Catching Up

Okay I'm back and blogging again. It's been over a month, and I just haven't had the time to update the blog. I apologize for the LONG blog but it's catching up time, and here we go!!

Around the first part of August Terry and I went to Austin over a weekend with some friends. A good friend of ours invited us to stay at her sisters house on a lake in Austin. I think we just assumed that it was a little cabin by a lake outside of Austin, nothing too crazy. So we loaded up 2 vehicles, and 3 fun ladies, and 4 crazy guys (That's me and Terry and Todd and Bill) headed down south to the capital of Texas. Well much to our amazement this is her sisters house!

Turns out it's a multi-million dollar house on a cliff overlooking Lake Austin, and a view of downtown.
We were so excited when we saw the back deck and pool that are on a cliff with million dollar views.

Of course we wasted no time in jumping in the pool, and just enjoying living it up in style for a few days. We had so many laughs, even though it rained a little bit.

Here is all of our group waiting for breakfast at a fun restaurant, the Magnolia Cafe in Austin. It's funny but Austin is exactly opposite of Dallas. It is a college town (The University of Texas, the longhorns) and it just has this really laid back, live and let live, quirky vibe to it. I was impressed, and it's really a beautiful city in the Texas hill country.

Here is another fun feature of the house we stayed at. It also had an electric lift that took you from the house at the top of the cliff to the lake below, and a nice grass area and boathouse on the lake. Man you get in this thing and it felt like and amusement park ride as you went down these tracks down the face of the cliff. It sure beats stairs!!!

Here is Todd and Terry standing at the lake house. We didn't take the boat out but had fun hanging out by the lake.

Saturday night we all decided to go have ribs. Well off we went to some restaurant about 30 miles south of Austin called Salt Lick in the town of Driftwood Texas. It was a big place and FULL of people. It was just a bunch of picnic tables in 2 Huge log-cabinlike buildings. They are in a dry county there too, but they let people bring their own drinks, so naturally everyone drags big ol coleman coolers there full of drinks. What was even funnier is that the local sherrifs were there directing traffic and makin' sure it didn't get too out of hand. They didn't seem to care one bit about all the coolers and everything. They had a southern blues band playing in the waiting area and people were just drinkin' and havin fun Texas style!! I tell you what though it was some DARN good ribs. They are smoked and cooked in a huge pit right there. We ate way too much. I can see why people are overweight in this state. Man the food is just SOOO good, but so bad for you. A great time was certainly had by all.

It's a vegetarians worst nightmare!!! Yummy ribs and sausages cooking and smoking on the pit.

At the restaurant, with all the people and their coolers (it was as redneck as it looks.)

Anyhow Austin was a blast, we lived it up in Style and were sad that we had to come back home to the daily grind. I hope we get invited back to Austin.

Terry and I also did something fun in August. We went and test drove a Smart car. We saw them in Europe and thought they were so cool. They are tiny little 2 seater cars made in Europe by Smart (Which is owned and built by Mercedes Benz). They actually have a great crash test rating, which is amazing for such a tiny car. They get 40 miles to the gallon, cost 13,000$ and really are for city driving (Perfect for driving around Dallas and going to work.) Astonishingly enough Terry, 6'2" and all, fit just fine with room to spare. It was crazy driving around in this little car that takes up 1/2 of a parking space (you can park 2 back to back in a single parking space. ) I tell you what we got looks the whole time we were test driving the car. If you ever see one you can't help but stare, and smile. They drove great and we just loved them. Now that gas prices are so crazy the demand for these little cars is out of this world. In fact they have no inventory on the car lot, just test drive cars. The waiting list is now and amazing 18 months long because of the sheer demand. We put our names on the list and maybe in a couple years we might have a blue one in our garage!!

I know this blog is long but I just had one final note:

This month also was a hard one. One of my cousins on my mom's side committed suicide. I will admit that I am alot older than he was so I only knew him when he was a little kid and didn't know a whole lot about him. I just felt so bad for my Aunt and their family. What a horrible thing for them to have to bury one of their kids. I do not have children, but I can imagine that would be one of the hardest things you ever would have to do. When things like this happen it always makes you think about your own life. If there is one thing I've learned is that every family has issues. Every family is going to go through alot of crap in their lives. You just hope that you and your family can just make it to happier times. I'm sure my aunt and her family will eventually find those good times again. It just helps me to remember to cherish the good times you have, the friends you rely on, and the family you love, whatever that "family" you have is.

Brian in Ft. Collins Colorado

This week has sure been a busy one for me. My company here in Dallas sent me off for some software training in Ft. Collins Colorado for a week. So I flew off to Denver and then rented a car and drove an hour north to Ft. Collins. Well to my suprise Ft. Collins was a very pretty city. Lots of trees and pretty streets. It is a college town (Colorado State) so there was a really cool vibrant downtown. There were lots of people there at night strolling the streets and fun restaurants and clubs. I didn't get to do too much hanging out though. I was in training most of the time. I have decided that 3 days is plenty of training, but 5 days and your brain is in overload!! I just was so over it all by Friday, and I couldn't wait to get home. But I'm glad my company sent me, and I got the class and certification. It will be a big asset on my resume. I did notice some things about the people in Colorado. They all are riding bikes, running, hiking, etc.. There are very few overweight people there (completely opposite Texas!!!). I felt like a big ol slug, driving my rented subaru everywhere and watching them all on their bikes. (I did work out twice in the week so I wasn't too lazy.) Also it hit 90 Degrees and everyone was just dying from the heat there. I laughed as it was hot, but no humidity, and it cools down wonderfully at night. (it's 100 degrees with 70% humidity in Dallas right now.) In fact at night I had my jeans on cause it felt cold (I must be getting used to the heat of the south). A couple of people I was talking too just couldn't beleive I wasn't just dying in jeans from heat. Anyhow I had a good time, and a nice trip to Colorado. It was a very pretty place, and a great college town.


Just some countryside outside of town with the mountains in the distance.

More countryside out of town.

A picture up the downtown area. Lots of trees and old buildings and fun places to eat and have fun. A really cool and big old downtown area.

Woo Hoo the offices of Telvent Miner & Miner. The company I was doing my training with. It was a thrill a minute!!

Mom Visits

Mom decided to visit Terry and I over the 4th of July weekend. It was a quick 3 day stay, but we made the most of it and had alot of fun. Mom was such a good sport and let Terry and I drag her all over Dallas. We visited the arboretum, which as always is so pretty, and we got a good hike in there. Then we were off to downtown Dallas and Dealey Plaza. It was so interesting to see where President John F. Kennedy was shot. It just is such a big part of history, and it was kind of moving to be in the same place as all those pictures and tv footage were taken. I wasn't alive when it happened but I know everyone who was remembers that day well. There is also a museum in the building where the shooter shot him from the window. Well later that night we took mom out for her birthday dinner. Can you beleive she is 60?? We ate at Houlihans and all had big ol plates of Texas Ribs (I swear the ribs in Texas are amazing!!). Then we came back home and watched fireworks from the front yard. We also got some time in the sun and lounged by the pool. It just was so relaxing to swim and laugh and hang out with mom by the pool. Well it was a short visit but so nice to see mom. I think we all had a great weekend.


Me and mom at home.
The Book Depository Building (window on the sixth floor on the corner is where the JFK gunman shot.)
The "X" in the middle of the street where JFK's car was when he was shot.

Terry at the arboretum havin' fun.

Me and mom at the arboretum

Another Road Trip!! Houston!!

Well it was Memorial Day weekend and Terry and I were on the road again. We decided this time to check out Houston. It's a very easy 4 hour trip from Dallas on interstate 45, so it was the perfect distance for a quick jaunt on a long weekend. Well we really didn't quite know what to expect from Houston. We both had talked to people at work about what they thought of Houston. It is so funny because everyone here in Dallas would say "Why on earth do you want to go to that big dirty city" and "It's too hot and humid there, and the traffic is a nightmare!" We quickly learned that most people here in Dallas don't have a high opinion of Houston. Of course we're brave and head on down there anyhow. It was a great trip there. Sunny skies and 90 degree temps. Our Garmin GPS unit got us right to our hotel in the West University area (next to Rice University) near downtown Houston. Wow Houston does have an impressive skyline. It definitely rivals Dallas in size. I must say we actually had alot of fun over the weekend. Houston really wasn't that much different than Dallas. Yes is was Hot and Humid (96 degrees, 70-80% Humidity) but so was Dallas when we left. Honestly we couldn't really tell we were in a different city except it had more palm trees and tropical flowers. It was just as big and dirty as Dallas is, and the traffic was crappy like Dallas too. We ventured over to the Montrose Area in Midtown Houston (the Gay District.) and had a great time. We found a fabulous Vietnamese restauruant with a gorgeous patio, and also found the best Mexican restaurant in Houston. We checked out the nightlife in Houston (Montrose) and had a blast. Nothing like a hot, steamy, summer night to go hang out on the club patios and people watch and chat with new friends. (It's crazy but it does not cool off at night here in Texas. If it's hot and humid in the day it's still hot and humid at night!) I had to laugh when we told the guys in Houston what the people in Dallas say. They all laughed and said "ya that sounds like typical Dallatude." and "well you know people in Dallas are snobby and look down their nose at us in Houston." The people were very friendly and fun. So I'm glad we didn't listen to all the Dallas people and their "Dallatude" and went to Houston. We had a great weekend in suprisingly fun, and vibrant Houston. The only bad thing we had happen was when we tried to go to Galveston to the beach. Apparantly everyone else in Houston decided that heading to the beach would be a good idea too on Sunday. Well it all ended up in a nightmare traffic jam and we were stuck for an hour going nowhere. So well we turned around and drove back into town, and of course went antique shopping. So I guess we have a reason to go back because we didn't get to go to the beach. Anyhow we had a fun time over Memorial Day weekend. I learned a good lesson too about how important it is to explore and form your own opinions about things. If you listen to everyone else and don't find out for yourself, you could miss out on something fun. Now for the pictures. (I didn't have my camera on me alot, and unfortunately only got a couple pictures.)

The Houston Skyline

At the port of Houston it's nothing but Oil and Gas refineries on the Skyline

Here we have "Mary's" the oldest gay bar in Houston. Yes the interior is just as scary as the outside. If your from Salt Lake just think of the "RC!!" Terry and I didn't hang around very long here, (SCARY!!!)

Spring Cleaning

Oh my heck it's been a couple weeks since I posted a blog. Well it seems it was time for some spring cleaning. Todd, Bill, Terry, and I all decided to have a garage sale and get rid of some of our junk. Todd had a friend from work who brought alot of her stuff over, and we had a neighbor of Todd and Bill also donate a ton of furniture from her mom's house to sell (loved those lime green parlor chairs from the 70's!!!). I must admit I was never a big garage seller before. I've done a couple of them now, and it is absolutely amazing that other people will buy my junk!! But I must say our junk was WAY nicer than the other garage sale's around. I mean seriously when 4 gay men get rid of their stuff it's usually good stuff, and nice clothes. We did pretty well and sold ALOT of our stuff. I did have a good laugh when one of the first things to sell was Todd's Dorothy and Wizard of Oz metal luchbox. This gay couple freaked out when they saw it, and snatched that bad boy off the table before the spanish ladies got to it. I have to admit it is fun to interact with all the different people who stop by to look at stuff. We had a ex-cop stop by on his Harley and tell us stories. We tried to get these 2 funny african american ladies (with fake orange hair extensions) to buy stuff and they kept saying their husbands would kill them if they bought any more. There was a darling Mexican Mom and girls all dressed up in dresses. Of course Terry was showing all three wide eyed little girls how to play the slot machine that was for sale. I think the mom was so thrilled that her little girls learned to run the slots at a garage sale. Anyhow it was fun and we did okay (we lost the price battle for a fabulous complete wicker living room furniture set, darn man and his 50 bucks!!!!!).

garage sale in full swing (can't get the kids off the slot machine!!!)

Priscilla, Karen, Todd and Bill chatting it up.

Bill and I doing some SERIOUS supervision

Todd's son Ryan and Terry doing first aid on the Jeep that got "bit" by a pole.

You might be a redneck if you fix your car right next to your garage sale.

Cleaning up the stuff left ( orange lamps anyone???)

On a side note:

Our super fun friend JP from Bountiful came by Dallas and spent a day with us. We had tons of fun giving him the whirlwind tour of Dallas. Of course JP was breaking hearts all over the city of Dallas.

JP and Terry

Spring at the Dallas Arboretum

Well here I am posting some more spring flower pics on my blog. I really wasn't going to do anymore, but our friends took us to the Dallas Arboretum in east Dallas. Holy crap it was just out of this world pretty there. They are serious garden professionals there. We had a great time, and big thanks to our friend Jerry for getting us in. Of course it is no suprise that every bride in Dallas was there trying to get there pictures taken with their entourage of moms, bridesmaids, and photographers. Apparantly all the families of means in Dallas have their weddings there (It's many thousands of dollars to rent the place.) Seriously though you couldn't ask for a more fairy-tale romantic place than there for a wedding!!

Terry, Todd, and Jerry

Red Azaleas in full bloom!

Azalea craziness once again!

Dogwoods, Azalea, and tulips, WOW!!!

It's Texas there has to be a cowboy hat somewhere!!

Of course this one is made up of petunias!!

Me n Terry

Me with azalea's.

A purple chinese wisteria in all it's glory!!

Tulips for days!!

Tulips and Azaleas, STUNNING!!

Pink Azaleas soooo pretty!

Terry Restin' under a dogwood!!

Road trip #2: Nacogdoches Texas Azalea Festival

Well it seems like March was road trip month for us. Me and Terry and our best friends in the world, Todd and Bill, all decided to go check out Nacogdoches Texas this last weekend. Since it's spring here in the south all the Azalea bushes are in full bloom. Nacodoches is famous in Texas for being THE place to see spring Azalea's (not to mention the oldest city in Texas going way back to the spanish from mexico). So 4 hours later down some green and beautiful country roads we ended up at the Azalea festival. Let me tell you spring in the south is a sight to behold. The bushes are covered top to bottom with huge breathtaking blooms. I've never seen anything so pretty. The people of the city also take great pride in planting them, and the whole place is lit up in white, pink, red, and purple bushes. It was really beautiful. We had such a fun time and lots of laughs with our friends.

Here is a close up of a beautiful pink azalea bush.

Here is a beautiful home with pink bushes and a gorgeous blooming dogwood tree

A beautiful fence of purple bushes and VERY old oak trees with pink bushes on the bases.

Me takin a break, but what a great place to take one!!

More colors and varieties at the gardens

A spectacular vista at the gardens.

Our dear friends Bill and Todd at the Azalea Garden at the university in town. Spectacular white azaleas.
Here is Terry and I sitting among one of the most beautiful red azalea bushes in town. It was absolutely amazing.