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On one of our bike trips we discovered Jacob’s Well Nature Area… now we delve further into the woods.
I got my hands a country promo disk and thought I’d take a second to review the new tracks. Here are the tracks and my gut reaction to them:
Rain Is A Good Thing - Luke Bryan (Good tune, but very simplistic if not downright stupid. Will it do okay? yeah - people like stupid. Will it be on my playlist? Not long.)
Free - Jack Ingram (I do like me some Jack Ingram and I think this one will do okay. It is just deep enough and touches just enough heartstrings to make you like it.)
Wrong Baby Wrong - Martina McBride (Martina has a solid track record and this one fits her style. It has good sentiment, just not enough of a hook to last long term.)
Turning Home - David Nail (I nearly fell asleep listening. He sounds like he could put out a decent song if he had a better song. Has potential - just not there yet.)
This Ain’t Nothin’ - Craig Morgan (Pretty horrible song - a bit too morose for me. His voice is good enough - I’d like to see if he can do ‘happy’.)
That’s God - Jo Dee Messina (Okay, I am not saying I disagree with the song - its just so darn serious. I am sure that I will love this track when in “that” mood. Right now, it just sounds a bit preachy.)
Dirt Road Dancing - Matt Stillwell (From the first couple of notes, you know this is going to be a good song. I mean any track that talks about taking a left by the frog pond is bound to be fun. Good stuff!)
Stay Here Forever - Jewel (Jewel delivers again. What a voice. What a good song!)
Better Than I Used To Be - Sammy Kershaw (This is a good song. I think this one is a keeper. “I ain’t no angel, but I’ve been sitting out a few more dances with the devil.” Nice.)
I Keep On Lovin’ You - Reba McEntire (I admit I’ve never been a big Reba fan - or even a small Reba fan. Her fans will probably like this… just not my style.)
That Ain’t My America - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Weak - a derisive message hidden behind patriotism. MY America is positive and doesn’t put people down who have different opinions.)
Jenny - The Harters (It is okay, just nothing to make you want to hear it again.)
Daddy Phone - Marty Raybon (A bit too dorky for me)
Use Somebody - Margaret Durante (Liked it much better when Kings of Leon did it in 2008)
Kiss Me Now - Katie Armiger (Chicks will dig this one. It sounds like a grown-up version of a Taylor Swift song.)
Troublemaker - Suzi Ragsdale f./Rodney Crowell (Boring, boring, boring. It does have a good enough hook though that if played over and over on the radio, you would sing along.)
Kick Down The Door - Kate Russell (Now there’s a confusing message for boys trying to figure out girls. Kick down the door, but no means no. Treat them with respect, but they want you to push them around too. Oh, and the song is weak.)
White Liar (Acoustic Version) - Miranda Lambert (The acoustic version sounds better but I still don’t like the storyline. He is a cheating liar, oh, but so am I. Real nice. Can’t deny it is a catchy tune though.)
Any month that I like 1/4 of the new stuff is really good for mainstream music. I have April already and plan to review it when I have some time. Let me know what you think about these tracks when you hear them.
The family and I took a trip North of Fredericksburg Saturday to climb Enchanted Rock. This makes my fourth trip up the huge slab of granite and it was an absolute blast. First, it looked like bad weather was going to blow in and ruin the day, but I held firm to my belief that the sun would come out and it would turn out fun. It did!
Every other time I’ve climbed the rock, it was sweltering heat and this time was a welcome change from that. It was super windy and quit chilly at the start, but by the time we were halfway up, the sweat took over.
Here the kids pose for a family picture.
We then headed to the Auslander restaurant because we heard it was decent German food. I have to say that for $70 (without drinks,) it was NOT worth the value. Oma’s Haus in New Braunfels is MUCH more authentic and MUCH tastier.
Dallin and I took a timeout to record a quick video:
As the chill rolled into the town, the kids found the fireplace at the Auslander a welcome discovery. As it turns out, it is much closer to home than I realized and it looks like we may be going back to the area more often. Fun stuff!
There are two seasons where you can usually count on seeing a good movie or two - the Summer blockbusters and the Christmas blockbusters. This Christmas season has provided me with two good movie outings. Both of them made me skeptical at first, but in the end, both delivered solid entertainment.
First up was Avatar - the nearly HALF A BILLION DOLLAR blockbuster by James Cameron. Visually, this film was amazing. This is another notch in Cameron’s bankability belt - when his name is on it - you’re looking at a hit. Even lame films like the last Terminator do well - because Cameron is associated with it. (Interestingly, Sam Worthington - who played the lead, Jake Sully was also in the last Terminator and will be in the remake of Clash of the Titans, he has action hero star written all over him.)
This film really had little to do with Cameron or Worthington… it was all about the CGI and in that respect, it ROCKED! Sure, the storyline was weak and a very transparent political/social commentary. Sure, the characters were as stereotypical as anything to come out of Hollywood. But visually, Avatar made you overlook all the flaws.
It was slow in the opening third of the film and predictable throughout, but you just couldn’t take your eyes off the screen. I would watch it again just for the visuals.
RATING 7 out of 10
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Next was Guy Ritchie’s interpretation of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed by Robert Downey Jr. Now you have to understand that there is likely no more important fictional character in my life than Sherlock Holmes. I have always loved Holmes, and I have seen every single incarnation available. For that reason, I was extremely nervous seeing the previews for this film as it looked to be nothing like the legend created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Downey was nothing like the Basil Rathbone or Jeremy Brett Holmes (my favorite) but not nearly as quirky as the trailers made it appear.
Yeah, he did a serviceable interpretation, but in the end, there was too much Robert Downey Jr. in the character. He was no different than he was in Iron Man - no different than he was in The Pickup Artist - no different than he has been in ALL of his roles. Face it - Downey has no range. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of RDJ and I think he may have a role that he could continue for years in Holmes. This is a great character for him to play because Holmes is so cocksure, smart, and witty. The fact that so many older people have played the character successfully leads me to think that he could be doing remakes for a couple more decades without missing a beat. This is one instance when typecasting is a good fit.
Because Holmes has been such an important literary figure in my life, I am sure that I will see each and every incarnation of the famed sleuth of 221B Baker Street, and although I will be skeptical, I will give them a fair shake. Robert Downey Jr. I can get used to - Jude Law as Watson I can get used to - Rachel McAdams as his tough-as-nails female foil, uh, I guess - Guy Ritchie, MTV-generation fight sequences in a period piece like this…. that may be a little tougher.
RATING 8 out of 10
We got some family photos taken shortly before Christmas and I just realized that I haven’t shared them on here. An excellent photographer and good friend, Beth Rasmussen, took the shots for us and Dawn organized the outfits etc. I think they turned out great. This first one was one of the toughest to get because someone was always blinking or turning away etc.
These next two are just gorgeous - look at those beautiful kids! The closer one does a great job of showing off those shiny eyes and bright smiles, the further out shows off what a beautiful location we chose for the session. (Gruene, Texas)
I can’t even begin to describe how blessed I feel to have all the changes that have taken place in my life recently. What a great Christmas season!
That is the exact question that Dawn and I pondered each time we took the small trip along Ranch Road 12 between San Marcos and Wimberley. Surely, THIS is just good marketing? What the heck makes a tamale ‘gourmet?’ Yes, this is Jean’s Antique Mall & Gourmet Tamales.
Well, after a few months of saying “hmmm… we should check that out sometime,” I stopped in on the way home from work today. At first blush - it looks like these are NOT just any old tamales.
When you take a look at normal tamales (which I love) you have a roll of masa with a portion of meat in the center. Rather than a thin line of meat surrounded by all that starch, THESE tamales are a huge wad of meat with a thin layer of masa spread around. That, in itself, seems to make these better tamales. I haven’t tasted them yet, but I picked up a half dozen chicken and another half dozen pork variety. Their menu lists more than a dozen varieties such as beef, chipotle, etc.
I will have to let you know how they taste after we get a chance to put them on the table - but my first impression is that they are going to be pretty good.
Mom, Avis (her sister) and myself took a trip out to Goliad, Texas today and it turned out to be a nice little jaunt. First, we headed over to the Presidio La Bahia, the mission where nearly 400 Texan captives were gunned down in cold blood by the invading Mexican army. This, along with the recent massacre at the Alamo in San Antonio, inspired Texans to rally behind General Sam Houston as his army conquered the Mexican dictator, Santa Anna at San Jacinto just outside the city that would be renamed in his honor, Houston.
The story of the Presidio La Bahia is fascinating and being able to walk the only fully restored Spanish mission in the United States is inspiring in itself.
For more pics, of the days events - head to my Flickr page
After that, we had a great lunch on the town square at The Empresario. It is a great little small town restaurant where everyone knows everyone else. It was great to watch the interactions. One gentleman, after finishing his lunch, walked toward the front door. It took him nearly 20 minutes to cover the 30 feet as he had to shake hands, and stop and talk with nearly every person in the place. I really dig small towns.
After that, we walked across the street to the courthouse square and particularly the “Hangin’ Tree.”
What a gorgeous old oak! The legend says that as soon as someone was found guilty in the courthouse, they were escorted outside, a rope was tossed over the tree limb and justice was meted out on the spot.
All in all, it was a fun excursion just a few miles outside of Victoria and a great opportunity to have more conversations with Avis and Mom. Fun stuff!
This could be why my backpack is so heavy. I unloaded the thing on the conference table to see just what all was inside. This is WITHOUT the laptop, power cord, mouse etc. that are in the other room right now. We are talking magazines (4), clipboard, calculators (3), digital cameras (3), tripod, rechargeable batteries (8), charger, voice recorders (2), marketing flyers, extra hard drive, thumb drives (2), packs of gum (2), chapstick, pens (5), iPods (2), earbuds, power bars (3), broadband card, collapsible dog water bowl, business cards, contact lens solution, checkbook, Tai Chi DVD, and a half dozen different USB connectors. THIS is what it takes to be a New Media Titan 
I weighed the thing this morning when it was fully loaded and it comes in at nearly 50 pounds. I just know one of the straps is going to break soon because I fling it over one shoulder and take it everywhere. I am going to try to eliminate some of the extraneous stuff and get down to a more appropriate weight.
It is Saturday night and I have just returned from the final concert of the season for the Victoria Symphony Orchestra’s 35th season. I had heard several good things about the Symphony and Music Director/Conductor Darryl One - it is all true.
This was one of their Master Series featuring guest artists. Yuqing Meng, the 2007 Davidson Fellow, was born in Shanghai China and begun his musical studies at age 4. By the age of 12, Meng made his orchestral debut with the New York Philharmonic. He was the featured performer for Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto #1 in B-flat minor op.23 and his skill was amazing.
There was also a organ symphony that really just dragged on and wasn’t all that interesting. Overall though, the night was a lot of fun and even included reconnecting with an old professor of mine from the Victoria College days. Professor Michael Hummel taught History and Western Civilization, and was one of the most entertaining lecturers I remember from that period.
Prior to the symphony, I went to “The World Goes ‘Round” presented by Texas State University with my mother and Hap. The show featured classics from the famous musicals “Chicago,” “Cabaret,” “New York, New York” and many more. This was the highlight of the weekend as the talent of all the student performers was brilliant. The music was great, the story was great, the voices were great - the evening was superb.
Lou and I hit the road with Corey Hart
