Way Better Than Victoria (Part 1)

   Imagine walking through an airport in the mist of what could possibly be the most life changing experience of you're life, and it all comes to an end as quick as the tickets were printed.  Here's the situation to the one and only mishap of my week long excursion across the Midwest. 
  It was a Monday night earlier that week, and I'm glued to the TV like a child watching Saturday morning cartoons stuffing his face with endless amounts of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  The Ags, my pride and joy, were one win away from going to Omaha for the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.  Only five previous times prior to this had A&M made it.  Even further back at the beginning of the fall I traveled to Lincoln to catch a Husker football game with Mark, and I had promised him that if the Aggies made it to Omaha that I would be sitting next to him enjoying the ball game, which ironically he envisioned in a dream just one year previous.  Anyways, the slow rolling grounder drifted in seemingly slow motion, it was fielded perfectly and then it was a reality.  A dog pile ensued in Tallahassee and in my living room, because I was going to Omaha to watch them contend for a Nation Championship. 
   Back to the airport.  So my Dad and I set out on the first 100+ of nearly 3,000 miles of travel I was getting myself into. As a sturdy businessman I stood eagerly waiting for my turn to print my tickets, keep in mind its fathers day Sunday, and literally everyone and their father's were flying in and out of Austin so it Time Square sized traffic jam getting to the airport.  Exaggeration, but seemed that way for me, so I print my tickets and begin to read through to make sure that everything is alright, only to find that the passenger name is my Dad's and not mine.  I get in line not panicked at all, it was still to early at 6:05 to get my feathers too ruffled on what I thought was an easy reprint name change and leave.  After waiting about a minute and a half, a middle aged helper from the airport with an Indian accent comes and let's me know that he was about to ruin my day, by telling me that my dad had to be here to change the name or it would never happen, and my trip would've been assassinated before it even took a breathe of life.  Frantically I call my Dad, who luckily enough is new to his Iphone and doesn't let it get fifteen feet out of his site like a baby who was just born, and he was not too far, but needed to speed so I could still make my flight.  I get to the front of the line to a soft voiced checker lady for American Airlines, who could see the distress running from  my face, like I was wearing a shirt that said, "I just pee'd my pants and everyone can see it".  Explaining my situation, she told me some of the best words I've heard in my life, "It's okay, this happens all the time.  Tell you're Dad he doesn't have to come." . By the time I went to snag my cell phone, I see my Dad running through the crowds pushing through a seeming defensive line the size of the Patriots to get to the front, and when I told him that we got it figured out when most parents, who don't remember where they parked because they were in such a hurry, would've wanted to rip their kids heads off we stepped out of the line with the new tickets and he let out a deep breathe of relief.  At this point,  I was a nervous wreck, but on Father's Day Sunday he stayed with me as long as he could get through to security, gave me a hand shake and a hug and told me he loved me and sent me on through.  With a one way flight to the middle of America, who knows what was coming next for me, and this was possibly the worst way to begin my trek and it was day one. 
   Maneuvering my through security seemed overly easy now almost pointless, yet needed.  Feeling sick in my stomach partially due to the mix of chaotic ticket exchange and the 3 pigs in a blanket and a whole chocolate milk I stuffed down my face at 3 when we were leaving Victoria.  I'd imagine the food was sitting in that gas station from give or take a month, because I still have the black shits from that.  Anyways I was sitting there thinking I was going to puke my guts out on the flight which departed in fifteen short minutes, and then it gets better.  As I was sitting their hold my churning stomach hoping it settled, my name was called out over the PA to come to the front.  After soiling my pants, I moved between the full plane line to the desk when the lady looked at me with a smile and handed my boarding pass to Omaha  to me.  I looked at it, then took a look around at all the poor people that were going to die in 30 minutes from a plane crash started by my horrendous luck in the past hour.  Thankfully excused myself back to the end of the line, and placed a phone call to my Dad, so he could know never to let me never leave his sight again because of my irresponsibility as of late.
   Now I plan to speed up the process of developing the trip of a life time after reading a very well written portrayal of a man shatting himself with the descriptive words of "like a volcano".  Anyways back to Omaha, I land in the Midwest after spending a couple of meaningless hours of being hassled by stewardess, and watching some poor old woman squeeze her freezer size ass into the tiny airplane stall for her morning duties, I got of the plane and found Mark.  We motor through a flood ridden part of Iowa/Nebraska (airport is actually in Iowa ironically) and found our spot for a steady breakfast at the IHOP on the more colorful side of Omaha.  We ate and conversed about what's been going on in our respected areas in the past months calmly sitting confident as the only white folk in the place, but never effecting anything going on.  The time is getting closer, after eating it's around eleven in the morning, and I'm actually as tired as an insomniac on benadryll.  Mark tours me through Omaha and even takes me back to the original home of the College World Series known as Rosenblatt.  Nostalgic in its own state, it was kind of ominous to not see any people in what would typically be the scene of an amusement park for baseball freaks.  No one in the parking lot, and the typical hangout spots were lonely and lifeless.  Almost like a mother losing her children and dying away this was no exception.  A once magnificent place full of emotions, and past memories sits and waits for the wrecking balls to plaster it's walls and only leave behind the memory and a zoo.  Sad story in itself. 
   I can't sit around and pretend I had an emotional attachment, but it was rather eerie.  Anyways we roll on through and make our way to TD Ameritrade Ball Park.  Tempting me with slight glimpses of the brand new stadium as we pass office buildings on I-80 was a dream becoming reality.  Mark would be in the middle of stories about Nebraska, but that's all I can remember because I was zoned out and ready to step foot inside the miraculous place.  And to think we were still 6 hours from even walking in the building.  After taking sometimes to park it's a walk of about a mile or so yet it seems like ten.  Actually seemed more like ten miles after crossing the desert without water and an oasis/waterfall dream vacation spot is in your view.  Arrived. 
   It now sits about 12:15 in the afternoon of a fresh Nebraska day, and the sun is cooking and I mean cook the eggs on the sidewalk sunny side up, flat ass hot.  With 6 hours before game time to spare we needed a chill place.  Looked through all the little shops and passed through the big area for kids, which was so tempting because of the speed pitch, but I thought on a better note and didn't rip my rotators cuff trying to throw a Randy Johnson bird annihilating heater into a plastic sheet just to show my manliness to some eight year olds.  We found our place of rest in the shade.  This was a plus and a minus thing,  on account of the lack of sleep I was hell bent of sleeping like a homeless guy in Houston just outside of the CWS, but didn't happen.  We conversed and gnawed on some warm jerky Mark had stowed away to defeat the overpriced hotdog venders at the ball game.  After a couple hours in the shade, Mark had some friends in the area, so we went to find him.  As we were talking to them the Virginia and Cal game ended, and then it kicked in.  An a shot of adrenaline compared to taking Five Hour Energy shots like a fratstar binge drinking on years old whiskey.  I was ready, and almost impatient, but did not let it show, but I was anxious.  When Mark's friend's departed the temperature had rose to a seemingly 115 degrees (probably 90), but it felt even hotter waiting for all the people from the previous game to clear.  Filing out like someone called in a bomb threat, the masses of people came hundreds after hundreds, and when it ended we were standing at the apex of the stairs and the apex of my baseball dreams just gleaming into the stadium built for people like me.
    

Ominous Clouds

I was working on my blog about the CWS, which is about the length of 18 football fields plus 3 Titanics presinkage, and my mind went off on another subject.  I sent a lengthy confession via text message the other night compiled of what has been on my mind the entire summer, and why it frustrates the hell out of me.  It's not that it kills me, it's more of something I want, but Victoria definitely limits everything.  I enjoy being single, although probably too much before hand than I should have.  Passing up on 4-5 girls that, as hard as it is to say, I screwed up with.  Even weirder yet, is that I didn't screw up with anything I did, except for giving us a chance to date.  It'd be after a couple weeks of talking and I had an infatuation for them, and then I'd wake up and decide well you know this does not look like the right deal.  Nowadays, I'd give anything to take back a couple of those.  What seemed to be the "right thing" then has turned around into me hating being single.  All it boils down to is that I would like a girlfriend for a couple months, and now is it that hard to ask?  I guess so, or I've just been catching some really bad breaks as of late.  This whole summer has gone dateless, when in the past it's been a phone call away from doing something every evening.  This is what they call karma, because now that I can't muster a date at all, it has definitely become a reality check on where I stand.  Next open window with someone I feel semi-interested in, I'll take a shot at it, and who knows could work out for the best.  I just need to get back on the right foot, so hopefully it'll start to fall into pieces.

Omaha by sunrise

So I made a promise to my friend that attends the University of Nebraska that if A&M made it to the College World Series in Omaha that I would make my way to the breezy Midwest to follow my Ags and visit.  Now I'm merely hours away from stepping onto a plane in Austin shipping north and stepping off in the promise land and I'm as excited as a dog getting offered a steak fresh off the grill. This is a once in a lifetime ordeal that's really come up on me quick.  At the beginning of the weak I was nervously watching A&M who got beat worse than if Carrottop was the hated step child by a Florida St ferocious line up. That Sunday the Seminoles stomped a 23 run deep mudhole right through the Ags and taking a shot we were placing all our cards on the new "ace" of the team.

It worked out in our favor due to our streaking hitting and an outstanding performance by our now star pitcher.  Anyways back to the time at hand, the Ags are back in Omaha for just the sixth time in the schools history and I'm going, how sick is that.  Just as awesome is the perfect timing for myself because they just opened beautiful TD Ameritrade ball park in downtown Omaha.  Moving away from nostalgic Rosenblatt Stadium, which hosted the World Series for decades before.  The photo to the right is somewhat the directions of my seats, which are row 15 of a section in that general area, so I'll be watching the greatest game ever slobbering over a frank (but dreaming about an Omaha Steak), and enjoying the times with a friend that has been looking forward to company coming to Nebraska as much as a bride that's getting married the next day.  OK maybe that was a little over exaggerate, but he's pretty psyched, plus he's getting a free bad ass ticket to watch a team that his dad graduated from.  I went up in the fall to a football game at historic Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, which was an epic trip in its own respect.

I've been on the travelling streak as of late and it's only going to get better.  In the fall, using my parents free miles,  I departed from the homeland to the heartland, not once but twice!  Decided at the beginning of the year that I would fly to both Lincoln and Iowa City to see my long off brethren and give them some light from Texas.  So here I go again to the Midwest, only this time is going to be beyond imaginable because by the time my trips done I'll have covered four maybe even five states.  Yes, we're driving back, although I would rather fly, but I was offered a ride home with my future roommate and his girlfriend, so why not spend fourteen hours on the road hoping no one has the farts, or snores when they sleep.  Who knows which state I'll get to drive through, but I'm game for anything and if I end up driving through Kansas, Oklahoma, or Nebraska I'll feel obligated to use the classic "Thought the Rocky's were a little rockier than this" line from the always classically funny Dumb and Dumber. 

Due to the flight time at 7 in the AM, it's going to be an early morning, like 3 AM wake up time to get there in time, so I'll be guzzling 5 Hour Energy Drinks like an alcoholic deprived on fluids for a couple months.  Postings to come up after I get back.  Enjoy Texas.

Why not?

So why not post a new blog addition?  I don't have any clue in the right side of my brain why I stopped writing.  To me it seemed like burden that I had no time for, but now it's summer and my sleeping hours are those of Jeff Van Gundy's pre any basketball game he's every been a part of.  Personally, I don't have the bags like Gundy, but anyone could do without a drooping lack of pillows below his eyes.

Anyways, what's new and typically for any new post it'd be the same ole "not a heck of a lot just same ole stuff" non sense, but these days its always a new feeling starting off with the unfathomable acceptance into the university of my dreams since before I could even comprehend what it was all about.  Yes, my major choice isn't quite what Texas A&M << Dream School, specialzes in, but it means so much to me that it wasn't even an option to go anywhere else.  For as long as my uncle was taking me to the most memorable spot of my entire like Section 315 of Kyle Field, there was ZERO doubt in my mind where I wanted to spend the best years of my life.


If you could just imagine what it felt like to be at the very top row screaming alongside 80,000 plus of you're own people, there is nothing in the world quite like it.  Now that I'll be attending A&M in the fall it seems like a lifelong goal has been fulfilled since my early childhood.  I'm not sure how many people really follow through with the dreams they set out in life, but this is one of the proudest moments personally ever, and will be till the day I die.

Seemed to be that a section of my life was completed, and that's such a relief to get this far, and know that I have a uncanny ability to force myself to succeed, it's just a new life coming in the next couple months.  Also more new times and memories are being ready to be made in the future.  A third roommate, Cory and I have lived together for two years and now, we'll be having a new body in the house.  What a relief for Jordan to come to A&M, and although he was living the same dream I was with his school, I can only hope that A&M lives up to what he plans to do with his life. 

I'm going to try and make this more frequent, and maybe a tad more up beat seeing that my writing skills are as creative as a 98 year old grand ma playing scrabble with the few words they remember.  That was kind of witty/sarcastic, but I'll definitely work on my writing talents for all those reading.  Ha that was a sarcastic one too!

What Are You Thankful For?

     It's as cliche as it come, but what are you really thankful for?  Seeing that Thanksgiving is coming up, and it is my favorite holiday of the year.  It might be a random holiday to be in love with, but I do for various reasons.  For the most part, I just enjoy having everyone come to my house.  It seems silly, but having people attend an event that my family is in charge of makes my day.  It's like throwing the biggest party of the year, and each year everyone looks forward to it.  A full night the night before is a pregame of sorts for the big day to come.  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is typically the night that all of my relatives come into town, and flock ,like wild birds moving south for the winter, to the casa de Pantel for some afternoon story telling and dinner. Why not have a multiple day event?  Its so traditional now, that I couldn't see my holiday week with out it.
     My mom has really dedicated her, I wouldn't say life, but enormous amount of energy it takes to plan this massive event.  She takes off the entire week of and a couple days of the week before, just to clean and make recipes for all the food thats needed to be prepared.  She has kind of built a reputation for having the best holiday of the year in our family.  My mom was designated to hold Thanksgiving every year for the whole family to attend.  All the others siblings get to split Christmas every year.  HA!  Can't compare to the festivities the month before.  For some reason the people gravitate to our simple homey style of living.  We all live the same basic way of just letting things happen and not getting overly stressed over simple problems.  When everybody else would be going nuts on if the turkey is over/under cooked or if they have enough drinks for everyone.  It seems like it always flows smoothly and ends up perfect every year.
     Something my mom and dad agree'd on this year, and was something that made me want to grow up and have that same type of attitude was adding an extra family to the equation.  No they don't have to bring a platter of food, or really any drinks, but they will because of the hospitality.  Anyways my cousin-in-law's mother, brother and wife, and sister will be joining the rest of our family this year.  Pretty miraculous to believe that they would add another four plus people to a holiday evening that should be ready to explode the tension.  They did it.
    It's awesome though to experience, and if I could bring all of my friends I would, but I don't think that would be a possibility.  Let's just say I'm overly excited to smell the Turkey baking in the laundry room, and ready to bust open a cold brewski at about noon and prepare for the evening.

Nothing

What a blog post eh?  I have come to realize that my passionate hate for math runs much deeper than anything i've ever experienced.  It's a never ending battle with numbers that I just can't escape, and when exam time roles around I become a solemn man drowning his eyes deep into the hundreds of pages preparing myself for a half ass grade.  It seems that no matter how much time I put in it alls falls to a mediocre average to just passing grade.  Anything else that takes up my time I can just breeze through and grab an A like a late night snack out of the fridge.  So frustrating to know that you can be so bad at one thing and be pretty solid at the rest.  It may seem like i'm just dragging on about how much I want to rip the square roots, pie, natural and regular LOG out of my book and say peace it.  Many nights I just stare and remember nothing and have a driven image of my steady writing white haired prof that can never get out of the way of the notes I need.  Anyways I have an exam coming up on Wednesday and i'm going to prepare an extra amount of time just to make an 85, but i'll take that for the time being.

On another note Conan O'Brien came back tonight on TBS, which wasn't as huge of a bit as I had expected.  Too many awkward laughing moments and not enough whitty satire, and sarcastic remarks dogging NBC for dropping him without a single warning.  I'm sure it was just getting back to the routine, and working on his humor toward the public view.

Ugh this was a pointless rant but I feel better now.  Why not post something on a blog that doesn't make a difference to the world.  I guess thats my blog!

Experimenting life

Watcha know about having fun?  It has come to my attention that their are two very distinctive ways of having "fun" in the world that i am in today.  It's either the fun with people that are big time party animals or its fun with some buds just kickin back and playing some games or shotting the shit.  I have come to a crossroads, where I've had to learn to split time with these two groups of people.  I have two groups of friends with two completely different personality sets.  Juggling the time between them is tough, but not impossible.  It's hard to keep everyone happy, but you've got to try your best.
    So some nights, I'll go out and knock back a couple cold brews and take the night with the ease of the next popped tab, going which ever way the wind blows.  And on other nights i'll have the bro's over and we'll chill in the living room and just brotime it up, usually with a couple video games, or listen to a soft strummed acoustic guitar by the fire.  It doesn't matter which one I decide to go with on the certain night I know i'll have a good time.  This draws me to an rather simple question, could I ever have my cake and eat it too?  Both groups each night having a heck of a time?
    That my friends is a solid question, I've been anxious to give it a shot, but something always throws me astray.   I think its more of a mental block, because i've had some coincide with both, but their are always a couple of people I don't think would enjoy themselves with the other group so I rarely say anything if I do.  It's a tough block for such a simple answered question.  I'm considering over the Christmas holidays giving it a shot a couple nights and just seeing where it takes me.  Since my parents have the reputations for being the heaviest sleepers in America the extra people should not be of any problem.  God love them and the stuff they don't know that goes on around their house.  Nothing too bad, but i don't know if they would agree with some of the good times that happens when the lights are out in the back.
   Well I'll let y'all know for sure on  how this turns out.  I have a good feeling about it, but only time will tell.