25% Done!

Well, the first semester is over, and I'm a quarter of the way to a master's degree. Only three more left before I have to go back out into the real world. In just a few months back in school, I've had some pretty incredible experiences, learned a ton, and, yes, even had a little fun. Hangin' with the Goin' Band during this football season was amazing. That being said, it was a little disheartening to experience the worst 11-1 season in the history of college football. I just hope our team gets hyped up for this Cotton Bowl that nobody really wanted to end up playing in. Ole Miss is going to come ready to play, and I fear we may see another game like the last two. The question is, does Graham have another impossible comeback left in him?

It's nice to have a little downtime between the end of school and Christmas. It's one of the things I missed when I started teaching public school (where they'd keep the kids until Christmas Eve if they could). I'm trying to avoid the laziness trap and get a few things done around the house. It's tough, though. For the first time, I put Christmas lights on my house this year. This week, we're getting ready to go to Chicago for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. This is my first time to go to the convention and my second visit to Chicago, so I'm pretty excited. It's going to be cold. Whoever decided that Chicago in December was a good site for a convention obviously had some issues. At any rate, it should be a fun trip. Amanda and I are going to see Wicked while we're there, something we've been trying to do for awhile. By sheer coincidence, we're going to the show on our anniversary. Other than that, we might go to a few concerts and try not to spend too much money on the Magnificent Mile.

After Chicago, it's back to beautiful Lubbock for Christmas with the in laws. Then, off to DFW to see my family when they get back from their tropical Christmas in Guam. A little family time and a bowl game, then it's back to the grindstone. Needless to say, it's been incredibly busy around here, and I've been under my fair share of stress. But, one semester in, I'm more than convinced that being back in school is the best place for me right now.

Anything Is Possible...

Ok, so it's been forever since I posted on my blog. I figure now is as good a time as any. Sure, there's been a lot going on in my life. I'm having a great time in school. I'm learning a ton as a teaching assistant and in my classes. Somehow, we're not having any troubles getting by... for now. All in all, it looks like going back for a master's degree was the best thing for me at this point in my life.

But, I'm more interested in talking about my Red Raiders! Unless you've been living in a bomb shelter, you've seen what's happened this season. The boys started off with just another Tech football season. Beating the crap out of Little Sisters of the Poor. Nearly giving away games that should have been no problem. But, the last three weeks have been astounding. And now, it looks the unthinkable may be possible.

Beating Texas (even by the skin of our teeth) puts this season in a totally different perspective. For the first time since I've been a conscious Texas Tech football fan, we control our own destiny with just three games left. And the truly astounding thing is that, I think we can actually make it happen. At the risk of sounding overconfident, I don't think we'll have much of a problem beating Oklahoma State. They do have an outstanding running game, but you can't really come from behind by running the ball and I don't think they can hold our offense down. My prediction is Tech by 24. I also think that, with a bye week to prepare, Tech can take down OU. If these two games play out the way I feel they will, I don't think Tech can be stopped. Not from winning the Big 12, and not from winning the national championship. It's an unbelievable thought, and most of my friends (fellow Tech fans) think I'm crazy. But, I feel it in my gut. This is Tech's year. I've joked about that before. But, now that it's within reach, I really do believe. I think Alabama will lose to LSU, leaving Tech as the #1 team going into the OU game. I don't think that OU has the defense to hold us down, and I certainly don't believe that Missouri has any defense at all.

Tech will play Penn State for the national championship. I'll get a free trip to Miami to watch. And, I'll get to see Tech beat the Nittany Lions for the most unexpected championship in the history of the BCS.

Now it's up to Graham, Michael, and the boys to keep me from sounding like an idiot. GO TECH!

In the groove

Two and a half weeks into the semester, I think I've finally settled into somewhat of a groove. My classes are going well. It's nice having the freedom to actually study what you're interested in. There's been a little ramp up at the beginning of the semester, at least in terms of conducting seminar and lessons, but it feels like it really starting to pick up.

I stay busy most of the time. If I'm not in a class, I'm assisting with one, or score studying, or doing something else really nerdy. I'm having a great time and learning a ton. Now, if I can just find a way to not starve...

Back to School

Well, I go back to school today. It's actually going to be a little weird. I've spent the last week and a half (which actually feels like a month) working with Goin' Band pretty much around the clock, so actually starting classes today will be a nice change of pace. I'm interested to see how different this whole graduate school thing is. I'm taking 9 hours, just enough to be full time, but I'm sure that I will be plenty busy all the same.

I'm enrolled in trombone lessons, and I found out last night that I auditioned into Symphonic Wind Ensemble. I'm really looking forward to playing on a regular basis again. What I'm most interested in, though is what I actually came back to school for-the conducting. Ironically enough, it's the one thing that has sort of been forgotten in the weeks leading up to today. I'm sure that will all change soon, as I have my first seminar class with Dr. McKoin today.

As dumb as it sounds, I sort of feel like a freshman all over again. I'm not really sure what to expect this week, but I'm excited that it's finally here.

The Power of Thanks

(Sorry, this is long, but it's sort of been building for awhile...)

So, it's been awhile since I've posted. I can blame this on extended hours at Pizza Hut (which I'm now done with... for now at least), arranging music for Jeff's marching show, writing drill for Jeff's marching show, arranging stand tunes for Goin' Band, and, as I found out earlier this week, writing drill for Goin' Band. Or I could just say that, on my list of things to do when relaxing, blogging hasn't exactly been at the top.

However, I have had something stewing in my mind for a couple weeks, though. It's something that came to my attention as a result of my part-time pizza delivery job that, over the past few weeks, pretty much became a full time job. In the course of delivering pizzas, you come across all kinds of people. The delivery area of the Pizza Hut I worked at encompasses about 30 square miles. For those of you familiar with southwest Lubbock/Wolfforth, it runs from 34th St. to Woodrow Rd. (aka CR 7600) and from Frankford Ave. to CR 1300 (one mile west of FM 179). In that area, there are at least 3 fairly upscale neighborhoods with several other isolated mansionettes, and at least 5 mobile home parks with several more isolated mobile homes (usually sitting on about 5-10 acres of land... go figure).

Naturally, the basis of making money as a delivery driver comes from tips, both the quality and quantity. In addition to tips, I got a dollar per delivery. So, even if the average tip wasn't particularly high, I could still make good money if I took several deliveries. However, taking more deliveries means driving more miles, using more gas, etc. As I drive a Hybrid, the gas doesn't hit me as hard, anyway.

Interestingly enough, the size of the house I delivered to, was not always an indication of the size of tip I received. Some people that are obviously doing very well for themselves tip very small... or not at all. Some people that obviously work a 12 hour blue collar shift just to make ends meet tip very well. Oh, sure, I never walked up to a mobile home expecting to get much of a tip, but it was a nice surprise when I did. And, naturally, I was never very understanding when I walked away from a 4000 sq. ft. home on a 4 acre plot with a check for the exact amount of the order. But, that's just the nature of the job. Sometimes you have to drive to the farthest corner of the area to deliver one order to some jerk that doesn't understand why it took so long, doesn't tip you, and tries to get it for free. And sometimes, you get to take 3 orders all on the same block and all within a mile of the store, all to very nice people who tip very well, even if there order was a couple minutes late. I used to get very irked by the "injustices" of the pizza delivery business. Eventually, I realized that it is what it is, and there wasn't much point in letting it bother me.

Over the past few weeks, I began to take notice of something entirely different. It sort of changed my perspective on the job I was doing. I started to notice when people were genuinely appreciative for my bringing them a meal. You see, whether it was only feeding one person or a houseful of extended friends and family, they were paying for a convenience, and I was the provider of that convenience. Over the past few weeks, the most important part of a delivery wasn't whether I got a big tip or not. Certainly, I appreciated getting a tip. But the biggest difference for me was between the people who simply said "Thank you" and the people who acted like I had imposed on their life. It seems like an unbelievably simple thing, but you wouldn't believe how many people wouldn't even utter so much as a "thanks" when I brought food to their door.

Now, I don't claim to be a lifer in the service industry. I'm a band director. That's my career. But, having spent time working several different jobs in both food service and retail, I have a soft spot for people who work in that industry. It can be, at many times, a thankless and unrewarding occupation. So the next time that you're out shopping, or out eating, or better yet, if someone brings something to your home so that you don't have to go get it, please say "Thank you" and mean it. Sure, they're just doing their job. But, they're doing it to make your life a little easier.

To Do...

I figured that if I post my "To Do List" on my blog, maybe I'll be more likely to get at least some of it done. Keep in mind, this isn't like a "Get milk... go to the pharmacy... change oil..." kind of list. It includes some of that short-term stuff, but also lists some things I'd like to get done in the long-term (but not TOO long-term). So, here goes (in no particular order):

• Clean crap off the counters and table in the kitchen
• Organize the home office
• Write marching drill for Jeff's show
• Come up with a somewhat solid financial plan for the next two years (you know, the two years where my paycheck gets really small...)
• Finish doing whatever I'm doing about the weeds in the alley
• Figure out how to fix the shrubs
• Study for grad school placement exams
• Get trombone worked on
• Practice
• Get mutes
• Arrange some stand tunes (and actually finish them)
• Keep and follow an accurate planner
• Do a "Goodwill sweep" on my clothes
• Figure out what we can get rid of in the garage
• Save up enough money for 2009 WSOP buy-in
• Read more books
• Walk the dogs (on a semi-regular basis)
• Exercise (on a semi-regular basis)
• Lose 20 pounds
• Pay off credit cards and cars

Finally...

Well, I've finally gotten to a point of the summer where I can actually take some time off. I probably shouldn't whine. I did go to Disney World, spend some time in East Texas, spend time with the family in Southern California, and lose a bunch of money in Vegas. So, to say I haven't had any vacation would be a little misleading. Within days of getting home from Vegas, I started a week of teaching at Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp, followed immediately by a 5 day conducting symposium.

Now that all that has passed, I can enjoy the part of the summer I really like. Now, for a few weeks anyway, I get to just spend some time at home. It's not like I'm just going to be lazy, as I have several things I'll be doing around the house. Plus, I'll be getting my brain back in gear for placement exams in August. I'll also be working at my glorious part-time job a lot more. Even as busy as I'll be, it'll be nice to just be at home for awhile.

Gimme My Money Back!

Vegas took all my money! Ok, not all of it, but more than I wanted to give it. I managed to prove, once again, that I'm not as good as I think I am at the whole gambling thing. Oh well, we'll chalk it up as a learning experience.

Even with the financial difficulties of the trip, we had a great time. Jeff very nearly finished in the money of his World Series of Poker event. I think he wishes he hadn't gotten anywhere close to the money. Missing it by 5 may be worse than missing it by 100. Of course, finishing 275 out of over 2700 players isn't too shabby. It's too bad you don't get paid unless you finish 270th.

We also got to see a handful of pros. Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, Barry Greenstein, Eric Lindgren, and Chris Ferguson, just to name a few. Is it sad that I treat these people like movie stars? Next year, I'm going to find an event to play in also. If I can build up the bank roll, that is.

Another Week in Paradise

Ok, so we're not in Hawaii or the Caribbean, but Southern California isn't a bad place to be right now. The weather has been perfect and Dad got us a great condo in San Diego, right on the beach looking out into the Pacific Ocean. It's been awesome. We've gone to the San Diego Zoo and Disneyland (a mere 100 miles from our spot on the beach). Tomorrow is Sea World. In the days in between, we've just been hanging out at our condo, watching the surf and walking on the beach.

Mom and Dad bought a Wii. They've been saying that they'd get one whenever they found one, and Dad found one in a Target here in San Diego. So, we've also been playing a fair amount of Wii (overlooking the ocean, which makes it even more relaxing). Mom and Dad also decided , since they and my brother have digital SLR cameras, that Amanda and I should have one too. So, we are now the proud owners of a Nikon D40. It takes much better pictures than the Coolpix 3100 we were using. If you look at Amanda's Facebook page, you can see the first pictures we took with it at Disneyland.

With all the cool stuff we've done and all the cool stuff we've gotten, the best part has been spending time with the fam. We don't get to see Eric, Day, and Audrey very much, and it's been nice hanging out with them. It's always been important to Mom and Dad for the family to get to do fun stuff like this together, and I'm incredibly grateful for that. It doesn't matter whether it's a cruise to the Caribbean, a week on the beach in San Diego, or just hanging out at the house in Arlington, it's always nice to get together and just have a good time.

On Saturday, it's on to Las Vegas, where I plan to win my tuition for next year!

On The Road

The month of June typically involves a lot of travel for me and Amanda. This year is taking that to the extreme. Yesterday, we got back from East Texas, after attending my grandfather's funeral. Tomorrow, we leave on an 11 day trip to San Diego and Las Vegas. The trip has been scheduled for awhile. Obviously, the most recent trip was quite unexpected. We had actually just spent the weekend with family in East Texas when we found out we would be going back there. Add to all this the trip to Orlando at the beginning of the month, and one or both of us will have been out of town for 24 of the 30 days in June.

Needless to say, our DVR is filling up rapidly.

An Unexpected Trip

Amanda and I spent the past weekend in Longview/Arlington. We got to watch my son play a lot of baseball on Friday and Saturday. It was nice, since we had never seen him play before. He's a pretty good little ball player. Those kids are pretty intense about their baseball, granted, it is an all-star team. On Saturday night, we drove back to Arlington, with plans to return to Lubbock on Sunday and spend the week preparing for the big trip to San Diego and Las Vegas. Things didn't go exactly as planned.

On Sunday morning, as we were starting to stir, my mom brought some unsettling news to the bedroom door. My grandfather had passed away that morning from a stroke. We had just spent a good deal of time with my grandparents the past two days, so it was hard to believe that mere hours after the last time we had seen him, he was gone. I think this was the third stroke he'd had, and the second in the the last few years. He had never really gotten back to his old self after the last one. It's hard to explain, but, as unexpected as it was, you could almost feel it coming. That may sound a little insensitive, but others have said it, too. He'd gotten to do a lot of big things recently, including a cross-country train trip, and getting to attend his great-granddaughter's first birthday. He'd also gotten to have lunch with my son, his great-grandson, for his 9th birthday a week ago. Still, every day seemed to be taking its toll on him.

Sunday was a day full of planning. We tried to figure out what to do about my brother, Eric, and his family. Then, we had to decide what to do about ourselves. In the end, we decided to drive back to Lubbock, as planned. My brother, sister-in-law (Day), and niece (Audrey) flew into Dallas late Sunday night and stayed at my parent's house with my mom. Dad actually had to go to D.C. for a night and teach one day of a class yesterday, before returning to Dallas last night. We decided to fly back to Dallas yesterday, and the five of us (me, Amanda, Eric, Day, and Audrey) drove into Longview last night. Since then, it's been a lot of time with family. My grandmother seems to be holding up alright. All of my dad's brothers are here, as well as his only sister. Everyone seems to be doing ok. Every once in awhile a wave of realism sweeps over an individual or group, but overall it's good for the family to be together. As unexpected a get-together as this is, it's nice to spend some time with everyone.

C.T., as we called him, had a long and eventful life. He leaves behind an incredible family legacy. He always got the most out of life, and I will miss him.

Buried

As I sift through more of my junk room this morning, I find myself wondering: Where did I get all this crap?? The truly sad thing is that when I look at this stuff, I realize that very little of it is actually crap. Most of it actually serves a purpose in my life.

So far, I've found materials for planning a golf tournament, community band stuff (some of which really needs to be returned to its proper home), a mound of trombone stuff, 3 boxes that I brought home from my desk at Lubbock High, and some binders of old music theory and history handouts and notes that I should probably start looking through so that I don't bomb my placement tests in August.

As I found more and more stuff that I can't get rid of, two questions came to mind: Am I spreading myself too thin? and Where am I going to put all this crap that I can't get rid of?

My Special Dog

Today, I started out with the simple goal of mowing the yard, getting my oil changed, and having my tires rotated. Unfortunately, Joey had other ideas.

I actually got up relatively early and remembered that I needed to get gas for the lawn mower. Instead of crating the dogs for the 5-7 minutes I would be gone, I decided to just throw them in the car and take them with me. Bad idea. The gas station was crowded (all the yard maintenance entrepenuers were getting their gas, too) and Joey and Max decided to protect the car by jumping aroung and barking at everyone they could see. At some point during this, Joey managed to hurt his left leg (the one that has already undergone 2 surgeries). On the way home, he wouldn't put any pressure on it and when I tried to, he yelped. It was very pathetic. After about 20 minutes of him not walking or doing anything but resting on his right side, I decided I better take him to the vet.

So, we get to the vet. And we wait... and wait... and wait. An hour and a half later, we finally get to see the vet. Joey has never liked the vet, especially not since the 3 knee surgeries. He got pretty upset about being there, and then what does he do? He starts walking. The leg is obviously still bothering him, but he's walking. The vet and I decide that, as opposed to actually sedating Joey and testing the range of motion of the leg (which Joey would have loved, I'm sure), we should just try giving him some anti-inflammatory pills and seeing how he does.

I guess when faced with the prospect of sucking it up and walking versus staying at the vet and getting messed with, Joey decided that his leg really wasn't all that bad after all. At least he added a measure of the unexpected to an otherwise uneventful day.

Summer is finally here!

On June 2, I turned in my Lubbock ISD laptop. It marked the official end of my employment at Lubbock High School. Fortunately, I still get a paycheck through the end of July, but my duties there are complete. I'm going to miss those kids, but I'm incredibly excited about the next two years. Now, if I could just figure out how not to be poor...

Later that morning, I got on a plane to meet Amanda in Orlando. She was technically "working" on the Permian Band and Orchestra Trip. Of course, there wasn't much work involved, and we ended up with a free hotel room and 3 free days at Disney. It wasn't a bad way to kickoff the summer.

Today I started doing a little of the Spring cleaning that we didn't have time to do earlier this year. Somehow over the past year, we developed the disastrous "junk room" that I always swore we'd never have. So, that's my project this week, in addition to yard work (the alley is threatening to hop the fence and invade the back yard), and delivering pizzas for some extra cash.