RAIDER....POWER!!!!!!!!

Howdy Everyone,
Sorry I have been out of pocket for a while. Its been a crazy week or 2 trying to get caught back up. I am close enough now that i can stop and throw something down on here. And I have just one thing to talk about........GET YOUR GUNS UP BABY!! That's right all you longhorn fans... enjoy your last undefeated week. Okay...realistically i am not that confident, but i am pullin' for the raiders as College Game Day comes to town. I am really excited about this game. I usually don't get worked up about Tech football but i guess I am jumpin' on the band wagon right now because this week is HUGE. Anyway, all of you who plan to see me this weekend be prepared to see me decked out in scarlet and black. This weekend is gonna be really great. I am pumped. I highly recommend everyone going out and getting a cool tech T-shirt for Friday or Saturday so you can represent. I will be.

Hello From the Middle of the Gulf

Hey everyone,
I will try to keep this short as i am limited by the minute thing but i thought i would send something off while i had a chance. Life is good aboard the carnival conquest. Great service but rough seas. We are really shaking on here, its pretty crazy really. I am sorry but i left my camera in the room but i will post some of the pictures soon. I am having a good time as it is. I am actually a little lonely, after all this is a very romantic ship but i have recently become single again. Dont get me wrong, i dont want to be back in my old relationship, I simply miss being in A relationship. Anyway, i am really happy to be hear. For those of you that are curious, I have played a little in the casino. Last night I left up about $20. As for tonight, not so lucky, I'm down about $30. I guess the luck left me.

A new testament to humanity

If you listen to every Christian in the world they will tell you that the world is headed…well… straight to hell. Our social standards have dropped drastically and it has become socially acceptable to do things that only the “witches” of the old days would have done. Now it’s true that our society’s ‘moral fiber’ is not as tightly knitted as it used to be but I have run into something that has reconstituted my belief in the human race. That something is the San Antonio Riverwalk. As huge masses of people walk up and down this river, no one ever gets pushed in. There is really nothing between a woman taking a picture for her scrapbook and the nasty water below other than my self control and morality. I struggled with this all weekend as I was in San Antone for my cousin’s wedding, which proved to be extremely fun. Complete with a circling of the family to dance and sing “We are Family,” it may have been one of the most fun dances I have ever attended. Anyway…back to the river walk. My struggles peaked at one specific point. We were leaving Mad Dog’s to try and find another place to watch the Red River Shootout and walking along the river. I look to my right and there are two (not just one, two) decent looking girls standing by the river posing for a picture. Now to make temptation worse, one of them was wearing a burnt orange shirt with the T.U. longhorn in white across the chest. I even noticed that there was a stair case just to the left that would allow me to make a quick getaway. I smiled and simply walked by. I am confident that if such a situation would have presented itself anywhere else I would have succumbed to it. But there is something about that place. It’s like it got stuck in the world of 30 years ago. Everyone there still has a little class. Something about this place keeps out the bustling city around and provides a place where a college kid can truly resist pushing a rival into dirty water.

Last Of a Dying Breed

As a 19 year old who repairs shoes for a living, I think I am one of few who can claim that I can crease a cowboy hat, replace a sole, and has never lived through the great depression. It is pretty clear that there are not too many people who work on shoes, and even fewer under the age of 88. I would seem that the art of my job is leaving based on the ease of just buying a new version of what is broken. It is rare that I don't hear that this is there favorite pair, as they try to justify to me why i should fix it for them. You would be surprised how many favorite pairs of shoes some old ladies really have. Another reason my business is becoming less and less common would be that my clientele is dying. I know it sounds a little harsh put that way but unfortunately it is the truth. Only the penny pinching old people get their shoes fixed. (This makes me respect the power of a grandchild to get their grandparent to buy anything for them considering they are unwilling to pay me $6.50 to fix their purse strap.) Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoy talking to a lot of the people who come into the shop. There is always that cool old man who seems to at least want to believe that i am not a worthless youth and there might be some hope for my generation. They are fun because they want to tell you all about how it was back in the days of their childhood or try relate to my current situation. Of course i smile and crease a little on their hat to where they can tolerate it (its never perfect) hoping the entire time that "she left me for Jesus" doesn't end up next on the playlist. Now for every 3 or 4 of those you have the bitter old man who thinks that i am completely inept and that there is no way i can fix what he needs. Unfortunately he seems to like to ask to see the manager, i simply smile and say "Well, I'm your man then." This inevitable disappoints him but humors me by showing me the problem and asks if i can fix it. This is always followed with "I think I can do something for you." Now this is where it can get a little nasty from time to time. Next, comes one of two things.....How much will that cost?......or are you then one who will be doing the work? The answer is yes i am the one going to do that for you. I have actually had one of these guys walk out because he didn't think i could fix his worn soles to his satisfaction. As far as i know he based that decision on the fact that i was not over 50. The other question is the real fun one. How much will that cost? Nothing is ever cheap enough for these guys. The best story with this one comes from about a year ago when I had this guy come in to fix his wife's high heels. I politely told him that it was going to be $9.95 to replace the heel tap on the back. He looked at me and said "Are you kiddin?" I said no sir.
"You must be, that is a tiny piece of rubber"
"No sir, and it takes work so i have to charge a little labor, not to mention we are trying to make a little money around here."
"Well thats just rediculous"
"I'm sorry sir i dont make the prices"
(This is where it gets funny)
The man looks me right in the eye and says "you have never lived through a great depression have you"
Fighting back a smile I mumble no. (do i look like i have)
After this he decides to tell me that it was me charging that that was sending our country streight to hell and that if i continued to do this we were doomed. In the middle he told me that it wasnt my fault but then proceeded to blame me for everything. So I apologize for crashing our entire economic structure because of my outrageous prices. Oh but that is another subject for another time. Anyway i do get a little boost in life fact that i am pretty sure i am the only student at TTU that can fix a pair of boots or put a zipper in a purse. It is a nice thought at least and it never hurts to have a trade to fall back on. Im afraid that is what is really dying out.