Okee...Weekend Update time.
Friday was very low-key. I basically just hung out at my Dad's, helping him get his new computer and DSL hooked up.
Saturday I went to Diedrich's for cawfee and to read the Houston Press. (Which, by the way, is an absolutely awful excuse for an independent newsweekly and is outshined in supernova fashion by those of Baltimore and of Salt Lake...we should be horribly embarrassed.) I did, however, notice in the weekly happenings section that there was snow at the George R. Brown Convention Center that day, and called Derek to see if he was up for it. Yep.
So we took off downtown to see this fabled "snow." After fighting through the throngs of crackwhore painted pre-teens in tights, (there was a cheerleading contest going on in the next convention room over), we got inside and smuggled ourselves through the ticket Gestapo so we wouldn't have to pay the requisite $5. And there, shining in sodium vapor glory, randomly placed around the auditorium, were 4, 10 ft. mounds of shaved ice.
Yeah, it was about that anti-climactic for us too.
The most horrifying part of it was, they were holding "lessons" for $10 a pop for people to "Learn How to Snowboard!" on this stuff. And there were easily 12-15 people in each 20 minute class. Awful.
All we could envision were these people actually going to Brighton or Park City and deciding, "I awlreadee done spint ten dollar awn sum sno'bawrdin' lessuns...what I whauntta spin' a'hunnert more fer?" And thus perpetuating the awful reputation EVERY SINGLE TEXAN has when going to a resort to ski/board. This may come as a surprise to some of you...but we are all hated and loathed on every mountain we attempt to slide down on our planks of choice...simply because so many have come before us and sucked to a magnitude unreached by any other state.
And I wish I could discredit this generalization, and stand behind my fellow flat/hot state neighbors, I really do.
But I can't.
We really do suck that badly.
I too hate seeing/hearing Texans on the hill as much as anyone...because they really do seem to have a preternatural knack for falling at the top of the lift, sitting on the tabletop of jumps or just on the other side of a drop off, and/or wobbling at the breakneck speed of a highly agitated tree sloth from one side of the hill to the other. (Or the opposite, screaming down the hill with the nose of the board pointed straight down since they don't know how to turn/stop.)
But we can all do something about this. I beg you, if you've never snowboarded/skiied before, don't be the suck. Take your lessons like anyone else and keep your fat ass on the bunny hill until you are able to link turns without falling down EVERY TIME. Once you've mastered that maneuver, you're ready to keep to one area of the main runs, and subsequently ready for your second lesson, which is to keep an eye out ahead and behind you, before crossing the transom of the hill. Only then, will we all begin to erase this yellow stain on our snow reputation...please...stop the insanity guys.
Okay, enough about that. Except for that being there really made me want to take a trip up to Utah to board a little, in case you hadn't guessed. =]
Saturday night J.T. and Kristin came over and had wine and crackers on my floor. (No couch, remember?) Which was really cool, although I hadn't eaten anything but a Oat N' Honey granola bar that day so after the 3rd glass I was a bit fushnickened. After the 4th bottle had been drained we decided to head over to Flying Saucer to continue the boozin', but ended up at Dean's instead. (I told you I loved that place.) Good conversation and good time had by all. I miss hanging out with them. Should do it more often.
Sunday was football day in Katy, so I went out to Russell's place and lay on the couch (hungover as hell), and watched the foo'baw. Gnomes gave a good stompin' to yet another team this week, which ties me for second place in my division, one game behind the first place team, who I play this week. (Who also happens to be Russell. This Sunday should be fun out in Katyland. =] )
And today was back to work stuff. Same ol' same ol'. With the exception of an absoludicrous (Credit: Mr. T) amount of drama over a fantasy football trade that I offered, and later rejected since I no longer needed the player. I was therefore accused of "abusing league rules" and "this is nepotism at its best," among other libel, in our league message board. So, to quell this little rebellious whiner, I'm going to acquiesce to his "You're stupid! That's not how the world works! You're cheating! That's bullshit!" ranting and actually give them the player in question. Honestly I wouldn't even mention this, except I just finished dealing with people in the league getting all humpty about the "ethics and morality of fantasy football" just a short while ago. And I find the whole thing so ridiculous that...that...that I'm not even going to dignify it further by talking about it here.
Nevermind. =]
Matrix review in a few days...if you haven't seen it, go do so, or willingly avoid the "spoiler" post.
j.s.
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