Goodbye Old Friend

In the spring of 1996, I traded cars with my sister. Robyn got "Pipsqueak," a 1990 Hyundai Excel Sedan which was the only "new" car I've ever owned. I got a white 1995 Ford Taurus.

It was the car that took me out of Lubbock, Texas when I graduated. It was there when I loaded up everything I owned and moved away from home for good. It took me to my first real job in Greenwood, S.C., and became my "company car." And it brought me to Plano, when it was time to leave.

It took me to Anderson, S.C., and took me and my friends on countless road trips across the Southeast. Because the rest of the company cars were Ford Tauruses too, it got the nickname "Car 13," the next number in the company sequence.

My car's last great road trip was to Indianapolis a year ago, when again, I loaded my most valuable possessions into it. It had made the trip twice before, but this was it's last great journey.

Yesterday, my car suffered a fatal failure. It blew a rod and seized a bearing. I took it to a mechanic, who told me that the only cure was to replace the engine. I was going to try to baby the car until I could get a new one in a few weeks, but it's carried me on its final trip.

There was oily puddle under the car this morning, so when I got out of the car at the office, I told the car that I wouldn't drive it until it died. I would let it sit at the IRL until I decide what to do with it.

So thanks Car, for everything. I hope your parts can help other cars live as long as you did.

True To Your School

Sometimes I take loyalty to my alma mater too far. When I worked at the newspaper, my co-workers knew that I was good to pick Texas Tech to beat Oklahoma or Texas when they were huge underdogs.

Tonight, Texas Tech is playing No. 2 Kansas. So true to character, I've made another silly wager on the game. If I lose, I have to wear a hot-pink Kansas girly t-shirt that belongs to my friend Amy.

If I win? Well, I haven't decided yet. I don't have anything embarassing for her to wear. I guess there will be a hat and a fightsong involved.

UPDATE: Tech 80, Kansas 79, 2OTs. I win

Where have you been?

It's been a couple of weeks since my last post. It's just the time of year when things are quite hectic at my job. Lots of things to write as the new season rapidly approaches. Not a lot of time to do other stuff. I should make more time for you, my loyal readers.

* First, who knew how hard it would be to find a place to live! If you did, why didn't you tell me. I figured that you looked, you picked, you begged for money and you bought. Well, I've looked, and looked and looked.

Just when I thought I found a place I really liked, I found out it wasn't available. So now, I'm back at square one. The search continues. ...

* The places I go... Arizona -- Phoenix and Tucson. Along the way, I got to find out about two guys named Tomas. I was gone for the better part of the last week. I'm lucky I didn't catch the cold going around again. I'm home for the next few weeks, then we're off to Miami.

* BAM! I make food. BAM! My guests are falling asleep. I decided that since I didn't have anywhere to go for the Super Bowl, I'd have some friends over. It went OK, but my friends cut out after halftime. I blame it on too much food for three people.

Like I said, just not a lot of time to do anything else.