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December 21, 2005
The Night of The Rose Bowl
We're getting excited as we near the University of Texas' first chance for a football national championship since I was an eight year old. Thanks to Pat for emailing this excellent poem. Google indicates someone by the moniker of UTgal may be the original source, so kudos to her as well.
I thought we'd make a podcast out of it.
Twas the night of the Rose Bowl and all through the land,
All the Longhorns were stirring, even the band.
The tickets were purchased for the game, room, and air
In hopes that Saint Vincent would soon be there!!
The fans were tailgating from their truck beds,
While a vision of a championship danced in their heads.
And Bevo in his bridle, and me in my cap
Had just popped a cold one before the first snap.
When out on the turf there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter!!
My eyes fixed on the tunnel, and the thundering herd;
The roar of the fight song; I sang every word!!
They ran to the end zone, and knelt to their maker
Giving thanks for TEXAS, and the victory later!!
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear.
Coach Mack in his glory, THE HEAD COACH OF THE YEAR!
And our hero from Houston that I havent seen since;
I knew in a moment it must be Saint Vince!
More rapid than eagles his posse they came
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name!
Now, THOMAS! Now, TAYLOR! Now, PITTMAN and SWEED!
On, CHARLES! On, GRIFFIN! ROSS, HUFF and McGEE!
To the top of the world for a championship crown!
Now dash away, dash away, to a TEXAS touchdown!
They fought with fury! They fought with might!
They fought like champions on this championship night!
Oh! The bombs they flew, and the holes blew open
The Longhorns ran the ball just as we were hopen.
The defense attacked, and oh, they played hard!
Stopping the Trojans, in their own back yard!
Macks eyes how they twinkled, his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, the crystal ball he did carry!
He embraced his coaches, he embraced his team!
And The Eyes of TEXAS we all did sing
A season that will live forever in lore;
COME EARLY, WEAR ORANGE, STAY LATE, once more!
MERRY CHRISTMAS, TEXAS and HOOK 'EM HORNS
Posted by Jim at 8:07 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBack
Award Winning ATA Christmas Party
At the Austin Tennis Academy Christmas party, Meg received a first place trophy for her fall team tennis team, as well as the team sportsmanship award.
Not pictured, Claire also received a first place trophy for her Gold team team tennis team. Just to round out the evening, I also received a coaches sportsmanship medal.
Posted by Jim at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBack
December 17, 2005
'Tis the Season to Keep Austin Weird
Austinites have always tried very hard to keep our city unique and different from other places in Texas, especially that big city along the ship channel or that Metroplex near the Red River border to the North of us. Keep Austin Weird has been the rallying cry for many, many years.
As the Christmas season is now fully upon us, we had to share a slice of something that helps in keeping Austin weird.
As you head south on Loop 360, just past Old Spicewood Springs Road, you'll notice quite a few Cedar trees (actually Ashe Junipers for those not from Austin) fully decorated into Christmas trees. Loop 360 (a.k.a. Capital of Texas Highway) is already a very scenic road to drive, but now it's positively festive!
It started a few years back with a lonely Cedar being decorated. The following years saw a few more being decorated. This year there must be 15-20 trees now decorated. The Austin American Statesman covered these mystery trees in a story today. As the article points out, even folks from non-weird cities join in the fun of advancing our weird reputation.
Being close, Kate and I grabbed the camera and headed over to capture this little bit of Austin weirdness for the ages. We hope you enjoy!
Posted by Jim at 2:46 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBack
December 13, 2005
Thanks Dr. Teel!
You know you had a great pediatrician when she rates an editorial and newspaper story upon her retirement (BugMeNot will help you with those pesky requests for username/password...)
We did not seek out Dr. Teel. She was simply the best in town and handled the toughest cases, like 3 lb and 3 lb, 2 oz twin daughters. Even tougher, she handled newbie parents and made it clear exactly what was required. Nothing wishy washy, hard stuff like, "You must feed them every three hours, 24 hours a day, and 7 days a week, for many, many months..." She was adamant that they needed to reach their destined growth curves. Those months flew by and the girls quickly caught up to their normal growth curves.
Dr. Teel was pretty much all business at her appointments, which meant she almost always ran on time. No waiting around waiting rooms. Deb and I learned to formulate our questions in advance, so we could make the most of our time with her during the kids' appointments. Deb did discover a way to get her to open up, by asking about her daughter who was a division 1 basketball scholarship student-athlete.
We learned after the fact that she was the best when we learned that her other patients included Michael Dell's children and Lance Armstrong's children. Obviously they found and admired the same qualities that we did.
Thank you for all your years of caring for the kids, Dr. Teel, and enjoy your next phase of life.
Posted by Jim at 5:10 PM | Permalink | Comments () | TrackBack