Lyrics

One of my favorite songs is Guy Clark's Dublin Blues. I like this line, "I'd loved you from the git go, and I'll love you when I die. I loved you on the Spainish Steps the day you said goodbye."

I think that's how Katie and I are, I loved her from the git go, and I'll love her when I die. She did not however say goodbye to me last fall when we were on the Spainish Steps in Rome.

I like the first line too, "I wish I was in Austin, In the Chili Parlour Bar, Drinkin' Mad Dog Margaritas, And not carin' where you are." That's what I want to say to my boss some days.

You know, I turn 30 on Monday. So I thought I should blog on turning 30. This is the first installment. Number one in my life is my love, Katielady. And I loved her from the git go.

Golden Arches

So, there is a new McDonald's in my neighborhood. Now, our neighborhood is rich yuppies with kids in the Upper West Side, so politically they hate big stories like McDonald's and Walmart. After all, those are for the ignorant bunch in "middle America." But, one blog east is a lower income neighborhood, including public housing. These folks eat at McDonald's.

So, today, they had the clown, Ronald, out there talking to the kids. It must have been a nightmare for the yuppie parents with their kids.

Now, we don't eat at McDonald's. It is more because we really don't eat fast food unless we are on a road trip, then you don't really have choices. And we watched "Super Size Me," so now we don't want eat there for health reasons. But, if they want to put a McDonald's on your street, I don't see how it is worth getting upset about. Just don't eat there. And if it's 11 PM and you want tasty fries, you have that option.

Another thing about this that is interesting is to me it relates the growing trend in Manhattan of the dreaded chains moving in. It is ironic, that normal people can't hardly afford to live here, and those that are rich don't like chains, but chains are the only ones that can afford to put a store in. So, Manhattan is turning into a big outdoor mall.

SWC Game of the Week: Texas vs. Texas Tech: A&M vs. Baylor

This week we have a double header featuring the Texas Longhorns traveling to West Texas to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Battle of the Brazos as the Texas Aggies go to Waco to play the Baylor Bears.

First Texas vs. Texas Tech. Texas leads the all time series 40-14 with 3 wins in a row. They first played in 1928 and played 9 times before Texas Tech joined the SWC in 1960. Texas is coming off a big win in Nebraska, but has questions in the secondary. Those questions will be tested against Texas Tech and their circus offense. Texas Tech is not very good this year, remember, I keep saying that. But, never underestimate the power of a drunken rowdy crowd for this night game. Texas is lead by red-shirt freshman Colt McCoy, who proves you don’t have to be outstanding to play QB, just don’t make mistakes.

The Aggies and the Bears will meet for the 103^rd time, the 2^nd longest rivalry in Baylor history. A&M leads the series 63-30-9, but the last two games have gone to overtime, with each side taking home a victory. The first game was in 1899 (WHOOP!), and A&M won 33-0. Now, there was a time when certain folks were in school that a game against Baylor was a time to get out of the big city of BCS, go to the Dr. Pepper Museum, eat at Health Camp, enjoy the Baylor girls (“if you can’t get a wife at Baylor, you can’t get a wife”) and watch a football game. No more, these Bears are getting better under Guy Morris and A&M won last week on two missed extra points to a team that U of H destroyed. Of course I think I remember Baylor being ranked when A&M played them in 1995. Anyway, Baylor is not the doormat of the league anymore and A&M isn’t the power it used to be. Should be a good game.

Other notable games:

Arkansas vs. La Monroe

Houston vs. UCF (18,000 at the last UH home game, come on Houston)

SMU vs. UAB on ESPN on Halloween. Go Ponies!

TCU vs. Wyoming

Rice has a bye, but no “I think they can win this one” jokes, they are on a 2 game win streak

Last Week:

Arkansas 38 Ole Miss 3

Baylor 36 Kansas 35

Houston 34 UTEP 17

Rice 40 UCF 29

East Carolina 38 SMU 21

Texas 22 Nebraska 20

Texas A&M 34 OK State 33

TCU 31 Army 17

Texas Tech 42 Iowa State 27

College Football Fans

This is from Richard Justice's Blog on the Houston Chronicle web site. I couldn't agree more. As I've stepped back now these past few years. What I like to say is how many millions are spent on stadiums, locker rooms, whatever they think of next so I can brag at work on Monday morning that my college team beat your college team.

Don't tell anyone this, but I love poking college football fans. They take themselves so seriously. I just don't get this dressing up in the school colors and going to a college football game 30 years after leaving school. I don't get the whole "Longhorn Bob" and "Cougar Scott" thing. As Russ Springer said last year when Chris Burke was cheering loudly for the University of Tennessee, "Cut the cord.'' I love the University of Texas more than you can imagine. I love Garrison Hall and, uh, Scholz Garten. But writing about the football team is my job. I like to see them do well. I think it would be kind of sick to root for someone to fail. I root for Stoops and Fran and Mike Leach, too. I also occasionally take a few shots because when you criticize a college team, people act as if you've offended a member of the family. It's actually pretty funny if you stop and think how ridiculous it all is. And here's the thing: you're all alike. You'll never admit this, but all of you are alike. Tech fans curse a little more. UH fans have more of a chip on their shoulders. Texas fans are a little more arrogant. Aggie fans are a little more goofy. Before you write in and tell me, I acknowledge that University of Texas fans dress nicer and are better educated (Editor's note: this is a shot at UT; in some of the early posts, many of you have taken it as praise). So cool it. But at the end of the day, there are far more similarities than differences. They all run around screaming like this stuff is important and getting all worked up when they think they've been offended. It's fun.

Now, I like to go to the games, but I think we all need some perspective.

Baby

I felt the baby kick last night. It was cool.

Baseball live blogging:
Do you see how much gum that Detroit player on the bench has in his mouth? Must be like 8 pieces.

Is that a #11 bar Frank Thomas is swinging in the on deck circle?

That's all, going to bed while I can still fall asleep listening to the rain against the windows. Quite a day in NY, what with a plane crashing into a building and it turning out to be the Yankees, again dominating the news despite the fact the Mets are in the NLCS. And the Mets got rained out. I'd feel sorry for them, but the Mets are evil.

What age are you too old to dress up for Halloween? I say 12.

SWC Game of the Week: Baylor at Texas

This week’s game is the Baylor at Texas. Baylor is 2-0 in Big 12 play, coming off an overtime win at Colorado. Texas, of course, beat OU last week in last week’s SWC Game of the Week. This is the 96th meeting between the two schools with Texas leading the all time series 69-22-4. The first game was won by Texas 29-0 on October 29, 1901 in Austin. Anyone remember that one? Last year Texas won 62-0. This is the first time since 1963 that the two have met when both were undefeated in conference play. Texas has won 8 in a row against the Bears, the last win by Baylor was 23-21 in 1997. (That was fun, I remember we got a kick out of that in College Station.) The 8 in a row is the second longest win streak by Texas in the series. Texas won 13 in a row before Baylor beat them 34-24 in 1974 in the game dubbed “The Miracle on the Brazos.” The Bears went on to win the SWC that year and play in the Cotton Bowl. Their only conference loss that year was to A&M. (Ahh, the glory days…) Bad news for the Bears, the Longhorns hold a 41-8-2 advantage in Austin. Well, those are the numbers, maybe Baylor can hang in there. The game will be broadcast nationally on TBS, kicking off at 6 PM CST.

Other games this week:
A&M hosts Missouri
Texas Tech travels to Colorado
SMU vs. Marshal
Rice vs. UAB
Houston at Southern Miss.

Last week:Texas defeated the OU Sooners in Dallas 28-10. The Longhorns trailed at the half 10-7 at the half before dominating the second half and sending the Sooner faithful to an early exit. Did everyone see that OU kid crying at the end? Reminds me of Game 6, 1986.

Arkansas 27 Auburn 10 (BIG WIN FOR SWC)
Baylor 34 Colorado 31 (Sic ‘Em Bears!)
La – Laf 31 Houston 28 (Bad loss for Cougs, Miami hangover?)
Tulane 38 Rice 24
UTEP 24 SMU 21 (Mustang rally falls short)
Texas A&M 21 Kansas 18 (Fran escapes, lives to fight another day)
Utah 20 TCU 7 (How fast are folks falling off this bandwagon?)
Missouri 38 Texas Tech 21 (Tech is not very good this year.)

Southwest Conference Game of the Week: Texas vs. OU

This week’s SWC Game of the Week features the Texas Longhorns vs. the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma was a charter member of the SWC before leaving after one year, but this game has been a fixture for the entire history of the conference. Texas leads the all time series 56-39-5 and won last year 45-12. The previous 5 years found OU victorious. This year marks the 101st meeting of the two schools who have met in Dallas since 1912 and have met annually at the Cotton Bowl since 1929. Only the Texas vs. Texas A&M game has a longer tenure on the longhorn schedule. This year the Longhorns enter the game ranked #7 with a 4-1 record, the only loss to #1 Ohio State at home. Oklahoma is ranked #14 with a 3-1 record, with a controversial lose to Oregon. Oklahoma will be without Rhett Bomar, who was expected to lead the Sooners this year, but instead got himself suspended after having a summer job we’d all like to have. Texas will be lead by redshirt freshman Colt McCoy. Adrian Peterson, the OU running back, will be the focus of the OU offense on his way to being passed up by the Houston Texans in the NFL draft. Of course the best thing about this game is the corn dogs and Big Tex. Of course this year at the State Fair, FRIED COKE!!!

Last Week’s Game:
The Texas Tech Red Raiders beat the Texas A&M Aggies with a last minute touchdown. The final score, 31-27. A&M went up 27-24 with 2 minutes to go with a field goal. Tech came back down the field and with a 37 yard touchdown pass went ahead for good with 20 seconds ago. The good news, Fran may be on his way out. The bad news, A&M keeps losing to Tech, 9 out of the last 11 years. It was a great game though.

Around the league:
Baylor 17 KSU 3
Miami 14 Houston 13
Rice 48 Army 14
SMU 33 Tulane 28
Texas 56 Sam Houston 3

This week’s games:
Arkansas at Auburn
Baylor at Colorado (Could the Bears go 2-0 on the Big 12 year?)
Houston vs. UL LA
Rice at Tulane
SMU at UTEP
Texas A&M at Kansas (Will Fran stay in Kansas after the game, for good?)
TCU at Utah State
Texas Tech vs. Missouri