Three Hurricanes In Four Years.

THE RITA TRIP

Details: (Written 9/26/05 after returning home the day Rita passed through East Texas)
This may be rather lengthy as I had nothing else to do and the computer was the only thing working.

Tuesday Rita was looking like it was going to center punch Bob Jantz in Corpus Christi and we were feeling sorry for them. Later that day as the track moved more toward Matagorda Bay, we decided to go to the beach and board up the cabin. Remembering what Pop taught me, I filled up all of the vehicles and all of the available gas cans. I gathered up all of the scrap lumber I could find at the warehouse and we headed out. The job took longer than first anticipated and the temperatures were at record highs, so we spent the night at the cabin planning on finishing up the next morning.

Wednesday the storm was still looking like Matagorda Bay. We finished the work, gathered up our valuables. (Photos, Satellite receiver, wall hangers and a large bag of Doritos) and headed back to Beaumont. We felt the cabin was in danger, but did not plan on leaving Beaumont. Jennifer was concerned but I assured her that I had ridden out Carla in 1961 and Rita was taking the same path at about the same intensity. No sweat, unless you went outside as it was 99 degrees. We held our family meeting and decided we would delay any decision until Thursday morning to see if any new developments occurred.
Thursday the track had started turning and Galveston was in Rita's cross hairs. We had agreed to take one of Mike's Arizona friend's Mother with us if we left. Decision time. We decided to finish our preparations, run some errands and meet back at the house around noon to leave. I received a call from my brother, Chub, asking us to bring his Mother-in-law with us. We had received offers to stay in Dallas, College Station, Tyler, Lufkin, Joaquin, Hemphill, Garland, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. The traffic was awful; even on the back roads, so we decided to take the destination of least traffic resistance.
Around 2:30pm we left with three vehicles, Linda with the ladies and Mike's dog, Jennifer with her dog, Reno, and me with Joe Fred. Garrett’s house in College Station was a good choice as they looked to be the least vulnerable. When we left Bevil Oaks and got to Hwy 105 the traffic was backed up to our subdivision (College Station Eliminated)
The next two best choices were Lufkin and Tyler. Now we had to decide which way to go. We knew that Hwy 69 out of Beaumont was already a parking lot from our morning chores, so that route was out. We decided to take the back roads to I -10 and go east. When we got to Hwy 12 outside of Vidor it was backed up on the freeway, so we kept going. Highway 87 was a possibility but when we got there it was a log jam. So we continued east into Louisiana. Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida were now viable options. Just across the Texas line we took LA Hwy 109 to Starks. Great move Wright! No traffic, Yee Haw! Good decision, you are the man Jimbo! Oops, five miles from Starks it was Wal-Mart parking at Christmas time. We were committed at this time, but tempers were getting edgy. Did I mention it was 100 degrees? The first time I have ever been on a highway and actually looked for the shady spots as it was all stop and go. Once we got to Starks the traffic picked up and moved pretty well.
Did I mention that I had not refilled my truck after the trip to the beach? No problem, I had five cans of gasoline in the back. It was a good thing because there was not a station with gas for 150 miles.
We continued to take the North bound Louisiana highways that ran parallel to the Sabine River. This worked well except when one of them turned into a dirt road and at one point a forest fire was burning next to the road. A couple of pee breaks and about six hours later I was getting really tired. We came to LA Hwy 6 West of Many, La and decided it was time to get back to Texas. I didn't think I could last to Tyler and it was still 4-5 hours off. This turned out to be a good decision as we had minimal traffic all the way to Lufkin. By luck we found a gas station that had gas and we all topped off, (I filled up) Got to Lufkin around 10:00pm. Linda's niece, Lisa and her Husband, Kenneth were very gracious hosts.
Friday morning we learned that Beaumont was looking down the gun barrel of Rita's fire power. Chub came from Dallas and picked up Mrs. Knight. Jennifer and I went grocery shopping. It seemed that every person that evacuated the Gulf Coast was in Lufkin. The stations that had gas to sell had lines for blocks. It was reported that a couple of shootings occurred there over line cutting, etc.
We hunkered down Friday night and watched Shepherd Smith reporting from Beaumont. Boy were we glad that we left Bevil Oaks. It was looking really bad. I had quit worrying about the beach house and focused my worrying on our home.
Saturday morning I awoke to no electricity. What about "Shep"? The winds started increasing steadily as the early morning went on. My niece had parked her Brother David's brand new pick truck across the street in their neighbors drive. You know what comes next, Yep, the big tree fell on the new truck. David is in Mexico with his new bride. I think it would be best if we wait awhile to tell him.

Around noon the winds had let up and radar was showing a clearing back to Beaumont. I decided to head home. Linda and Jen would wait for me to tell them what I found. I took Hwy 59 south to Cleveland and 105 West to avoid going through some of the hard hit areas and going through Beaumont. The radio was saying the police were not letting people into Beaumont and I could get to Bevil Oaks without going through Beaumont, providing 105 was open. I had made up my mind I was going even if I had to turn around and come back. I couldn't stand not knowing what happened to our house.
East of Batson Hwy 105 was rough. No clearing had been done and there were a lot of trees on the road. Down power lines, but nothing that stopped traffic. I was feeling pretty good about getting home. When I came upon the first road into Bevil Oaks, a tree and a transformer were in the middle of the road and no way could I get across. The second road entrance was passable, for a few blocks. It was evident no road clearing had been done. Even the volunteer fire dept was gone. I was close enough to walk to the house if I had too. (foreshadowing) I managed to work my way around downed trees and electrical lines all over the main road going back to our house. When I reached our street and turned left, all I could see was trees. I got within two blocks of the house and had to stop. Joe Fred and I got out of the truck and started walking to the house. I couldn't see anything but trees down. When I got to the house, I discovered trees down every where. There are at least 70 trees down on our property. But, the house was in good shape. The only damage was a tree that fell toward our patio that had taken down the gutters on the North side of the house. The irony is, this is the same tree that the top broke off in 1986 during Hurricane Bonnie and took off the gutters on my garage. It had grown back out and came back to haunt me again. Tomorrow this tree will get to know Mr. Stihl.

I had to get my chain saw and tractor to clear enough room to get my truck to the house. I had to get the generator in so I could have some electricity.
We are very fortunate not to have any damage. This place is unbelievable and I can't describe to you how bad it is. I am not kidding when I said at least 70 down trees. It looks like a war zone. Once I got my truck in front of the house, Joe Fred got back in and wouldn’t get out. He was a little spooked.
Right now I have the generator running and the computer (phone lines) obviously work. I have no running water but I got a lot of jugs and I have 15 gallons of gas for the generator.

I also have about 8 cans of tuna fish (Babe taught me this). So all will be fine. Linda and Jen will need to stay awhile until we can get some more services. They haven't been adequately trained to pee in the back yard.

Tomorrow, Joe Fred and I will begin cutting up some trees. If anyone needs firewood, come on down.

Epilogue (11/15/2005)

Bevil Oaks Municipal Water District had the water running in a couple of days although it had to be boiled for food preparation or consumption. I fired up the propane burner and boiled a big pot of water to wash the dishes and give to Joe Fred. He preferred bottled water and refused to drink it. As it turned out it came in handy a couple of days later when I had no water pressure for a shower and used it for a sponge bath on the back porch. Being one of only a few people back in town going nekked was not a problem.
After three days I was running low on gas and decided to see if I could find any in town. Nothing, and I mean, nothing was open. I made the mistake of getting on I-10 and the cops wouldn’t let me exit. I ended up driving to Anahuac to find some gas. I also drove to the beach and found the cabin had survived very well. Only some shingles missing from the roof. Had to sneak back in through some secret roads. After relocating to College Station for a week, Linda and Jen returned home to help. The over/under on how many days they would stay without air conditioning was two. It was still HOT. The electricity was off for three weeks. When it was restored, the air conditioner would not run. At least I didn’t have to keep putting gas in the generator. A few days later our favorite AC man, John Faraci got it working.
All told, we had over 70 down trees. Half of them were completely uprooted. Our fences were destroyed. We managed to get the front, back and sides of the house cleared within a month. I paid some guys from Cleveland, TX to clear the pasture and pile up the debris with their bulldozer, track hoe, bobcat and trucks. They made three very large piles to burn.
Heath Killingsworth helped me make temporary repairs to the fence to contain the dogs. Linda, Jennifer and Bobby Katz became skilled front end loader operators. Many thanks to Kenneth, Lisa and Shelby Lambert for taking our entourage in under difficult circumstances. Kenneth brought his crew down for firewood and cleared a large section of debris. They also drank a large volume of beer that night. Many thanks to all of my new amigos. My neighbor, Tommy Cooley, was a big help the first few days until Exxon-Mobil found out he was home and called him in to work. Theo Baker worked his tail off for three of the hottest days you can imagine. He is the strongest person I know.
The pasture sure looks barren with all of those trees gone. It will take a while to get all of the little things done. We will have to patch the roof, repair fences, replace gutters and do a lot of landscaping. Still got firewood if anyone wants it. We got red oak, white oak, swamp oak, hickory, sweet gum and hackberry.

"...Like A Chicken with It's Head Cut Off"

After watching the recent CMA Award show several weeks ago, I now have a new favorite musical group.  Lady Gaga and The Black Eyed Peas have been replaced with the Zac Brown Band.  They sang a song called, "Don't Be Fallin' In Love While She's Walkin' Away" or something like that.  I decided to check into some more of their music.  One song in particular was about some chickens wandering around the yard and a mean little dog getting after it. (You gotta be from the country to understand this kinda stuff)

 While listening to "Sic 'Em On A Chicken", I was reminded of growing up in the country and seeing my Grandmother catch a chicken in the back yard for supper.  Grasping the chicken by the head and with a couple of quick twists she would pop the heamd off the chicken.  The chicken would then run around the yard for a short time until it fell over and before you knew it we were arguing over who got to eat the "pully bone".

I remember a story my Grandmother used to tell me about my Dad when he was a boy growing up in the country.  There was (probably still is) a disease in chickens called the "limberneck". The chickens lose control of their neck muscles and can't hold their heads up and walk around with their head hanging down.  They would eventually die from this, but more often were quickly culled from the healthy chickens.

While washing the dishes  and looking out the window she saw some of the chickens were walking around with their heads hanging down.  Concerned that they had the limberneck and she was going to have to destroy numerous Sunday dinners, she went outside to investigate.  When she went behind the barn, she found my Dad catching the chickens and trying to "wring their neck" as he had seen Grandmother do many times.  Being just a tot all he was doing was straining their necks.   I don't remember all of the story, but I am pretty sure he got a whoopin'

Corporal punishment was pretty popular back then.

Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child

                                                                          
A recent news report from one of the local TV stations interviewed a Grandmother/Mother of a child that was paddled in school and ended up with a bruise on his butt.  The parents were enraged because they did not give approval to administer corporal punishment.  A debate ensued on Facebook about school discipline.  Most had found the teacher guilty without hearing the teacher's side of the story.

All of the discussion reminded me of a story my late Mother told me.  She was a math teacher at a junior high school when a female student in another class misbehaved.  The student was sent to the assistant principle's office and was thus given the option of taking a paddlin' or reporting to detention after school.  The girl did not show up for detention that afternoon.

The next morning the girl and her father showed up at the Assistant Principles office.  The father stated that he did not want his daughter being whipped and that she need to come home right after school as she had chores to do.   The father said he understood that his daughter had been bad and he was there to take the "licks" for her.  The assistant said that he would have to take that up with the Principal, which he did.   The Principal obliged and lifted the old man off the floor with several swings of his paddle. 

The old man thanked the principal and told the girl's teacher that if she had any more trouble with his daughter to let him know as he and the Principal had worked out a deal.

The Back Stop Was My Day Care Center

Riding on IH 10 West of Beaumont you will see a magnificent new football complex.  Amid some controversy, the football stadium and natorium was included in a rather large bond issue to build new schools for the school district.  The stadium was named to honor the school superintendent.  It is officially known as the "Carroll A. "Butch" Thomas Educational Support Center".  It is now called "The Butch" by some.  Reflecting on the name decision to call it an "Educational Support Center" took me back to my youth and our "Support Centers"

For a group of boys growing in the 1950s all that was needed was a baseball, a bat and enough gloves for half of the kids.  In our day we always managed to have a baseball.  It was  brown from repeated use and sometimes the threads were breaking or coming unwound.  One bat was available, maybe two.  They both probably had some small nails where they had been broken.  Alvin Stephens had the best bat.  George Fortune got some gloves from his Uncle the Coach and several of us would provide the balls.  The baseballs also had many scratches from repeated foul balls hitting the asphalt or shell roads or striking the back stop.   You could play baseball without a backstop, but it was not desirable.  Without one the game slowed down as we had to stop and retrieve errant pitches and fouls that would otherwise be contained by the back stop. 

The boys of Highland Ave. were fortunate.   We had a back stop.  It was located on the school grounds of C.W. Bingman Elementary school where most of us were students.  It was this back stop that served as the focal point from the time we were nine or ten years old until we got too big to play on the improvised diamond.  We never had enough for two nine player teams, but had enough to play.  We had to improvise some rules like; no right fielder therefore any ball hit there was foul.  The bases were bare spots in the dirt. Close calls were mediated in a fair manner such that a dispute never interfered with the game. 

There was a core group of boys; Bobby Katz, George Fortune, Bobby Kinnear, Buster Coats, Alvin Stephens, myself and my little brother, Chub, that would assemble at the backstop every day during the summer.  A few of us would make phone calls to try to get others to play.  Many mornings I rode my bike about two miles to pick up Don Ray so he could play with us.  Others made phone calls and often Russell Reich, Andy Moorefield, Johnny Richardson and James Kelsey would play.  There were others from time to time, but you could usually count on 10 to 12 each day. 

Each game would start with the traditional team selection.  The game couldn't begin until the dew had evaporated from the grass or the ball would get soggy.  We would play until there were too few of us left to conduct a game.  From the back stop we would usually ride our bikes to Jones 7-11 or Mazzu Bros Gulf Fillin' Station for a Mr. Cola or Grapette or some other real cold beverage.  We would buy some baseball cards and chew the bubble gum.  We were either Yankee or Dodger fans and emulated our favorites. I was Roy Campanella, George was Duke Snider and so it goes.  The next day it was meet at the back stop and do it all over again. 

The funny thing is I can't remember ever asking permission to go to the backstop or it never occurred to me that my parents might disapprove.  In the summer they went to work and we went to the school grounds.  Baseball was our baby sitter and the Back Stop was the Day Care Center. 

It was at the Back Stop that we developed our social skills.  We were competitive and wanted to be the best.  We learned that you must compromise or seek consensus to have a good game.  No one person was always right.  No one got into trouble. You needed everyone to play as fielding two teams was more important than  skill levels.  No adult supervision was required.  It was baseball and the rules of the game were all that was needed.  That is where we learned to play and respect the game.  It was FUN!

None of the gang made it to the majors.  In fact, only about half of us even played in high school.  But of the names I can recall there are five Engineers, a CPA, A journeyman Electrician, two educators and several that I have lost complete touch.  All have lived successful lives, raised families and been contributors to society.

Out of curiosity, I recently decided to check out the back stop.  It, or a replica, is still there.  Right on the corner of S. Kenneth and Winfree.  However, I don't think that it gets much use as a Day Care center anymore as what used to be the field is now  a parking lot. 

The Back Stop

Maybe "The Butch" will develop young men and women in it's role as an Educational Support Center, I dunno.   What I do know is The Back Stop and others like it all over the country did just that.

It is on that note, that I am leading a campaign to name the back stop pictured above as the   "George Wayne "Buddy" Fortune Back Stop and Day Care Center". "The Buddy"

One Cool Dude

Several weeks ago I was performing my "Courier" duties on my part time job at the local motorcycle shop.  A light rain was falling when I returned to the shop parking lot after making a run to the local bank.  When I got out of the truck, I put the satchel over my head and walked the 40 or so feet to the door before I could get out of the rain. 

A little while later one of my co-workers that is about half my age, came up to me and said, "Mr. Jim you are really cool". "I mean, you are a cool dude."  After checking to make sure that my wallet was still in my pocket, I asked, "What are you talking about?"  He remarked that he had watched me get out of the truck and in spite of the rain, just casually walked to the front door without getting in any hurry or showing any concern for the rain.  He was impressed with my "No Fear" demeanor.

After thinking about what he said, I said thanks and walked off.   I decided not to tell him that I was too crippled to run and just let the "Cool Dude" tag ride.

It Doesn't Matter Whether You Win or Lose, ...

It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you played the game. Even as a kid growing up on S. Parkway, I knew this was bull. It usually meant you lost. I can see it now. It's Monday Night Football, the game just ended and the announcers say, "Let's go to Andrea Creamer on the sideline with tonight's star, Alan Haynesworth, Andrea...." Andrea: "Alan I noticed you didn't step on any one's head tonight, way to play the game. Alan: "Thanks, Ms. Creamer, the OL had been helping me up all night and I wanted to show my appreciation for their courtesy". Andrea: "Way to play the game, Alan. Back to you, Mike..."

Later in my adult life I heard quote, "It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's the point spread that counts" You see, if a team is favored to win by four points and they only win by three, then they lose. Now this has made a lot more sense, until I started playing Fantasy Football.

Now it is no longer about the game, it's about the individual performances. Take the MNF game last night between defending Super Bowl Champion, New Orleans and the Home team, San Francisco 49ers. New Orleans is a four point favorite on the Vegas betting line. If you bet on NO, they have to beat SF by 5 or more points. Going into the game Top Gun has a 30 point lead over Sneaky Mom in the Feature Fantasy Football game in our league. Top Gun's players are through, but Sneaky Mom still has NO's defense and SF running back Frank Gore. Still a huge obstacle to over come. With two minutes left in the game, NO is ahead by eight points and Sneaky Mom is behind by 0.3 and SF has the ball. A NO interception or fumble recovery or a 3 or more yard gain by Frank Gore will be a win for Sneaky Mom. SF is out of time outs and can't stop the clock. They must pass.

The result was classic football, Gore gets 12 yards on an outlet pass and SF goes on to score. NO makes a heroic comeback, kicks a field goal to win by three. SF covered the spread and Sneaky Mom had the FF comeback win of the season based on the performance of Frank Gore. Oh yeah, New Orleans actually won the game.

.

Coffee With G Man

It is G Man Time! The Fantasy Football World trembles in his presence. Mother Nature speaks his name.



Aliens from other universes honor his presence.




He is truly the Second Most Interesting Man in the World.


Al Capone had Elliot Ness. Napoleon met Wellington at Waterloo. The Joker had Batman. Wylie Coyote had the road runner. And, Da Family has G Man. Much like the US in post WWII in Germany and Japan after we annihilated the respective armies and regimes, we spent much effort restoring and rebuilding those nations we conquered. In the true American Spirit and after dominating Da Family, The G Man is going to share his knowledge, give advice and critique FF play this year in the true spirit of Sportsmanship.



Everyone is encourage to watch for the Premier of "Coffee With G Man" show and tune in weekly for the soon to be Emmy nominated sports show.

The Top Gun

Top Gun does fly jets for a living and rides a Harley. But, don't let the name fool you. He ain't likely to bring Kelly McGillis home to meet his Maw. Kelly would have already had this family member wasted at a toll booth somewhere. He is probably a lot closer to Sonny Corleone than Tom Cruise.

Top Gun has only been a success recently. He won last year going away and whipped everyone pretty bad in the playoffs. But, until he can demonstrate the consistency of the last four mentioned players will he earn Top Gun as a Title vs. a nickname. Speaking of which, he does lead the league in name changes. He is the only player to have more name changes than waiver wire transactions. He can get alot better if he observes and learns from superior players. He can start with his "Spades" game or maybe painting condos. He has drafted well this year and has shown potential. He is on the short list as a possible successor to G Man if he continues to improve.

He likes the color fuchsia and has a butterfly collection.

Top Gun has been voted the second most favorite person to beat.

Vegas Odds: 5:2

The Sneaky Mom

Will the real Sneaky Mom stand up? Who would have thought that the innocent, four-eyed little blonde on the left would turn into the master of disguise above. Not much is known of Sneaky Mom's life in the years in between. No one knows what led her to a life of espionage and intrigue.

There are some rumors of her leading a double life as a Mother by day and a spy by night. The only thing that is known for sure is that she requires little sleep and has been spotted in Walmart in the wee hours of the morning. Most feel that she has abandoned the life of mystery to concentrate on Fantasy Football. It is known that she occasionally reverts back to her clandestine training by spying on her sister's husband and friends only to be disappointed when she found them doing nothing. She was a participant in the Candymig caper and cropped and enhanced photos to make her opponents look bad and her look good.

Sneaky Mom has been one of the more successful players. She has finished in the playoffs every year. Every year she has the same game plan. She whines about how bad her teams are, how little she knows about football, how her job keeps her from studying, her computer doesn't work, her electricity is out, her husband intimidates her, she doesn't want to beat her baby boys and then will go for your juggler. Like all members of Da Family she is extremely competitive and combative. Many outsiders believe that she is actually Da Family "Boss". She uses that little blonde Daddy's girls to get your guard down and the next thing you know, you are down 40 points. A player to beat every year. Don't let the raven wig fool you, 'cause no one knows what color her roots really are.

Her nanner puddin' is better than anything Aunt Bea ever made. She is a James Bond in a Martha Stewart apron.

Vegas Odds: 5:1

Next: The Top Gun

The Aunt

The Aunt has been competitive. She plays the game with the same reckless abandon that she shows driving her car and falling over things.

The Aunt, aka Crash, Beach Bums and Candy, is devious. She has been a poor role model for her niece and other family members. She was the instigator of the infamous CandyMig.

She is one of the first to go into protective mode when Da Family members are attacked (Unless it is Coach or Pilot). Her enemies refer to her as "Attila the Hen". (Behind her Back)

The Aunt won the first FF championship and is usually a contender. She works hard and stays up all night watching the waiver wire.

She likes dogs and dancing in the rain. A recovering smoker that can be dangerous at times. She once had a real job as a bean counter.

Her beach house was destroyed in Hurricane Ike, but, was one of the first to rebuild on Bolivar Peninsula. A staunch animal rights activist, she has purchased her own burial plot in the pet cemetary off Spindletop Rd.

Vegas Odds: 10:1

Next: Sneaky Mom

The Princess

The Princess has shown signs of being a competitor. The first year she had the best record through 14 games but lost two straight in the playoff. The following year she won to become the second straight woman to win the championship.

Her success does not come as a surprise as she doesn't do anything but study players and teams day and night. Plus the first year she was able to orchestrate some rather lopsided trades with The Pilot. It was these trades that led to the computer guy challenging the integrity of the league and the unity of Da Family becoming public. Weaker players backed away and let them run rough shod over the league. She consistently leads the league in waiver wire transactions.

Last year with tighter league rules and more public scrutiny, The Princess performance returned to mediocrity.

She has a fabulous beach house and cooks some mean ribs

Vegas Odds: 15:1

Next: The Aunt

The Kicker

The kicker, a former all state high school football player and a four year punter/kicker for Sam Houston State.

"Da Family" spent four years following his career all over the world,including visits to Missoula, Montana. I believed they turned to FF after experiencing letdown from real football.

Anyway, the Kicker is now coaching full time and has only limited time for FF. His dedication to his real job is evidenced in his performance on the FF field. The only time he made the playoffs was when "The Coach" threw a game enabling "The Kicker" to obtain the final spot.

He may perform better this year since he was unavailable during the draft and let the computer pick his team.

Vegas Odds: 50:1

The Pilot

The Pilot has been a consistent lower tier competitor.

He has never made the championship bracket and usually plays second fiddle to his wife. He fancies himself a great fisherman, but, who am I to argue.

He is more of a soldier in Da Family, but is a made man as evidenced by some of the shady trades pulled off in year one.

The Pilot is not figured to be a contender this year as the stress leading up to the draft has already caused him health problems requiring surgery.

He flies an Air Bus for his day job.

He does possess a really cool photo of his beach house right after Hurricane Ike. It was taken with the helicopter "Marine One" in the foreground carrying a real President.

That impresses me, but not his FF play.

Vegas odds to win it all: 75:1

Next: The Kicker

The Coach

The coach usually finishes last. Based on his 2010 draft he is heading for another losing season.

You would think that a former college athlete would fair better in fantasy football, but, no such thing. Coach led the charge in the first year to run off the "new guy" and was instrumental in eliminating the monetary prize to the winner. Since then the league plays for pride. He is the only player to win two trophies in the same year.

He has had difficulty concentrating on the game as he has spent most of his time trying to figure out what happened to his golf cart that washed away in Hurricane Ike.

The coach is a good cook and he does have a penchant for attracting good looking women.

Vegas Odds: 100:1

Meet Da Family: The Kid

The kid, aka, C men and Soon 2 B Champ has been a steady player. He has finished fifth the last two years and had some upset wins that hurt the leaders. Like his room mate, Angel, he has kept a low profile and not stirred up a lot of trouble.

He had a good draft and is projected to be in the championship bracket this year.

On a personal note, the kid, is the youngest member of "Da Family". I don't believe he is aware of "Da Family Business" as he appears to be nice and quiet.

He spent two summers going door to door handing out religious literature and plans to be a minister. He just finished a two year mission working as a bartender while dating a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader.

Vegas Odds: 150:1

Next: The Coach

Meet the Players: The Rogue Players

The hhfamilyfootball league has always had ten teams. Eight of the positions have been filled by the same players from the beginning. The ninth position has been stable the last three years. But, there has been some turnover. The first year the "New Guy" was a seasoned FF player and acted as commissioner. He was very knowledgeable competitor. Only problem was he tried to play by the Marques of Queens berry Rules while the rest of the players were cage fighting. He almost quit in the middle of the season, but stuck it out. Later he moved out of the country (TEXAS).


That same year we were introduced to "Candymig". (picture) This team was a concoction of two other family members. They were busted at the end of the season, but not before they orchestrated some favorable personnel moves with the fictitious player.


The next year some guy from Idaho played. His name was Spud or Tater or Legume or some high carb name. I don't know if he was friends with one of the other players or just got in our league by accident. He didn't do well so he wasn't an issue.


Last year another new guy entered. Angel kept his mouth shut and maintained a low profile. A significant attribute to compete against "Da Family". The fact that he has elected to play a second year shows he has some huevos. The true test will come when he starts competing for a championship.

Vegas Odds: 200:1

Next: The Kid

The hhfamilyfootball Fantasy League

Five years ago I thought Fantasy Football was a waste of time. Today, I still believe it is a waste of time, but, it is fun. Habit forming might be a better description. It's a way for us former jocks to compete with the young studs (and studettes) and rejuvenate the old competitive spirit.

Four years ago I was talked into joining a league with some friends. As it turned out the league consisted of myself, a young guy that had some computer savvy and knew how to set the league up and "Da Family".(pictured)

As the first season progressed it became clear that this was no ordinary family (You will get to meet them individually in upcoming posts). They were cut throat competitors. They harassed each other, accused other members of cheating, smack talked and on and on. Until, the young non-family computer guy called their hand on some improprieties. They turned on him like a bread crumb falling in a fire ant bed. He did manage to finish the season, but, vowed to never play with the family again. He felt so threatened that he moved all the way to the East Coast. There was a rumor that he had joined FFA (Fantasy Football Anonymous)

Well the fifth season starts next week and I have managed to remain in the league as a non family member. However, the computer guys spot has experienced considerable turnover. The draft has been completed without incident. Let the fun begin

Getting Old Ain't For Sissies

During a recent gathering of a dozen or so high school friends the conversation turned to what prescription drugs we were taking. As the discussion went around the circle and the discussion of what statin drugs each was taking, who was on blood pressure medication, blood thinners, etc., it occurred to me that we were getting old. ese
A further survey revealed two hip replacements, four total knee replacements, one quadruple bypass, a couple of cancer surgeries and some other recent minor surgeries.
And, for the most part, these guys are in pretty good physical condition for 1962 high school graduates.

In addition to various physical ailments, topics of politics, 401ks and the Astros surfaced.

The real indicator of the fact that we were getting old was when we realized not one time did the subject of "girls" come up.

The Grass is Always Greener on the Football Field

Forty-five years ago I was in college and had a couple of part time jobs. One job, I had my entire college career. Bobby Katz, a life long friend, and myself were the "straw bosses" of two yard mowing crews. It was a part time job my Dad had contracted with the FHA to clean and keep up repossessed houses until they could be sold. Mostly, it consisted of mowing the grass. In the summer each crew would mow as many as 25 yards/day. This was before Zero turn mowers, sun screen and OFF insect repellent. Well, my Dad, not to be content with just the houses, got the job of mowing the grass on the new Lamar University (nee Tech) stadium. We were to mow it every two weeks until the contractor turned it over to the University. Bobby and I figured out that the two crews would meet at the stadium in the afternoon and cut the grass together. We had six mowers and eight workers, therefore two would sit out about 20 minutes each. Jerry Northcutt and my brother, Chub drew the first bleacher time. By this time of day it was HOT! and the mosquitos were awful. Unless you grew up in the wetlands in the 60s, you can't imagine. Needless to say everyone was tired and tempers were a little on edge. When it was time to shift jobs, the "bleacher bums" had it figured differently and refused to come down. Long story, short, Bobby and I fired them and made them walk home without pay. They were later reinstated by my Dad, but our decision was held to be right and just.

We mowed the stadium grass a few more times after that. However, we lost our contract when the mower I was using lost one oil plug and we left a streak of oil from one sideline to the other one. The grass soon died.

I was in the stands cheering the Cardinals on for the first game played in Cardinal Stadium. Lamar dropped football after 1989 and this is the first year to field a team since then. I will be in the stands for the first game to be played in the newly renovated stadium on Sept. 11. Since the new playing surface is synthetic field turf, I won't be self conscious about a dead streak of grass across the field.

The Nail Job

Yesterday I was caught off guard. For many years I owned rental property and a lot of it was not in the best part of town. I am accustomed to being approached by vagrants, beggars, panhandlers and con men/women. Some have unique stories, but, most want gas money or just money. Usually, they have recently run out of gas or they don't have enough fuel to get to California. They seem to hang around convenience stores the most. I never give them money. It is always interesting to watch their reaction when you say, "I can't give you any money, but I do have a gallon of gas I can put in your car" I have never had to go that far. They have some other excuse. Usually, they don't even have a car.

Yesterday about 1:11pm I had stopped at a nice Exxon filling station/convenience store to "fill 'er up". It was 95 degrees. I left the nozzle in the truck pumping and went inside to get me a soda water. When I came out I noticed an Asian looking lady talking to the guy on the other side of the pump. I removed the pump nozzle and started to open the door, she stepped toward me and said something. I thought, uh oh, another panhandler wanting some money to buy a bus ticket to Disney World. She had a thick accent and I asked her to repeat herself several times before I realized what she was saying. She said, "You want to come to my room and do whatever you want?" Since I had just recently had a pedicure, I said, "No thank you" and left. Reflecting back, I now realize that she was wanting to polish more than my nails.

Hey, at least she was working and not begging. Must have been raised a Republican.

Water Flows Down Hill Or Does It?

A bayou is defined as a slow moving body of water, or something like that.

In late September of 2008 Pine Island Bayou showed something I had never seen before. I have seen the bayou overflow it's banks and stand six feet in my barn. In 1994 it even reached my house. But on the day this photo was taken it was about 11.1 feet and very shallow. It was about 6:00pm and Hurricane Ike was in the Gulf of Mexico and landfall was projected due south of Bevil Oaks around 2:00am the next day. We had boarded the windows on the house, put away the lawn chairs and parked our cars in the garage. Now, all we had to do was wait for the blow. We had decided against evacuating and were set to ride it out. I had the generator in place and my tractor strategically located so no trees could take it out. Ike was a Category II storm which was less powerful than Rita. However, it was pushing a storm surge one would expect of a Cat IV.

When I decided to take some pictures before the storm, it was quite, no wind was blowing, the skies were clear and it was hot. A typical afternoon for September. As I stood on the banks of the bayou and snapped the photo above, somethng felt eerie. Maybe it was the quite. Or, maybe some fear of our decision to stay versus evacuating. As I looked at the water something was not right. After a closer look and a throwing a few twigs and leaves into the water, my questions were answered. The Bayou was flowing backwards. The storm surge had already reached land and due to the low river levels, the water was backing up and Hurricane Ike was still 8 hours away.

The hurricane hit us head on. We could hear the trees falling during the night. All told 27 were down. One cut the barn in half, but not a single tree hit the house.

As soon as it was daylight the clean up began. The rain had stopped and the bayou was back to normal.

Dog Days of Summer

Today is the way it is suppose to be in SE Texas. High of 95 degrees with a heat index of 111. Except for an occasional winter blizzard, it don't get cold down here. That's what I like about living on the Bayou. That, and the dress code, of course. (Does anyone ever wonder why Carrier's headquarters are in Syracuse). It's these hot, humid days of summer, that bring to mind the hottest days I can remember. Two particular ones come to mind. The first was in 1962. I was just out of high school and preparing to enter college in the fall. The only job I could land was with a construction company that built filling stations. (Uh, some may call them gas stations) Anyway the company was preparing to pour some concrete for an approach apron. In order to prepare the surface we had to remove about 6 inches of oyster shell base. When these shells are laid wet, they set up like concrete. Anyway, the boss had us busting up this stuff in order to be able to remove it. I was on the working end of a "grub hoe". It looks sorta like a big pick ax. It was on or about August 7th and the temperature reached 107. That was before heat index was known. To quote Robin Williams in "Good Morning, Vietnam" , it was "HOT, DAMN HOT!". That was the day I confirmed I wanted to go to college. Today when you pass a road crew in the USA, working on any project, make a note of how many 18 year old, college bound, white boys are working. 48 years ago there was one. By the way, I was making the minimum wage of $1.25.

The second day, was in late Septemeber right after Hurricane Rita. I had over 70 trees down and was on the working end of a chain saw. Electricity was out and no A/C in the house. But, that is worth another story.

Right now I am going to just enjoy this hot and humid, mostly sunny day and thank God it don't get cold on the Bayou

Spread the Wealth

I am just now realizing that I am one of the "Rich" and must spread the wealth. When I retired I continued to pay the premiums on my group life insurance. Well the government has decided that the value of any amount over $50,000 is taxable, or, "imputed income". In 2009 my imputed income was over $3000. The three previous years it was less than $400. Why the ten-fold increase? Therefore, my income taxes increased by $377 based on 14.5% rate.

Now here is the kicker. I have a little part time job. It is fun, easy and gives me a little extra spending money. Since I am drawing social security, I have a limit on my earnings, otherwise SS reduces that benefit $1 for every $2 I make. Fair enough, that has been well communicated over the years. Little did I know that the imputed income also counts against that ceiling. Now I find out that I earned too much in 2009 and must repay social security $455. Because I over earned and my wife is drawing SS, her benefit is reduced and she must repay $121. That is a total of $953 I must pay in 2009 vs each of the previous years.

Consider the fact that everyone must pay income taxes on 85% of their social security earnings.

Summary:

I am taxed on a benefit for which I pay $180/mo that my heirs will get and my annual earnings is reduced because I have chosen to look out for future generations. I thought Obama wasn't going to increase taxes on anyone making under $250,000. I guess the definition of "Rich" has changed. I feel better now knowing that I am Rich

The Effecient Should Not Be Punished By the Recalcitrant Few

It is tragic to see the marshes and wildlife damage along the Gulf Coast. I have seen that poor oil drenched pelican on TV about 100 times now. The same brown pelican species that was endangered several decades ago due to damage DDT caused on their eggs. This specie recovered nicely and can be seen soaring along the coast most every morning and evening along Bolivar Peninsula. They will survive again. The marshes will eventually recovery and in the time the fishing industry will be putting shrimp and oysters on plates in Baltimore and Kansas City.

But, how about BP? A company that has a track record of not being very good stewards of the environment and the community in which it operates. Two major incidents occurred in the last decade at a Texas City Refinery that caused multiple fatalities. Investigations revealed Process Safety Violations. These only occur when costs or production delays occur. From the early comments I am hearing about the explosion and subsequent leak in the Gulf, BP again short cut safety in order to speed up the process of delivering oil. Off shore drilling requires a drilling rig at a cost of about half million a day to locate the oil and then it is removed to move in a production platform that pumps the oil and delivers to the transportation system. It is my understanding that BP short cut the prep process for this transition in order to save a couple of days and dollars.

Now, every responsible company that operates in the Gulf will be punished by halting or eliminating off shore drilling. One rig has already been moved to the North Shore. So what, you say? Jobs! Jobs lost along the entire Gulf Coast. More oil purchases from Venezuela.

The government has put in place a lot of safety and environmental regulations, enforce them and get rid of the BP's and let the responsible producers operate.

A good leader will work to remove the obstacles that hinder the organization from accomplishing the objectives. Not meddle in the details. Our government has no clue of what is required to solve the bigger problem of Energy independence.

The efficient should not be punished by the recalcitrant few

Storm in the Gulf

Just saw on the news that there is a Tropical Depression expected to be a named storm in the Gulf. Projected path is upper Texas Gulf Coast. Could we have another hurricane on the Bayou? California has its fires and mud slides. The Midwest endures tornados, the Mississsippi Valley has to worry about floods and the Northeast has blizzards. We have hurricanes!

My first recollection of a hurricane was Audrey. I can remember watching the small trees through the front window as they were almost horizontal. Audrey's storm surge killed over 500 people on the SW Louisiana coast. I remember Carla as most of the coastal area was evacuated and our high school was set up as an evacuee shelter and many of us students worked there. Alicia hit west of Houston and we saw a lot of rain and the Bolivar Peninsula received damage. Numerous other "named" storms effected the area; Beulah, Bonnie, Carmen, Camille, Francis, Allison, etc..

The action really heated up in 2005 and hasn't shown much mercy since. Everyone has been inundated with Katrina news. Believe it or not Katrina impacted Texas. People left New Orleans and won't go back. The local arena was set up as a shelter and we volunteered to wmakiork. It was interesting to see the attitudes change as the waves of people moved out and new ones moved in. The first ones were those that left before the storm hit and appreciated any help they could get and moved on to get on with their lives. The latter group was more interested in getting their $50 Walmart card than finding employment or transportation back. Many of them are still here.

One month later folks along the Bayou were evacuating prior to Hurricane Rita making landfall. We left two days before Rita center punched us. (That trip is subject for another blog)

Returned home to find 70 trees down. Not a single one on the house or barn, but the fences were destroyed and the clean up was overwhelming. About one third of the houses along the Bayou had one or more trees on the roof. Some actually in the living room, den, kitchen, etc.

Although Hurricane Rita was a more powerful storm than Katrina, it was not recognized as such. I believe that their two main differences in these storms that were a month apart.

One, the levy broke and gave all the liberal news media and politicians a reason to blame the storm on George W. Bush. Two, Texans pulled up their boot straps and got to work to get their lives, homes, etc. back in order. On the other hand, the folks in New Orleans tried to blame someone for their misfortune and expected some one else to help them out. The leadership from their mayor exemplified the overall attitude permeating all of those still left in NO.

It's Nice to Be Outside

Living on the bayou has certain benefits if you enjoy nature. Deer grazing in the pasture as the new born fawns frolick about. Cardinals building a nest in the azalea bush outside your kitchen window. Pileated woodpeckers flying from tree to tree as red tail hawks soar overhead. The sudden swoop of a large owl at dusk. Evidence that armadillo were digging up grub worms. Occasionally, I very large snake will appear on the porch. Once you have smelled the stench from a cotton mouth water moccasion, you will never forget it. The damn deer will eat yourtomato plants and flowers. Fire ants will build mounds and sting for no particular reason. June bugs are everywhere. And the spiders!! Not to mention the neighborhood dogs that crap in your yard. AHHH!!

Oh, sorry. The trees are plentiful. We have several species of virgin oak and pine
There are hickory, sweetgum, dogwood and magnolia growing freely. During the fall you get to enjoy the breeze gently blowing through the trees

And during hurricane season, well that's another matter all together

A Blind Hog Finds an Acorn Every once in awhile

It was Christmas of 2006 when my daughter gave me a coupon to buy tickets to see the Houston Astros play during the 2007 season. Great present. We just had to select the date we wanted to attend.

Being a Lamar University College Baseball fan, I wanted to wait until their season was over. I then realized that this would be the year that Craig Biggio would reach 3000 hits. To determine the date I developed some complicated mathematical formulas and selected the date with the highest probability he would get 3000. (Actually, I figured he would hit .240, sit out day games and the Astros would hold him out of the line-up if he was likely to get that hit on the road). Anyway that date came and we were in the stands. Biggio was three hits short of 3000. A habit I learned from my parents, we arrived at Minute Maid Park early and had some time to take some pictures. One of my high school friends, Dr. Gene Coleman, is the strength and conditioning coach for the 'Stros. Before the game I decided to take a few pictures of Gene. That's when the luck really began. The above picture not only includes my old buddy, but #7 Biggio. Also, stretching is ladies heart throb, Brad Ausmus and current Astro Hunter Pence. I have no idea about #85's identity. As "real luck" would have it the DuPont stock ticker was scrolling by. I worked for DuPont for 38+ years.

In summary, Biggio got the three hits + two more to put him over the 3000 mark. Sure Hall of Fame numbers for someone that played the game the way it should be played. Oswalt started the game, pitched 7 innings and gave up one earned run. Berkman hit a homer in the late innings to get Houston back in the game. Carlos Lee hit a "walk-off" home run in the 11th inning to give Houston the win.

This was one of the Top Five Baseball games I have ever seen.

Bad Beat

All In with pocket jacks. Got one caller that has me covered. He turns over Ace/King. At this point I would be a slight favorite. Flop comes jack, five, four, Aw right, a set of jacks. River is a deuce. Only a three will beat me. Gotta be better than a 10:1 favorite to win at this point. River card is a "3" giving my opponent a straight. When I learned to play poker on Highland Ave. A straight beat three of a kind. And, it still does. If I was gonna get pissed, that would have been the time!