This Blog Thing

This blog has now gotten 2,000 hits and 100 posts. Hard to believe that I have 100 posts worth of crap to throw out there.

Junior is doing very well. Mamma, Junior, and I went out to eat last night at Outback. First, let me say that I didn't really want to go to Outback that often in the past b/c there were so few things on their menu I was interested in. Their appetizers were very limited. Their salads were overpriced. However, the Outback Special, which consists of an 8 ounce steak (11 ounce if you want to pay a few bucks more) and a side or two, is only $12! That's a derned good deal so I always get that but there's just so many times you can eat the same steak cooked the same way.

Now, Outback has changed their menu and they have a wider variety of appetizers. That'll bring me back more often! We had cheese fries last night for an appetizer. The thought of cheese fries always reminds me of high school when some kids would get that processed government cheese and dump it all over a plate of cafeteria fries. Well, let me tell you, the cheese fries at Outback are AWESOME. Think potato boats but instead of potatoes, fries. Really good!

That, an Outback Special, a bowl of french onion soup (I'm willing to put aside my hatred of the French so I can eath their onion soup...could we rename it "Freedom onion soup"?....kind of like Freedom fries?) and I was STUFFED. Not stuffed enough that I didn't decide to stop by the local dairy bar and get a large banana shake.

That was a mistake. I think I was more full last night than I've been in YEARS! MISERABLE! I had to go lay down in bed at 8 PM and just let my stomach settle. Again, MISERABLE!

Anyway, Junior did really well at the restaurant like he always does. He's a quiet little baby. Just sits there and looks around taking in the scenery. We were really proud of him and always get compliments about how good he is. We know that, of course!

Now here's the bad news: Due to the fact that I will be a state employee soon (I guess I am now but I'm really more like a federal employee), I won't have tenure for another 6 years (hopefully it will happen in 6!!!), and I have a tendency to run my mouth, this blog will be shut down when we move home in a couple of months. Thanks to all of you for reading and I will continue posting most days until we move in late May, but I have a hard time controlling my mouth/keyboard and I recognize my limitations. So, in the interest of not putting anything in print that would get me fired, this whole blogging thing will come to an end around the time we move.

Thanks again to all of you and hope this doesn't cause you any undue distress.

Take care,

Pappa

He's Gone Again

Gillispie's gone again but I don't think he'll be at A&M next season. He sure won't be at U of A it looks like.

I'm vindictive I guess but I hope he waits around for the FL or KY job and gets burned having to stay in College Station.

Maybe Gillispie Isn't Off the Table Yet

The saga continues........

Billy Gillispie says "NO" to Hogs

I'm shocked and so are A LOT of other people. More later.

Baby Druel

Well, Mamma evidently started teething at a VERY early age - like 4 months old. I wouldn't have known that was early but you learn these things as you progress through this crash course in parenting called "The First Year".

All this means that (and you know what's coming....insert ominous sounding music here...Star Wars theme if you like) Junior has started teething - we think. No, he doesn't have fangs yet but we think they're coming in. He's drueling like a mad man, get's cranky, and sucks on his arm like he's starving, stuck on a deserted island with only fast birds and poisonous weeds for sustanance. There are no coconuts, pineapples, mangoes, or the like on this island. Only fast birds and poisonous weeds. He should have picked a better island.

With regard to the druel, he has this stuff running down his face like a Saint Bernard at a meat market. I'm surprised the dripping of druel doesn't keep him up at night like a leaky faucet.

Drip, drip, drip, drip...

Junior says, "Damn! What's that dripping noise?!? I can't get a lick of sleep in this rat-hole! MOM! DAD!! Fix the faucet! Oh, wait. I think I'm sleeping in Lake Hamilton. Did I pee myself?"

This got me thinking. Druel sounds remarkably similar to "duel". Do you think in the olden days that folks used to separate their babies by 10 paces and have a druel duel? I can see it now:

Baby with British accent: "Little Tommy, your time has come. You have soiled your last diaper."

Baby with French accent: "Ha Ha, Mon ami! Your lack of humor is only matched by your over confidence. Prepare to meet your doom!"

(insert toot noise here where a parent of one baby jumps in to change a diaper...the druel duel continues)

Baby with British accent: "Ahem, now that I have been 'readyied' by Mom I will proceed to wipe my mouth with my arm and fling druel in your general direction."

Baby with French accent: "While your druel producing capabilities are undoubtedly substantial, my own are far superior. Fling your druel. Fling it with all your might. You will find that the viscosity of my druel allows me to fling mine with much greater velocity and accuracy."

Baby with Brittish accent: "Your druel may be superior in terms of velocity and accuracy, but mine scatters. I may not coat completely on the first shot but I will in the span of two. Prepare for a soaking!"

At this point the babies would attempt to fling their druel with parents in the background yelling, "FLING THAT DRUEL!! FLING THAT DRUEL!!!"

Undoubtedly one set of parents would act like Beck Campbell (Mitch Mustain's mom) and yell at her baby, "DO YOU WANT TO LOSE THIS DRUEL DUEL?!?!?? GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND FLING THAT DRUEL FURTHER!!! DO YOU WANT TO LOSE? YOU LOSER!!!"

This would undoubtedly be the parent of the French baby. You see, the French baby didn't train for this druel duel b/c it was part of the French work-rule society where one can only put in no more than 12 hours of labor per week. Yet, the French baby's parents expect the same performance from their child as is exhibited by the British baby.

The French baby eventually winds up covered in druel. Losing in miserale defeat. The French parents whine and then demand a meeting with the Director of Druel Duel Duels. When their appeal of the Druel Duel falls on deaf ears, the French parents then proceed to boycott any further druel duels and refuse to give their vote to any Brittish proposals in the United Nations.

You see, the French are whiney, cheese-eating, contrarians. That's why they suck and lose druel duels!

Update on Billy Gillispie

All signs still point to BG to Arkansas. I'll say this though, the man is a good actor. If you want a good laugh, go to this Texass A&M website. They are in shock and complete denial.

It started yesterday with "AR is filled with a bunch of hillbillies and rednecks....There's no way they can land BG....AR is a step down from TAMU..." yadda yadda yadda.

Fact is, TAMU is NO WHERE NEAR the U of A in terms of basketball tradition. Football, they probably have us beat but it's not by a WIDE margin. In fact, the U of A actually has an all-time winning record against TAMU. Do they have more money than U of A? Sure. Can they afford to dole out the big bucks to keep BCG? Sure, in the short term. However, they have major expenses as well, such as impending construction of new BB facilities (that they started in expectation of keeping BCG), maybe firing their football coach (currently making $2 MM/yr) next year, etc...

I've heard rumors floating around that they are preparing a counter offer of $2.5 MM/yr for 10 years to keep Gillispie. I'm not sure I really believe that. Further, I'd be willing to bet that Frank doesn't fire his man unless he feels as certain as he humanly can be that BCG isn't in the bag.

U of A is a HUGE step up in terms of basketball prestige. I've heard an announcement could come as early as today but will be no later than Saturday.

Let the rebirth of Hawgball begin.

Pappa

The Winds of Change Appear to be Turning AGAIN

I should know better by now that to open my big, fat mouth (keyboard) when it comes to hiring and firing of coaches on The Hill. I'm by no means well-connected, but I have a friend who is and I follow the REPUTABLE Hog message boards closely.

I have put on this blog that Stan Heath would be fired this week and Billy Gillispie would be the next coach. I have put on this blog that John White might screw it up. I have put on this blog that it looked really good that it was going to happen. I have put on this blog *last night* that it looks like JW was going to screw it up again.

This same type of "turn of events" took place when I tried to keep my friends informed, via e-mail, of David Lee's potential hiring as Hog football OC. On, off, on again, off again, on again, off again.

I should really keep my mouth shut but I enjoy the soap opera I guess.

Anyway, take this for what it's worth, but it looks like ONCE AGAIN the deal is done. Billy Gillispie will get a fat contract at U of A and Stan "I can't motivate my players worth a snakes turd but I'm a damned classy guy" Heath will be gone this week.

I'm sure this will change a hundred times before it actually happens but this is the latest I'm hearing.

Stay tuned to "As The Hog Turns."

Pappa