony Moore said.
John says it best, "Yeah, #1 behavioral problem is sleeping under the overpass."
About 10,000 patients squeeze through the 1,100-square-foot office every year.

Patients of the CommUnityCare clinic at the ARCH are part of the Medical Assistance Program. Their annual budget of about $50 million comes from Travis County tax payers and the federal government.
If I'm reading that right they already have a budget of $50 million and they "squeeze" 10,000 patients in per year. So every visit cost tax payers ~$5,000. Sounds good to me...let's give them more money so our homeless can continue with their daily routine of alcoholism, drug addiction and aggressive panhandling. I'm glad I don't live downtown.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

And the problem is?

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/texas/Sheriffs_Deputies_Behaving_Badly

This happened at the Twin Peaks near me and James. Unfortunately, we weren't there Monday night to witness the action firsthand.

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Sheriff deputies from Midland County, Texas are being investigated on allegations that they posed a restaurant employee in front of their patrol cars, holding a gun, in a Round Rock restaurant parking lot on Monday night.

While the pictures were not available for viewing and were not described at length in a police report obtained by KXAN Austin News, the restaurant was Twin Peaks- known for its scantily clad waitresses.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Outdoor Range Trip

We're still shooting-landless out here, but did take another trip to Lone Star Gun Range on Saturday. It didn't take James long to figure out that the rails on his AR get pretty hot after putting a few rounds through it. Saturday was his first test with his new Magpul rail protectors. He thinks they help.

Here I am trying to hit a 3" Shoot-N-C at 75 yards with my wife's 10/22. I suck. It took a while to hit it.



Some guy had a .50 cal upper for his AR. It looked pretty cool.

And since we were near Lockhart, we tried out another BBQ joint (Chisholm Trail Bar-BQ). James doesn't like their sausage, I thought it was aight.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

NEW TOYS AND VIDEO FOR JAMES


THESE ARE PICTURES OF MY GLOCK 23 AND26.
AND THE VIDEO IS SOMETHING I THOUGHT JAMES WOULD ENJOY DOWN IN TEXAS

Friday, August 7, 2009

Update: Slow Play is Dangerous

Remember the story we told you from June where some old dude pulled a gun on some golfers here in Austin? I've been meaning to put an update up about it and finally remembered today.

Last week I was at lunch with some peeps from work. One of the dudes was talking about his neighbors and I was only half paying attention (was concentrating on the food in front of me). Then he said he heard that some old dude that lives in his neighborhood had gotten into an altercation at a golf course recently and ended up pulling a gun on some young dudes.

I told my co-worker to make sure he stays off of his lawn.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Still Pimpin'



Every now and then someone at work will notice my license tag holder and have a quick laugh (like earlier this week heading out to lunch). Thanks to Mark, I've now had this for 8-9 years and it's even moved vehicles with me. On occasion I wonder when I'll grow out of it. Seems like I've kept it this long...might as well keep it so if I ever have a teenage kid I can embarrass him/her.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

office pranks

Office Pranks

I put this on facebook and James reminded me of the cause of the story...

HardCore was in the single room in Suite 1 and apparently had been a good little student alllll semester. As a result, he was going getting out of all his finals. He was very excited by this and opted to share that fact...alot. So, he left as the rest of us were studying away. Word to the wise: don't brag about you skipping finals and then leave your room unprotected for days.

I believe it was Ben that had the Reflector delivery route. And for a week, the eager young minds on his route had to go elsewhere for their thrice-weekly campus news, for all those bundles of paper had a higher purpose. A great brotherhood event was called after chapter meeting. Someone trusted with the keys to all the rooms violated that trust, for the greater good, and broke into Hardcore's room. For hours, brothers took turns filling every space from floor to ceiling with wadded up Reflectors. Cheap newspaper ink was on many hands, but a good deed was done.

Hardcore returned and was milling around the courtyard...somewhat puzzled that most of the chapter came down to welcome him back. The magic moment approached as he walked to his door, looking over his shoulder quizzically as the suite was just about filled with brothers watching his grand entrance. The recently violated lock accepted it's true owners key, and, with a flourish, the door opened, and Reflectors fell like an avalanche. Good times, indeed.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Grocery Store Employee Fired for Chasing Theft Suspect

This one hits close to home...literally. The grocery store this happened at is near my hood.
It cost him his job at a Round Rock Randalls, but Troy Schafer, who was fired last week after chasing a purse snatcher out of the grocery store, said he didn't have much choice.

It was about 2 p.m. July 21, and Schafer had just walked in from finishing a sandwich and chips in front of the store when he heard 52-year-old Ann Welch screaming for help. Welch had been standing at the deli counter with her purse resting in her cart when someone ran past her, grabbed her purse and ran out the door.
You can read the rest at The Austin-American Statesman. John has been loving the comments on this article.

What do you guys think about it? Or will this be like most other posts and I'm talking to myself?

Has Daniel been in Austin lately?

Gang link suspected in unprovoked 'punch-and-runs' on Sixth Street

It doesn't get into whether people were being slapped in the back of the neck, but maybe there's a connection.

Austin police said they have received at least eight reports this year in which Sixth Street revelers were punched in the head or mouth, unprovoked, while standing on the sidewalk or walking down the street. The attackers fled.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Club for Deebo

We all know the Deebo likes 'em young. Looks like he might want to take a vacation up to Rhode Island where it is apparently legal for 16 year olds to work as strippers. You can read about it at CNN.com:
A shocking legal loophole discovered by authorities in Rhode Island.

While teens can’t pump gas or climb ladders on the job because of protections in workplace laws, there is nothing on the books keeping 16- and 17-year-olds from stripping – as long as they’re home by 11:30 on school nights.

Authorities discovered this loophole during a police investigation into a 16-year-old runaway found working at a strip club in Providence.
At 16 she might even be willing to accept your business card as a tip. Remember that time at Sammy's in B'ham?

Monday, July 20, 2009

Dixon Arrested

From ESPN.com:
It's not the kind of start to the week Dan Mullen or anybody at Mississippi State would have wanted, especially with SEC media days approaching.

But star running back Anthony Dixon was arrested over the weekend.
Sweet! Sounds like we're off to a great start.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Girls in Party Hats

Back in college I remember Luke and Eric checking out a site called Fat Chicks in Party Hats. Yesterday, we were at Carl's Jr. for lunch. A group was sitting behind us and they had two rather large chicks with them that were both wearing dumb looking fedora hats. I know that the fedora is not actually the party hat that is used on the site, but these chicks were loud as crap and every time I heard them cackle all I could think of was Fat Chicks in Party Hats.

Santa Comes to Texas

My upper-half finally arrived on Friday after about a five month wait. I don't have any cool, extra goodies to report about. But I'm still happy it finally got here.


Saturday, July 18, 2009

White People Gonna Riot

This is awsome... I think it's hilarious how he keeps refering to Obama as the long legged mac daddy and a half-breed. I wonder how many people follow this guy?

Bridge Builders


I laughed in this guys face the other day when he handed me his business card... I thought some of you may get a laugh too. (my scan was shitty, his business is called Bridge Builders)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

A Must Have For John

Check out the cup holder accessory.

Fashion Tip of the Week

Sorry, no beauty tip for you today, but I did want to mention a new find in the world of crew neck t-shirts. I've had a hell of a time over the years finding white t-shirts that meet my preferences of generous length and a snug neck. It always seemed to be a hit-or-miss proposition on whether the Fruit of the Loom or Hanes I picked up would work out or not. I took a chance recently and bought a pack of 5.11 Tactical Utili-T Crew, and so far I'm impressed.

Thanksgiving in Vegas

Starting to work on plans for another Vegas trip. Right now we're looking at heading out there for the Thanksgiving holidays. We (Nunnrey, Shey, me) did this in 2007 and it was great. We ate a buffet for t-day dinner and watched a lot of football while at the tables and slots. It wasn't very busy which made it even better.

Right now it sounds like JT and Lisa are in and Nunnrey and Kaci are in discussions. Anybody else interested?

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Update: 2nd Annual Backtoms Football Tailgate

As mentioned in April, some of us are planning on making it back for the Florida game on October 24. Here is what I know so far:
  • Shey and I have plane tickets arriving in Jackson on Thursday and leaving on Sunday. We are planning on staying in Philly to make some money to pay for the trip.
  • It's my understanding that hotel rooms have not been secured at this time. It is being worked on.
  • Single game tickets go on sale today for Bulldog Club members. I am planning on purchasing 8 tickets. If you would like in on those let me know. I doubt there will be a problem getting more, but I simply don't want to be stuck holding the bag on extra tickets.
Today is a good day to learn how to comment if you would like to sound off with your intent on attendance (and if you want one of the tickets I'm buying).

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Monday, July 13, 2009

Hello, my name is John, and I live in the hood.

Stefanie noticed a Constable putting a note up next door last week.



And sure enough, this is how the house has looked since Friday evening.



As James can attest, we haven't had much luck with the inhabitants of this house. Let's rewind years ago to when James was fresh out of school and living with me. We're sitting around kicking it one day and notice some folks moving in next door. Later that day a woman comes by and asks to borrow the phone. No big deal, they just moved in and don't have service yet, or so we thought. Well, her call happens to be to the police (I guess she and her boyfriend were in one of their many upcoming fights--curiously requiring police intervention).

Anyway, we have the fighting couple along with a healthy number of kids. As I recall, they had no transportation. This is a problem in and of itself since we're in the 'burbs, and there's not a lot within easy walking distance. I've lost track of the timeline with this crew, but I want to list a few of their antics:

1) They're chronic borrowers. I'm not sure they owned anything. After the elders had worn out their borrowing accounts at every house on the block they resorted to sending the kids out to ask for stuff (playing the pity angle I guess). Sampling of things they requested just from us:

-rake
-edger
-tomato
-corkscrew
-ice
-aluminum foil
-bread
-salt
-broom (which they didn't voluntarily return)
-knife
-screwdriver
-envelopes

We started keeping a list at one point because it had gotten ridiculous. I know a plunger was borrowed from the guy across the street (I'll call him GATS for the purposes of this story).

2) The boyfriend, BF, had no job. BF asks GATS if he knew of anything he could do. GATS worked in some construction-related stuff and asked around. GATS tells BF that he's found something for him, show up at place X on Monday morning.

Monday morning comes around and BF shows up at GATS house asking for a ride (as BF has no car). GATS tells BF he's not going to place X, and inquires as to how he expected to work anywhere if he didn't have reliable transportation.

3) While they had no steady vehicles of their own, plenty of peeps constantly showed up to work on their car stereos and whatnot.

4) This was around the time when you could start searching online for sex offenders in your neighborhood. I tested it out, and saw an address that was pretty close to mine. Turned out it was really close. The early-teen boy next door was a registered offender. Guess he was into young boys or something.

I'm leaving out some stuff like the nights James would see blue lights flashing outside his window when things got a little rowdy over there, maybe he can comment if he remembers anything funny. GATS informs me that the owner of the house was renting it to these jokers under Section 8, but I've never verified. Regardless, I'm against the program in principle.

At some point they leave or get kicked out. The house gets renovated (e.g., granite countertops). A new couple move in with their kids. Things start off pretty good with them. They have a ton of cars over there frequently, but hey they have a lot of family and friends. Good for them.

A while back we realized we hadn't really seen much of the guy for a while. I later found out why. He was busted in a raid on a heroin trafficking organization. The chick and her oldest son don't seem too big into yard maintenance after the guy's imprisonment. I also start having the pleasure of occasionally throwing empty beer cans back over my fence. Not sure how often they stayed at the house around this time (maybe just long enough to toss trash into my yard). Towards the end of their stay they buy/adopt a large, mean dog to neglect in their backyard. I think one of the other neighbors finally had animal control come rescue it at some point (may have been locked up in garage). So I think they've been gone since last year. They had some people show up one day to grab what they wanted (including the 3 ceiling fans from their back patio--who takes ceiling fans???). The stuff you see in the yard is just the junk they had no interest in.

I can't wait to see who we get next.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Nunnrey missed his calling

I'm waiting at our rental condo in San Marcos waiting for a washer and dryer delivery. Nunnrey replaced the rollers on the sliding glass door the other day, so I decided to inspect his work. That thing is gliding like a champ. If your door needs some TLC, call nunnrey.

Christmas Gift for Your Kids

If any of you proud papas need a gift idea for your kid.


Maybe we can make the Daniel Neck Slappa version of this?