Come to our party

2-20-12

2012-02-21T06:50:30Z

We are now less than 3 weeks from our party. I'm excited about it and am very interested in how the changes will be embraced. If you are still looking for your fun chica then you may want to consider Kenya, Ashley, Monse, Strawberry, Cindy or Paola. Keep an eye on the fiesta page for changes and we hope to have a few new faces in the next few days.

I wrote about racism a little last year, but how could ESPN think it was ok to put "Chink in the armor" in an article referring to Jeremy Lin recently. The kid kind of just rolled with it and good for him, but it still is not right. Now here is one I don't understand and that is an "Indian giver"...a person who gives away something and takes it back. I've never had an Indian do that to me? Maybe because when the White man was settling this country they continually stole from the Indians? Is that term racist? I suppose if it is aimed an Indians then it is and if it is aimed at people who screwed the Indians then it is not. Why is it in this age of political correctness many Schools have changed their nick names and yet Notre Dame's mascot is a drunken Irishman and that is ok? I'm part Irish and I am not offended, but I would suppose someone is. I love Notre Dame. My high school is the Martinsville "Artesians" which has no racial connotation, but certainly does not strike fear into the opponents. I cannot say this is true today, but Floyd Central High School in Indiana was nick named the "Super Hicks". I think they took turns being the mascot at that school.

Don't even ask me to explain this but a no smoking in public buildings ordinance passed in 2008, is now being enforced in Tijuana as of Thursday the 16th at 8pm in the evening. It seems to be the big topic in Tijuana right now, and although I am a non smoker, I really don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. I am of the opinion it will be forgotten in a few days, but time will tell the story. I did hear that one bar was patting people down and taking away their cigarettes as they entered. I don't think that is right and I would expect that policy to stop quickly.

Well my friends I don't really have anything else, and this is a short week, so the weekend will be here a bit sooner. I'm going to try to visit Home Town Buffet this week and get some meat loaf. You guys be safe and the party will be here in no time.

2-16-12

2012-02-16T21:24:52Z

I may have posted that my Mother passed on 1-10-2004, and somehow that escaped me last month. How soon I forget. No I can never forget my Mother and I certainly have the fondest of memories of her. I normally take that day to reflect on things we shared over our years and I talk to her and remind her of the things that I will never forget and how much I enjoyed having her for a Mom. My sons birthday is 1-11 and I did not forget that one. I am sure Mom forgives me, but I am embarrassed to say the least.

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day. Julio and I spent 90 minutes down town waiting for a florist to prepare our orders. In all we started at 9am and had all the deliveries done by 1pm. I like that Julio can earn a little extra. Now the Thursday before our party is "Dia de la mujer" or day of the woman, so there is an excuse for some of you to send flowers again or for those that did not to send some this time. Julio's birthday is tomorrow (17), but I don't think he is wanting any flowers.

In a previous blog I mentioned I was going to write about my college buddies, the "Big Zobs". I don't think I am quite ready to do so and when I think of those days, then I think of Springsteen's song "Glory Days". For sure I have moved on, but the memories will stay with me forever. Although I loved those days, I cannot complain about "these days" as I am reasonably independent and I am enjoying my life.

I am sure you all know that Jocelyn is back and she is looking good and of course is still the Queen. Perla had indicated she would return, but no word yet and lil' Michel will be back in less than 2 weeks. Our team is quite solid with a variety of superstars. I believe we will see some of the Obregon chicas by the first of March.

I am looking forward to the fiesta. 3 months will have passed between this one and the last one and it should be heavily attended. The raffles should be fun and then live music after the raffle, so the format will be a bit different, but the fun should be at a new level.

Have a good weekend folks and please remember to be safe.

2-7-12

2012-02-07T19:25:58Z

Well 7 more days to Valentine's Day. It is a huge day in Tijuana and there are vendors on almost every corner. At least the flowers do not raise in price here like they do in the US. I always want to do something different or unique, but cannot always come up with ideas. I of course have done chocolates, flowers and perfume. Perfume, by the way is less expensive in the US. I have also done some massages at VivaMex and they have some nice packages on special for this Holiday. I still no sure what I am going to do. A few of you have ordered flowers already and that is great. We can probably handle orders even on the Holiday so don't worry if you are on the fence. That service has been popular for civilian chicas as well, and that is something we did not expect. If you want to do a VivaMex massage or package contact me and I will get you a price.

Did you notice Strawberry on our site? I've known this chica for over a year and she has been asking to work, but she would never commit to photos...until Saturday. So I met her in downtown while Julio was taking pics of Monse. I am walking with her hand in hand down the street when I get pelted with pigeon shit. I very seldom get the chance to be walking with and enjoying a beautiful chica and then some jealous pigeon had to ruin my fun. I think that is my second pigeon shit story on this blog. I hope it is the last, but I don't mind laughing at myself. You can laugh at me or with me if you like. Hopefully there will be no pigeons at the next fiesta.

I really did not have a team for the Super Bowl this year. I made a very small NYG wager, so of course I was cheering for them. The game was competitive and compelling and that is as much as we can ask for. What is up with MIA giving the finger at half time to a National Audience? I did not see it, but the press doesn't miss anything. Hard to imagine that Eli Manning has more rings than his father and brother combined. Good for him though as he just plays the game and competes like I wish everyone would. He is the same guy winning or losing and he keeps on the Sports page and not the Front page.

This upcoming fiesta will have a new twist to it. There will be a nice chica raffle where they can win various prizes including nice massages, and the grand prize will be a chica that gets to pick a guy for an hour date. It is free to the client and I will pay the chica. This should create some excitement and I hope no one gets their heart broken. I have already started working on getting the chicas there and I expect a really good turn out. Should be a fun time as always and we will have live music after the 10pm raffle. Big Lou will be our DJ during the party. Make your date reservation soon as many chicas are already taken. A pre party date is always lots of fun as well.

Well the recruiting has been going well and I hope we can keep on adding nice chicas. Our main resource for new chicas have been the existing chicas bringing their friends aboard. We are going to do a newspaper ad real soon to maybe bring in a few chicas we may not know about otherwise. Two chicas that have recently got lots of attention and are doing real good are July and Melany. Melany had a bit of a slow period and then all of a sudden she became popular again. I recently went with Julio to pick her up and WOW does she look good when she goes on these dates. I wanted to go straight to the hotel and leave the client waiting at the border. July was my neighbor for awhile so I know how cute she is. She seems so sweet and innocent outside of this work, but then when I get the reports, I am thinking "My July!...I cannot believe she did that." When I read about Jennifer, nothing surprises me.

Many of you know that I attended Ball State University for about 7 years and left in 1984 with enough credits to be a Sophomore. I think I could have done a little better academically, but there are so many distractions at college, and I was involved in everything and classes were not a huge priority for me. They say the real education comes outside of the classroom, and I benefited from all of that education. The ratio of women to men was about 2.5 to 1, and even a guy like me can benefit from those odds.

I did not join a Fraternity, but I ran with a group of guys that were my brothers. We were known as the "Big Zobs" and we competed in intramural sports under that name and even did a few "air band contests". That group of guys were great to hang with and I think as a group we were very special and of course made some lifetime friendships. I have already written about my best friend, Scott Dick, and I think in my next blog I will write some Big Zob stories.

Sometimes I find an idea to write about and soon afterwords I forget. I was thinking about those guys this week and I will share some of that on my next entry. I know I tend to write about sports a lot and I do respect that not all of you follow sports and like more of the family stuff that we can all relate to.

As always stay safe. I will try to get back on here before the weekend. I have some stories to tell and I love to share. Look forward to seeing you guys in about a month. It will be fun!

1-29-12

2012-01-30T04:59:41Z

Well it is Sunday evening and my stay is passing rapidly in Cleveland. I can say that I am looking forward to returning. I so much wish they were in California where I could spend more time with them. My son is growing up quickly and he could use me around more often. There is a possibility they will be in Arizona soon...or Florida. You can guess which one I would prefer.

My son wanted to buy some games for my stay and one of the games we bought was "Uno", which I never thought of as Mexican game, but it is called Uno after all. We did see something called "Mexican Dominos" while looking around. Somehow there was a train station attached to it, but that is about all I can tell you. Anyway we played a lot of Uno and some chess the last few days. Bought my son a "Kindle Fire" for a late birthday present. Looked kind of cool, and he is not allowed to take it out of the house...he loses everything.

I cannot get adjusted to this time zone and working in the Pacific time Zone. It would drive me crazy if it was for any significant time. I can live with it for a week if it lets me see my son. Tomorrow will be my last day and out the door early on Tuesday. I will be in San Diego by 1pm so if you miss me just leave a message. I have a short lay over in Chicago, but won't have enough time to see any of my many Chicago friends.

I will put lots of attention on our next party and getting more chicas there than ever before. We have lots of dates scheduled and I am sure there will be more. I am expecting there will be some new chicas, also. There is suppose to be a group coming in from the Obregon connection this week. These chicas are fun if you have not already seen any of them, you should consider one. I personally like Yadira, but she has not had the pleasure of a night with me. I think she is scared......or heaven forbid, she just is not interested.

The ground is covered with snow, but that is all. The streets are clear and it appears I am going to miss any serious snow storms and that is fine by me. I have not heard how cold it is, but I can see my breath when out there and I am sure it is nothing out of the norm, but way too cold for this transplanted west coast guy.

Going to run, as I have been interrupted too many times. Be careful out there and I will see you soon.

1-25-12

2012-01-26T05:33:23Z

I find myself in Cleveland on this evening and it is snowing right now and about 11:50pm. As I look out the window the yards have been covered, but nothing more than a light covering. Snow is nothing new to me, but something I can do without for sure. I will be returning on the 31st and will be glad to be home.

My son likes his new school, and for that I am thankful. He changes classes quite often and does not get bored as easily. I went to pick him up and I can say that his school looks a little more racially diverse than his Tennessee school and that should be a good thing. For those that have asked what part, he is near W98th Street and Lorain in a neighborhood of older houses.

I felt like an orphan at the airport as I had to wait 90 minutes plus for my son's Mother to pick me up. Yes, she runs on Mexican Time and it drives me crazy. 3 hours time difference is a mess. The last date tonight is at 1:30am and if all goes well, I will be in bed slightly later. I will not be going out after work while I am here.

I am trying to learn to use my son's laptop, but Lord help me. I went out and bought a mouse to connect to it, which should make this week a bit easier. I have new pics to post, but having problems downloading them. You can see a couple on the site now of Lucifer.....what a strange name. I think she is going to do well.

Well the participants for the Super Bowl have been decided. Gamblers everywhere are writing about how the wrong team is favored. Yes New England is not as good defensively, but they have played better as of late, and probably will be my choice on game day.

On my flights I did take notice of the airline attendants and how careful they handle the drinks. They don't fumble or at least they don't fumble much. I guess it would be different if they were trying to avoid a 300lb lineman while handing off the drink.

Looking forward to the party on March 10. We are going to do a few new things so keep your eyes open. It should be fun.

I'm going to keep this short, but please be careful out there.

1-16-12

2012-01-16T10:07:24Z

So yesterday, I call my Son as I do nearly every day. I ask him if he has been to school yet, and he has not been since the move to Cleveland. I then ask if he is going tomorrow, and he tells me there is no school on Martin Luther King Day. I asked him why did we have a day for MLK and he told me that he was very instrumental in helping people with their civil rights. I really did not know what he was going to tell me, but I was ok with that answer. I told him that since he had not been to school, that maybe he could go to the internet and read a little bit about him. Now he is 12 and he may "forget", but I will check with him later today to see if he has any info with me. I would think that he could remember that MLK preached to demonstrate non violently and maybe make a reference to the "I have a dream speech". All in all I was happy with his answer. It will give us something to discuss a bit later.

I went to bed early but never fell asleep and thought this would be a good time to make a blog entry. I turn on the television every night when I sleep. Often I turn to a music station, but on weekends it tends to be MSNBC. Earlier I see some episodes of "To Catch a Predator" and seems like I have seen them all. Those are some sick folks that look for 13 and 14 year olds.....and they all have the same story when they get caught. It is always, "I was just coming to talk. I wasn't going to do anything wrong." The really surprising thing is often these guys appear to be normal, and they come from all walks of life and many of them are professional people. I don't think there is too much rehabilitation success stories out there. I don't have the answer, but I am disturbed by this.

Flipping stations I come across a channel called Current and I start watching a show about PTSD and how many soldiers commit violent crimes upon their return. I have a friend that suffers from this and even at that I don't know exactly how it effects him. I do know he has nightmares, and tosses and turns violently when he has these dreams. Now I do have sympathy for these guys. Who knows what they see and go through on a daily basis and their is no guarantee that they will live to see another day while over seas. This show was telling us that upon return sometimes there is a pattern and no one is really spending any money to study it. I guess often these guys get into bar fights and some low level crime and then eventually it graduates to a murder. I'm guessing there is the struggle to go kill people you no nothing about and then just turn it off when you come home. I don't have the answer, but I was very interested in the show.

Next up was a show about Drug Cartel violence in Mexico. It spent a lot of time in Juarez, and things are or were very out of control there. I think things are getting better there, but honestly I don't know how it could get worse. They spent a little time in Sinaloa and in Tijuana. I did see "El Torito Pub" as they drove down Revolucion. Cartel violence is nearly non existent today in Tijuana, but that does not mean that Cartels are not here. For the time being they are co-existing and for the most part that is good for the people of Tijuana and of course tourism.

Chanel 358 on Direct TV will now be on my radar. I watch way too much television as it is. TRU network is pretty good as well. I like live court in the morning, as it can definitely capture my attention. Lawyers really know how to argue and you can find yourself seeing both sides of the story often. Being a juror on a trial that goes on for days or weeks or months has to be a tough job. I can make a case for professional jurors, but I suppose if I heard a lawyer argue its merits followed by another lawyer opposing it, I would be quite confused.

Well hope you have a nice Holiday and I will find out what my son learned if anything. I am not a NBA fan, but there are always day games on MLK Day, and a few college games during the day as well. Always remember to be safe and I hope to be back soon....going to Cleveland next week, but business as usual.

1-11-12

2012-01-11T20:15:04Z

Today is my son's 12th birthday. He does not know this, but I will be visiting him in 13 more days for a week. He is in Cleveland now but has not enrolled in school yet. The Middle School wear he is suppose to go has metal detectors you pass through on you way into the building. This is a bit intimidating to his Mother and quite honestly to me as well. Home schooling may be an option, but it appears that Cleveland may be his home for 6 months or less. San Diego does not seem to be a consideration, but I can keep hoping.

Recruiting is a bit slow right now. When a chica calls and wants to work, and then she is two hours late for the interview, it is a bit difficult to give her a chance. We are still working, that I can promise you. Hopefully Perla and Jocelyn will be back soon. I did visit with Perla and she thought she would be back in a month.

Sorry to see college football go, but the basketball season is going well and it will pass us with the quickness. I am investing in LSU +11.5 tonight. I make a few short term investments a week. Last night's investment came up a point short, so it is not exactly a perfect science. It is my favorite sport though.

DirectTV just went out again. Hoping "the guy" will get it back on tonight. I have my local cable but the sports offerings are really week. What happened to "Operation Repo"....I miss Lou, Matt and Froy....I guess I liked a show that no one else did. Storage Hunters and Hard Core Pawn are pretty good. Ashley is a bitch (not to be confused with the sweet little doll that works with us). Last night Seth told on Ashley like a first grader. I'm not sure why I like the show, but if I am going to miss it, I record it.

Bruce Springsteen is about to announce US dates for his next tour. I know that San Diego is not likely and probably not Anaheim either, but I am hoping to see at least one show. It has been 9 years since I saw him for the 37th time. That show was in Dodger Stadium. I prefer an indoor venue but will take whatever I can get. If I could convince my son to go with me, that would be excellent. He is not so excited about it. Guess I have to accept that. As much as I don't like Cleveland, it would be a good place to see the Boss.

I went out on New Years for the first time in awhile. I normally like that night at home and leave New Year's to the amateurs. We met another couple in a bar and got a secluded table away from everyone else and had a nice time. Got home at 5am and missed the football games for the most part on Sunday.

Did you see the next fiesta is posted? It will be on March 10th and 4 chicas are already scheduled for that evening. I would like to have it on St Patrick's Day, but that is the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tourney and that weekend is like church to me. I just don't miss. I order my food in and stay glued to the television for 4 days. I tend to make a few investments during the tourney.

I have an idea for the fiesta raffle and will work on it and if it flies I will announce it in about a week.

Thanks for making our 2011 so great and we are looking forward to a excellent 2012 as well. Look forward to seeing you all at the fiesta but please be safe out there.

12-18-11

2011-12-19T07:43:04Z

It is nearly Monday and that means, less than one week until Xmas. It always sneaks up on you doesn't it? Indianapolis fans got an early gift. Green Bay fans did not really need one. Football was great today and so many teams are still alive after 14 games and 15 weeks.

I got some news on Friday that Southwest Airlines was running a great one day promotion. I caught a round-trip from San Diego to Cleveland for $130, and will be visiting my son in late January. He does not know and I can hardly wait. That will be my real Xmas for sure. I don't know much about Cleveland, but I am not excited about him living there. I think the kids tend to grow up quickly and he was in a rural area in Tennessee before.

Business was real good over the weekend, but I would expect it to be slow this week. I have a few scheduled this week and some on Xmas, as the real Holiday here is Christmas eve. I will probably spend the day at Julio's and eat another one of those Holiday dinner packages from Von's.

In the next couple of weeks the College's will be in their Conference play and that is when things really heat up. I'm liking St Louis, Detroit, Bellmont, Harvard and Gonzaga as smaller schools that can cause damage. Butler is struggling and will be better after 30 games. They did get a nice win over Purdue this past week. I'm hoping Ball State can come out of the Mid-American, but they are probably the third best school in the conference.

Monday is "meatloaf" day at Home Town Buffet and I plan to make a run North. Going to meat a few friends and get back early for the late afternoon and night dates.

I hear there will be some nice new chicas coming after the new year, so I am looking forward to that. The Obregon chicas took off, but will be coming back. Yadira and Evelyn did well and I am looking forward to their return. Violeta has been a bit quiet with no requests this last week. She sure looks good to me and she maybe a great find for someone who is looking for a nice chica that is flying under the radar. Chanel actually had to take a break as she was so busy she could hardly walk on Saturday. She is good to go though now.

Don't forget you can send flowers to your favoritas for the Holidays if you like.

Hope you have a safe week. I will try to come back before Xmas.

12-14-11

2011-12-15T02:28:31Z

Hope everyone is doing well. I need to remember to buy some eggnog. I don't need any with alcohol, but will be crossing tomorrow or Friday and want to get some to keep up with tradition. Man it is cold enough around here to let me know it is Xmas time. You guys on the East Coast...or Mid-West must be laughing your ass off. Just remember we are laughing when we see the temperature where you are as well.

Indiana beat Kentucky last Saturday, just to prove there is a God in heaven. Some things were just meant to be and Indiana beating Kentucky in baskets is without a doubt one of them. I look for Indiana to struggle this Saturday with Mississippi State. Certainly they will be flat against a good opponent coming off a big win. If Indiana can finish 4th in the Big Ten then that will be a great improvement over recent seasons. I think it is definitely within grasp....as is 8th place.

My Son and his Mother are moving to the Cleveland area after Xmas. Not sure I like that move, but then again I don't have a say. I would love for them to come to San Diego, but she is not hearing it. My son is not at all excited about saying so long to his friends, but he should make friends quickly. I don't know much about Cleveland but my initial thought is there are more bad elements there in terms of gangs etc, than where he lived before outside of Nashville Tennessee.

Business has been slow so far the first few days of this week. The weekend looks a bit promising, and hopefully it will fill out nicely. Karen never made it as promised, but we have some new faces and this Chanel has been doing great. Francisco is gone on vacation and we have added a night time driver, Alfredo to help out. Alex is still here and I need to add one more day time driver as Julio has been a bit busy outside of work. He has his Visa now and has family in San Diego County. Julio will still be getting the bulk of the work when he is available.

Hey don't forget about our flower program. Not only do you send flowers to your favorite chica, but you help Julio earn as well and contribute to his Xmas fund. I did not expect this, but we have had several folks buy flowers for women outside of this business. Of course we are discreet and you can send them to anyone in Tijuana.

I have not been motivated to go out in the evenings. I will credit the cold and the rain with that. It is a lot easier to save money, when you do not go out in the evenings. I generally stay in on New Year's Eve, but this year I may go out. I'm working on a plan with a few of my friends. We will provide chicas that night if you are looking, but many prefer not to work. Last year I think we send 5 or 6 chicas for overnight. Don't hesitate to call, as I can always ask.

What do you think about Tebow mania? If they pull this one out it will really have people talking. The Denver defense has played a big part in their success, but they are somehow flying under the radar with everyone talking about Tebow. At least it gives us something to talk about. If the Bronco defense can create a couple of turn overs, then look out.

The Bowl season starts on Saturday and I will take my first shot with Ohio. They came through for me in the Mac Championship and I think they can do it again. The Mac generally does not show up in bowl season, but I believe Ohio can get it done on Saturday.

As long as I stay in, I should be able to blog a bit more and I will see what I can do. Hope you all have a fun and safe weekend coming up. Maybe I will be back over the weekend.

12-7-11

2011-12-08T07:47:23Z

Just finishing Pearl Harbor day. Not too many left from those days as this is the 70th anniversary. Pearl Harbor day was December 7th 1941, and my Father enlisted on December 8th 1941. Must have been weird to know someone bombed us on our land. Generally we think of war as an "away" game, and of course we took it to the other lands and well you know the rest. I guess 9-11 is the closest thing to that kind of feeling. Really strange to speculate at who was to blame. As sad as this may sound, I originally thought it may be some group of Americans trying to make a statement. Things have changed over the years.

Our world just keeps getting smaller with technology. People on the other side of the World can read my blog and keep on top of all the Team Juanita news. I'm not sure why anyone would want to, but you never know. I can keep on top of things in my hometown daily and the sports info out there is something else. With twitter, face book, My Space, etc. we learn what celebrities are doing all the time. I suppose we should be thankful to have some privacy in our lives, just because people don't care.

I think this last party was the funnest for me. We did not have many overnights like before and it gave me more time to have fun. I still only drank 2 beers, and that is a good thing. You guys are the best and thanks for all you do for the kids. One group of 6 got together and donated two computers so I want to thank them here. Outstanding job gentlemen.....and this is a diverse group...from different parts of the Country and different backgrounds. Your gift will be greatly appreciated by the orphanage and we cannot thank you enough.

There should be some new chicas on the site tomorrow and a couple of returning chicas from the Obregon connection. I understand the pics have been taken and I am just waiting for them to get to me. I'm sure you will be happy in the end. People are already buzzing about Chanel and we are so happy to have her.

The bowl selections have been made and again the best two will play for the National Championship. Some folks don't want to see a re-match for the Championship. I can live with it. I am very disappointed Virginia Tech got a BCS Bowl game and Boise State did not. Virgina Tech travels in waves and their fans will spend money, so they are a financially more attractive team. That bothers me much more than the re-match for the title.

Harry Morgan passed today. What a great talent he was. I loved the old Dragnet show, and of course the MASH show as well. Both are old, but I am guessing most of you will at least remember MASH. If only Hot Lips worked with Team Juanita. I will never get tired of watching re-runs of those shows. Colonel Potter was a good man. I don't really know about Harry Morgan's life, but I want to think he was similar to Colonel Potter. Colonel Potter was a good Father, husband and Grand Father and of course a good American. RIP Harry Morgan.

It is cold here in Tijuana in the evenings. It is so cold I don't want to get out of bed to pee. I don't even want to shave as it is cold in the bathroom, and when I get in the shower, I dread getting out. Understand that we buy gas for the hot water by the tank, so any day now the water can go cold on me while I am showering. Believe me that sucks. The days have been fine, but my apartment remains cold. I'm always amazed at how warm it is outside in comparison to how cold it is inside.

I do love this time of year. The last two nights I have left the television on 801 and listened to Xmas tunes while sleeping. I suppose my fondness for this time of year is not very manly, but I really don't care. I'm going to like what I like and do not need anyone to validate that. One thing I forgot on Thanksgiving this year was the egg nog....I will get some by Xmas and New Year's for sure.

I hope to be back after the weekend and write more about Xmas, New Year's, Bowl games and throw in some college basketball. For me it is a good time to stay home and watch television as for a sports nut like me, there is always something on of interest.

Be safe, and I will see you real soon!

11-21-11

2011-11-21T07:53:56Z

Did it ever rain here in Tijuana today. I lost satellite television service and then when it came back on, I had to turn the volume up all the way to hear over the rain. I generally love the rain....especially late at night with a little cutie. Nothing better than having adult relations while you can hear the rain pounding on the roof. Nothing worse than having a leak waking you up either...have not experienced that but one of my friends did.

People are all up in arms because Alabama and LSU may play for the National Championship this year. You know what? I could care less who plays in that game. College football is great this time of year, and although it is not a popular stance, we don't need a playoff. People are talking college football at the water cooler, on the bus and certainly on the radio. It is not broke, so do not try to fix it. I can remember two teams from the same conference playing in the National Championship game in College baskets and that went ok. Sure I want to see Boise State....but who's fault is it that they lost? I don't care if multiple school's claim a National Championship. Next year will come and go and it will be fun as well.

It is Thanksgiving week, and I have ordered my Von's Thanksgiving dinner with an extra pie and loaded mash potatoes as well. I will go to Julio's for dinner that day and otherwise will be watching games on my television. I will tell you what else: On Thursday when I go to the store, I will visit the deli and get some lunch meat, some chicken salad, some deviled eggs and other necessities like cookies, chips, apple sauce etc so I don't need to go out all weekend. There will be good football on all weekend, and I can microwave all weekend if need be.

Did I tell you about college baskets and to watch Belmont and Detroit...they are already competing in a big way and look for them to both have great records and in the dance....and not as a #15 or #16 either. The Creighton Bluejay's put a whooping on Iowa today, and the season is just getting started. Akron and Kent State have big wins on the road, and there are a ton more upsets to come. I am really going to zero in on college baskets this week.

Black Friday: Aren't we suppose to be buying gifts for our friends that day? I will probably shop on line this year, but I am not going to lie, most of my purchases will be for me. It seems that is what my friends are doing as well. My son wants some DVD's and I can buy them from my home in Tijuana and have his Mother pick them up in Tennessee. How cool is that? No post office to deal with....are the lines at the post office nuts or what?

Finally have you made your fiesta plans yet? There are still some real nice choices available for that evening. I am looking forward to this fiesta and hope to see many of you there. Free beer and tacos, need I say more....and some nice ladies will be there as well.

Wednesday this week is the busiest travel day of the year. Please relax and get where you are going. If you are traveling to Grandmothers, just get there....a few minutes are only a few minutes and take into consideration of your family as well as others. If you are having a "Stay Cation" then call me and I can help you enjoy the Holiday. Take care, and please be safe.

11-11-11

2011-11-11T07:56:30Z

Nice date isn't it? Lots to talk about.

The big story is Joe Paterno. This is the classic, "Tell me it isn't so, Joe" We put sports figures so high on the pedestal that we sometimes make them "Godlike". I am as guilty as anyone. I'm trying to reserve judgment on what happened, what he knew, what he did, etc. I just refuse to believe that he knew that children were being victimized and he did nothing. It just cannot be. The folks at Penn State wanted him out in 2004 when his team was 4-7 I believe, and now they are up in arms that he got fired. I watched hours of ESPN last night and was just mesmerized as the different stories were released. I still want to with hold judgement. I cannot make my self believe it is all true.

The NBA has not started their season and I really don't care. I still worry for the vendors, and others that earn because of the games. I see they have a new offer and they are going to think about it. No real hurry guys, have a good weekend and play a few rounds of golf, and just reject the offer next week.

Tomorrow...today for many of you North Carolina and Michigan State are going to play their season opener in basketball on a battle ship. I suppose that is a good idea, and I am sure the ship is huge, but somehow I want to see fall away jumpers, where the shooter is actually falling overboard, etc...where the ball ends up in the ocean and a referee is trying to retrieve it with a big fish net. In all seriousness the Belmont Bruins open at Duke at 6pm. Belmont is for real, and remember you read it here, ok? I think they play Memphis next.

Many of you probably do not realize this, but on occasion I go to the pedestrian line to save a spot for a client. Generally if a guy has a real issue, and we anticipate a long line I head to the border about an hour before his date ends. A couple of weeks ago, I did this and there was no line at all. I thought there would be and I was shocked. So I am sitting on a park bench in front of the Thrifty Ice Cream stand and under a shade tree. It was a big warm and as luck would have it a pigeon from the tree shits on me. I go to the stand and ask for some napkins and clean myself up. The people were nice so I ordered a cup with 2 scoops. Then I go back to the bench and sit down. I'm eating my ice cream when all of a sudden I think, "Hey asshole, you had a pigeon shit on you while sitting on this bench so now you are going to eat food with the birds above you".....yeah I am not the sharpest tool in the shed...but I did move and ate my ice cream without incident.

Now today I crossed and paid a couple of bills. Then I got on the trolley and went up to Home Town Buffet on Palamar. Got out and walked back to the trolley stop and there are only a handful of people waiting. I am guessing I just missed a trolley, but of course another will be by soon. I'm sitting on another bench and checking my messages, etc when a guy comes by and asks me if the trolley had already passed. Now I am dumbfounded....How do you answer that? I just told him I was pretty sure it passed some 30 times already, but also sure another would be by in 10 minutes. I don't know, but I just wonder what the guy was thinking.

I stopped at the store and bought enough lunch meat, hot dogs, and microwaveable burritos and chimichangas to keep be going over the weekend. When football is on all weekend I cannot be going out to dinner. Hell there is a full schedule of college baskets tomorrow as well. Should be a great weekend.

I always ask you to be safe, and have fun, and please do, but please take some time to pray for the victims at Penn State. It would not be a bad idea to look around your surroundings. I would hope something like that could not be happening under my nose and I am going to try and stay sharp and keep my mind open.

Take care, I will see you soon.

11-7-11

2011-11-07T23:29:06Z

Sorry for the delay, but I am lacking motivation and seem to always find something else to do.

Dr. Conrad Murray was found guilty today of involuntary manslaughter and the verdict pretty much took over my television. I found myself feeling somewhat indifferent on this case and the verdict. It seems strange to me that so many fans embraced this court proceeding and the reading of the verdict. Listening to the press interview some of them was interesting to say the least. Now these folks were not part of the jury but their reasoning and comments left quite a bit to be desired. I don't even disagree with the verdict, but to these folks there was only one side to this story. After listening to the testimony day after day, I believe that Dr. Murray was guilty of bad judgement. I think he knew he should not be working like he was, but with all the money being given, he just did what Michael Jackson wanted him to do. Maybe others would have excused himself, but he may have been so happy to be around this superstar that he just agreed with his wishes. I suppose many would do the same if they were in his shoes, but it is still wrong.

Hey I don't do everything right myself, so I don't want to cast stones, but just offer my opinion. I am sure many doctors would have walked away and missed the money, but at the same time I believe others would have just gone with his program to have a relationship with Michael. To me there is no justice. Michael is still dead and a man has lost his license to practice and will be a felon for the rest of his life. Without a doubt Michael's sentence was much worse than Dr. Murray's. His crime was not malicious and I don't believe anyone feels he wanted Michael to die or secretly wanted to kill him.

The jurors in the case sacrificed a ton, and it makes you wonder. Now shame on me for saying this, but will there be a day that an innocent man is found guilty because the jury is just tired and wants to go home?....or an guilty person found innocent for the same reason. I know that our system has found innocent folks guilty and guilty folks innocent, but I would hope because of evidence that was not presented and not because of someone's desire to go home. I don't know just something to think about.

I have heard a few times that today is the 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson's announcement of being infected with the aid's virus. It is nice to see him doing well and he has probably been responsible for a lot of awareness of this terrible disease. I have never been a Laker fan, and for sure wanted Indiana State to defeat Michigan State in that much talked about final game, but I have to respect him as a man and what he has meant to both the sport and to Aid's awareness.

Tonight is the start of college basketball and I am so much looking forward to it. College baskets are my favorite sport of all time and as you know I do love my sports. I generally like the small schools and this year my dark horse team to watch is the Belmont Bruins. They open against Duke and then Memphis, so an 0-2 start is quite possible, but if you get a chance to tune in, please do so, because they will compete.

Our party is shaping up nicely and I hope you can make it. There are still some great chicas available so check our site daily for who is available, as things often change.

Sandra is turning 20 on November 30th and has asked that someone schedule her for the evening to celebrate the last moments of her teen age years. Happy Birthday to Ashley who turned 21 yesterday. Sexy Raquel just had a birthday near the end of October, so we don't want to forget her.

I watched the college football "game of the century" and well I feel sorry for the rest of the century if that was it. I have a feeling we will be forgetting about it soon enough and hope they don't meet in a bowl game this year. I have to admit, I am hoping to see Boise State compete for the National Championship, but it appears to be along shot at best. It is possible that Oklahoma State, Stanford, Alabama and LSU still have a loss in their future...I hope at least 3 of them lose again and whatever happens I will be watching the Bowl games as usual.

For those who have asked, there still is some Halloween candy left, but it is going fast. I will be ordering the Thanksgiving dinner later this week at Von's I believe.

Be careful out there and be considerate and respectful of others. See you soon.

10-24-11

2011-10-25T00:26:59Z

Hello folks! I know it has been awhile, and I have been more lazy than usual. I have a few things to share and sorry if they are even more boring that usual.

I'm starting this entry at 4:55pm and who knows how long it will take me. I just bet Jacksonville +11 and St Louis +125 before I started writing. I will most likely try to watch and write at the same time.

Today I went to Home Town Buffet with my friend "Burt" today. They offered meatloaf today, so I was a happy eater this afternoon. The last few years, Julio's family and I have had Thanksgiving and Xmas dinner together, so I stopped by a Von's to order our turkey dinner. Now this may sound a bit premature, but last year I tried with only one weeks notice and was shut out....we did locate a store a bit further North. This Von's has not began taking orders, but I am determined to get this done on a timely manner this year.

Notre Dame lost. I have to accept it. It is not easy, but it just was not their day. I guess we can "get them next year". Hate to lose to USC ....just hate to lose, but to them it is even worse. We (I like to say we) lost and I will eventually get over it.

Bought the Halloween candy...Reece's Peanut Butter Cups, 1000 Grand, M&M Peanut, Snickers and Kit Kat are on the menu at my home. Yep the neighborhood kids know where to get the good stuff. Problem is we still have a week, and well 3 of the bags are open.

On October 16, 2011 race car driver Dan Wheldon was killed in a 15 car pile up at a track in Las Vegas. I really have no idea how many times I have seen that accident, but once was enough believe me. I keep thinking of his wife and how she must be afraid to turn on her television. Reminds me of JFK....how many times have we seen that? and what about his family? It will haunt both families for their lives. I really am not a race fan, but by all accounts he was a great guy and will be missed. I have heard that those cars (Indy cars) should not run on an oval track, and I have heard they had too many cars in the race. I just hope that the powers that be, look at the accident and make the necessary changes.

I know this is not a popular thought, but I love college basketball much more than the NBA. I do want the NBA to play, but not for my personal satisfaction. In a day when so many people are out of work, the people that will be hurt the most are the most innocent. The hotels that house the fans and the teams, the vendors in the arenas, the taxi drivers in the cities, the restaurants around the arenas, the vendors that sell uniforms, and many others are the ones that will lose. Do you have your favorite vendor? My Father always enjoyed visiting with "The Red Licorice Man" at events around Phoenix. That man always had time to chat with my Father, and just took the extra time to be friendly. We could use more "Red Licorice Men" around the ball parks, and I suspect their are lots of friendly vendors that enjoy spending a couple of minutes with an elderly fan.

I love the Holidays and I suspect this year could be really challenging for some. I am going to issue a challenge to all my friends. We all have our problems and our issues, but let's just let some things slide. Don't let others bring you down, and do not bring anyone else down. Bite your tongue and relax and be happy. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen and let us all see if we can spread good will and not bring others down or let them bring us down. I want to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. These next couple of months may find us spending more time with family than normal, but let that be a good thing.

I am going to try to get back a bit sooner. I do get your calls and e-mails asking for more blog entries, and I want to write more. Have a good week, and go get the candy for your neighbor kids.

Be safe!

10-14-11

2011-10-14T07:59:45Z

I went out to eat with a couple of friends this evening and we had a nice visit. Sometimes you can just let time escape and talk about a multitude of subjects and it just makes you feel good to forget about time restraints and how busy we really are. Somehow I got to start talking about my friend Dale.

Every group of guys has "Dale" in their group. Dale loved sports and was not athletic, but loved his teams and his sports. Dale like his beer and music as well and was just a "guys guy" if you will. He had no chance with the ladies but we loved him and he was with us always. The ladies all would visit with him, but no one wanted to be with him. Everyone wanted to fix him up.

So going back to our college days, Dale's room and my room were next to each other and our closets were back to back. Now we figured we could saw through the particle board and push the walls of the closets to the side and make two rooms into one big room. We would host parties quiet often, and move pretty much all of our furniture into other rooms, and our clothes as well. Now at our University we were not allowed alcohol in the dorms. The folks in charge of this rule pretty much lived by if it is in your room and I don't see it....then I don't see it.

So we would either sneak kegs of beer through a window at 3am the day before the party, or we would fill suitcases full of cases and make multiple trips to the room. One way or another we would have these huge parties in the dorm with wall to wall women. There were about 20 of us hosting and then we let women in for free and charged $5 for guys and hoped everyone found it to be too much.

Now Dale loved his Indiana Hoosiers in basketball and he hated Notre Dame in everything, especially in football. I loved them both and my Mother raised me to love Notre Dame, and so I did. Dale would get quite emotional about the Irish and he was my friend, so I gave him a pass. You may remember a blog about my friend Scott who at the time lived across the hall. I remember one day Dale was laying on his bed and he called Scott's phone and said get over here quick...Scott comes running and Dale says can you change the station on my television...typical lazy Dale.

So after 3 years of every guy on our floor having at least minimal luck with the ladies, Dale had got nowhere. We loved him and wanted to fix him up, but no one was really interested and we just could not make it happen. Now you are going to believe I am making this up, but I swear it is true. We are having one of our famous "2 room parties" and Dale is making out with this young hottie. We are high fiving and in a real festive mood. We are conspiring to find him a room on the floor so he can have some time with her in private, but she actually invites him to her room in a nearby dorm. As they leave we are so frickin' happy for him and hoping she turns into a girlfriend for him....20 minutes later he comes back alone. Now again, this really happened folks...we are like what happened? Dale tells us that he liked her just fine and they were all over each other on the way to her room and when she opened the door, she had a Notre Dame pennant on her wall. He said he nearly puked when he saw that and just turned around and came home.

I think I will post about the party after this weekend. I am guessing it will be big as there will be more than 3 months between fiestas. Our team is as strong as ever and it should be well attended in both chicas and hombres. I know I am looking forward to it.

Have you got your Halloween candy yet? Get on it folks, the good stuff sells out and you will end up giving away malted milk balls if you don't buy early. My problem is if I buy too early I end up eating up all the candy. I'll figure out something.

I am sure you will all be happy to know I have my DirecTV again and I am one happy camper. I will be watching football all day Saturday and of course on Sunday. I watched some "Hard Core Pawn" and "Operation Repo" this week along with a bit of playoff baseball.

We have a big weekend planned, but don't hesitate to call as there are still lots of chicas waiting for a phone call.

I will see you all soon...have a great weekend, and be careful.

10-6-11

2011-10-07T01:06:49Z

Well you know Xmas is coming with the quickness. This just occurred to me when I typed the date. Let's enjoy Halloween and Thanksgiving first anyway. I enjoy Halloween when the kids visit, but it is not likely when the security gate is locked where I live. Maybe I will hang out at the gate. In four more days my friend Maria will turn 70 and she would not want me to tell you that, but she does not read this blog. I love her and she has been my best friend for some 27 years now...more than 1/2 my life.

I may have told this story before, and if so my apologies, but I am not looking through all my blogs so live with it. Maria and I worked together (she was my boss) for a couple of months until I got promoted to a similar position to hers. I was promoted because she was outstanding in the work place and she helped me learn. Bless her for that. We actually rented some apartments together in the Phoenix are for a few years and we would do lots of things together. She learned about Alice Cooper , Bruce Springsteen and lots of sports while in my company. One day I wanted to go see the Phoenix Firebirds (AAA affiliate of the SF Giants) play, and her son called her. I remember her telling him she was going to "The American Baseball came". Now Maria is an immigrant from Hungary, but had been some 30 years as a citizen.

She loved the slot machines, and I loved to bet sports. We would visit Las Vegas so often that we were often thought to be locals by the folks in the sport books. Anyway when we first started going I could not lose and she just bet what I bet. She was like, "where has this been all my life?" and winning is always lots of fun. Now Maria is a big conspiracy theorist, so a few years later when I had a really bad week, she accused me of working for the books. "Why are you betting the losers?" I'm trying to explain that I am losing as well and exactly how would I benefit. If I really knew who would win, then I would just bet more, and it would not make any sense to purposely give you losing teams. I still love her, but she is a mess with her conspiracy theory.

Here is another story. She was a manager or Circle K on 24th Street near Oak in Phoenix. Some elderly gentleman lost control of his car and ran his care into an outside ice freezer and knocked it into her store. She decided he was working on behalf of an employee she fired. I'm thinking why would a guy total his car to help a friend in revenge against her ex-boss? Maria is a bit stubborn in the way she thinks, but I could not ask for a better friend.

When I am in trouble she is the first person to offer help even though she does not agree with how I earn my money and live my life. She is loyal and she is the best. Hope she makes another 70 years.

Now I know that many of you cannot watch television all day like I do. Believe me you are not missing much, but I watch all the junk like Jerry Springer, Maury Povich, and a few new guys sprinkled in with Judge Judy and her competitors. Anyway if you do watch Maury, have you noticed that nearly all the male guests have the same shirt on? I hope they got a good deal on that shirt.....and I once had one like that and it was my favorite.

Do you get cute little e-mails from your friends that get passed around. I pretty much delete them all, and especially if it is political. Anyway a guy send me one the other day and for whatever reason I opened it. I think it was entitled "phrase" and the theme of the e-mail was why do we say " grow some balls" the e-mail pointed out that the balls are kind of mushy but you should say grow a pussy, because those things can take a pounding.

I have lost my DirecTV, and I keep hoping I will have it in a day or two....for two plus weeks. Anyway I hear a new receiver will be here on Sunday....I hope that is true. I can watch NFL on the local television, as it has a lot of games, but I get maybe 3 games on local television for college ball. I think I mentioned this last time, but it pisses me off.

Be careful out there...have fun, and I will be back soon.

10-02-11

2011-10-03T01:31:08Z

Posts have been spaced apart a bit more than normal. Things are not moving along smoothly, but I am fine. A recent one week trip to Nashville has worn on me and I guess I am not getting any younger. I've been finding myself struggling to stay up to 10pm to make sure you and your date get along. One positive is that I sleep well....in Tijuana.

There is a little issue with my DirecTV and I am waiting for a new box. Saturday and Sunday with nothing more than local cable was a bit rough. I did see Wisconsin and Nebraska go at it on Saturday night. With the local cable, I often get games not offered on my satellite package. It is kind of nice as you don't have to listen to the American commentators. I do like the pre-game shows but the folks that call the game are not always the best.

Jocelyn is back and that is good news for all. Foxy Roxy and July (formally Julia) are back as well and only makes decisions more difficult for our friends. Our recruiter brought two chicas to Tijuana and one of them left before even getting started. I heard she was a looker too! Evelyn is the remaining chica and she will be tested soon I am sure.

Looks like I may be heading back to Tennessee soon, but it will be for 10 days or so. The weather was nice last week, but you know that won't last forever. I will walk my son to school each day and that is the highlight of the trip. We have missed so much over the years, even though we talk on the phone. Getting a visual of where he lives, goes to school and how he lives is something you can't learn on a phone call.

Hey Charger fans, are you excited about the 3-1 start. We all know they should start like that every year. I'm not even a Charger fan, but I do watch them a lot by default. They were blacked out today....I may have got them if I had my DirectTV as my package is from Los Angeles. I'm not sure what the rule is 75 miles....125 miles??? Does not really matter.

Baseball is winding down and the College Basketball season is coming up with the quickness. My Ball State Cardinals open at Arizona....maybe a road trip is in order. The Irish seem to have got on track. Let's see how they finish.

Shout out to my buddy that won some big dough in his baseball pool. Took him to the last day of the season to secure the victory. I know he sweat off a few pounds.

Be safe folks....about 2 moths to our Xmas party. I will be back before that.

9-23-11

2011-09-24T03:02:26Z

Many of you already know that I am in Nashville Tennessee this week. Working away from home is possible, but it does have its opportunities as well. I don't know if I could do this full time or not. With the difference in times, I am working until midnight or 1am local time and 10 or 11pm Tijuana time. I get up at 6:30am to make sure my son makes it to school. I need a bit more sleep and I am beat to say the least.

Walking with my son to and from school is the highlight of the day as this is time with no interruptions and definitely quality time. It is sad that we do not live together as we need each other and I suspect that some of his friends may have thought that I did not exist. I've been able to visit with a few of his friends and they are genuinely nice kids.

Now his neighborhood is in desperate need of a 7-11 or something similar, as it is quite a hike to go anywhere around here on foot. It is nice country though as we do see squirrels every morning and maybe half a dozen or so deer running around. It is much like where I grew up in Southern Indiana. Again these walks give us a nice break from games and the computer to visit about lots of things.

This has been maybe the busiest week that we have had in the last couple of months and I can tell Julio is tired as well. It is a lot easier for me to dispatch other taxis when in Tijuana, but while away Julio has the radio and I am working 100% with him.

I've had a few calls the past few days with ladies wanting to work. I hope to have some new additions by next Friday, but I have no idea in regards to the quality of women that are calling. Sarahi quit this week and I see our team has dwindled to below 50. There have been nights when I cannot offer a date to some clients as chicas are either scheduled or not answering their phones. Maybe some of these newer chicas will be hungry for work.

I miss my DirectTV, and there is not even any television in the room with this computer. We have cable here, but I know that there will be games tomorrow that I cannot see that will be on my television at home. How can a grown man of 52, be so dependent on football? I don't know, but I am not looking to change either.

The mother of my son returns tomorrow night and I don't leave until Tuesday. She is a great woman and an even better Mother, but I just know that I will be ready to get on that plane after spending a couple of days around her.

Last date tonight is at 11pm or 1am for me....I do not have to get out of bed early either. Those 9am games are at 11 and I should be well rested. I have not even looked at the baseball standings. Maybe I will take the time tomorrow.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and just be safe. I will try to get back to this blog before the next weekend rolls in. Be safe!

9-14-11

2011-09-15T01:11:26Z

Thanks for reading my blog entries. I have taken a little time off for a number of reasons, but it is nice to hear from you and know that you are reading. I am planning on writing a book about my adventures, but don't really have a time table on when I will start or when it will be completed. Let's just say I am not starting this project in 2011.

Well nice to see our 9-11 10th anniversary pass without incident. I know the terror level was high and our officials were working hard for our protection. It is a shame we have to be constantly on top of this, and some of us (myself included) are very naive about how things work outside of our own little box.

Well Charger fans, your team won their first game. Seems they always start slow and well with the Patriots on deck a 1-1 start would not be so bad, but at 2-0 you could really make some early noise. Looks like the Colts will not be a factor this year so the Patriots, Ravens and Steelers should be the elite teams of the AFC. Hard to speculate much after only one game.

Major League Baseball is not exactly having compelling divisional races. Only the AL West is up for grabs. The Wild Card spots are up for grabs, but I would not be surprised if they are settled by the 25th of this month. All the same the playoffs should be exciting, and I am ready to see how they play out.

The border at San Ysidro has been closed since around noon today following the collapse of an overhead canopy. You cannot cross by car or by walking at the San Ysidro crossing. Otay is overwhelmed at this time. I believe the problem will be fixed in time for folks to leave for work in the morning, but it could take longer. I know that we had to cancel some visits today because of this problem. I wanted to cross today myself, but hopefully I will make it in the morning. I have a US cell phone that could be shut off if payment is not made. It will not effect our business however, so nothing to be alarmed about.

My Irish....how disappointing to say the least. 0-2 and 10 turnovers. I am sure they will get in turned around, but I really don't want to wait. I was crushed last Saturday, but those type of finishes are great for the sport overall. It was compelling to say the least.

Friday is Independence day in Mexico. Now the Mexican people celebrate a bit different that we do in the US. They treat the Holiday more like New Year's, so they will be out partying all night on Thursday. If you visit, please be careful as you will see many intoxicated folks driving cars with their passengers hanging out the window waving huge Mexican flags. All week long I have been hearing firecrackers and it will not let up for a few days. These people are passionate about their independence for sure and it does not stop there. I think the phrase "Work hard, Play hard" especially fits for our brothers to the South.

I've been relaxing a bit on fiesta discussion as it we have about 2.5 months yet to go and I don't want to burn out. I will probably put up info on our site around the middle of September. The December fiesta is always heavily attended and I will work to get lots of chicas like the last fiesta.

Everyone is asking about Jocelyn and all I can tell you, is she had indicated she was coming and the communication has stopped. I will be sure and let you know when she is back. Little Michel is here and is getting quite a bit of attention. I am on a search for the next superstar, you can believe that.

Please be careful folks and I will try and get back with some more useless comments for you soon.

8-28-11

2011-08-29T04:50:39Z

Tonight I just finished watching an hour program about President Bush's account of Tuesday September 11, 2001. The hour passed quickly and it for sure brought back some memories. I am sure you remember what you were doing when you got the news. I want to share my story of that day.

At that point of my life I was living in Tijuana, but still had a place in Laguna Hills California. I spent nearly every night in Tijuana and believe it or not I commuted to work in Dana Point California. I was working as a station manager for the Exxon Mobil Corporation at the corner of Stone Hill and Del Obispo. It was one of those stations that had been a franchise location, but the company had taken back. It was a small station and had a big garage where repairs had been done. The store itself was small as well, but we did great business with only 6 pumps and a limited staff at a 24 hour location. I had at least 5 years at the location and enjoyed my customers and the staff I was working with. I liked to get into work around 4am, so I could get the paper work done and be able to concentrate on other aspects of the store after 6am. It also allowed me to leave early in the morning and I often was back in Tijuana by noon. I had the job wired, and I turned down several other opportunities, as I valued my life away from work and was not too money motivated.

So on this particular day, I arrived early as usual. I had a boom box in the garage part of the station, and I listened to bootleg copies of Springsteen concerts daily while at work. On this day, my morning employee called in sick and I was stuck working the cash register. I thought about calling someone to work, but decided that I was going to visit with our clients and just have a fun day. I was thinking of having someone relieve me around noon. Every now and then it is fun to work the cash register. It also can open your eyes to problems the cashiers may be having and gives me an opportunity to fix them.

Someone visits the stores and tells me that a plane hit the World Trade Center. I thought that was pretty strange and thought maybe it was a small plane with an inexperienced pilot. Someone else enters the store and says a second plane hit the WTC. I now know that something is really wrong here. I go into the garage and put the boom box on radio. I'm listening to the accounts and I feel helpless. What can I do? I'm stranded at my gas station and my Country is under attack. I was so frustrated.

Now I had a friend named Glenn that was a veteran. He would come by my station on Memorial day and on the 4th of July and put American Flags hanging from the pumps. I so much appreciated it and he did it out of patriotism and was not compensated. Glenn was probably a good 25 years older than me and he had some hearing problems. I thought that I needed those flags up and I needed them now. I called Glenn and he did not understand me and he kept telling me not to worry, that justice would be served. I really felt helpless now as I struck out on that call and I know that if he understood me he would have jumped at the opportunity. We were probably just both in shock and he did not understand my intentions.

Now I am thinking about my Father. He passed in 1990 and was a WWII veteran and I know that he enlisted on December 8, 1941. I will never forget him telling me that his Country had been attacked and he felt it was important to enlist and support his Country. At age 41 it was a bit late for me to enlist.

Now we had these flags around the landscaping that were advertising our "friendly serve" program. Basically we were trying to come of as the friendly place that was customer service oriented. It was a nice thought and I guess it was somewhat successful. Anyway I realized that I had some poles...I just needed American flags.

I open the yellow pages and find a flag retailer in Laguna Niguel. I called and said I needed a flag. The guy was really nice and wanted dimensions...I had no idea. He wants me to drive to him. I explain that I am stranded at my station and maybe I could send someone. He says that he feels the urgency in my voice and he is on his way to me. While waiting for him, I call an employee into work. I want to be watching CNN and there is no television and no cable or satellite for sure at work. So this nice man ( I cannot remember his name), comes to my station and he has a flag that will work. We hook it on a pole and we go outside together and hammer that sucker into the ground. As we are doing it, the cars at the intersection begin honking. It was incredible the support and love I was feeling by all the motorists in that intersection. Tears were rolling down my face and they were big tears. I go back into the store to help a customer and the man comes into the store with one car flag...you know the kind that Lakers fans have. It is his last one, but he has 200 small flags. These are like the ones you may see people waving at an Olympic event and he wants 50 cents each. He tells me I can easily sell them for $5, but I don't really feel like selling them. I give him the money for the flags and he is on his way. I start giving away a flag to everyone that comes in.

Soon my employee shows up to work and I get on my way to Laguna Hills to watch the story. I don't feel like going back to Tijuana that day and was glued to the television the rest of the day. Less than two hours later, my employee calls to say we are out of flags. At this point you just could not get a US Flag anywhere. Those guys had a huge day all over the Country. Hey these guys sell flags for a living every day and they were not being opportunistic, they were just doing what they do every day.

So the next day when I come in, we put the flag out again and people are again honking their horns. It felt good to show support and Patriotism. People kept coming in asking for flags. There just were not any more available. I did call and put in an order for another 200 but it takes about two weeks to get them.

For the next few months I had people come visit with me about that day. So many people told me that they had seen me knocking that flag into the ground that day and that they became our loyal customer after that day. People were so appreciative of the free flags, and it really gave our business a boost and our business was great already. The biggest take away that I had from that day, was that we were all different in some way, but in the end we are all Americans and that is more important that all the other BS. Our Country put away their racism for just a moment and reacted as a Country. This will be a day that we will remember forever, and it was tragic, but the way we came together was beautiful and I will always remember it for that.

In the following weeks I would see people standing on bridges waving their flags above Freeway 5 on my way back and fourth to Tijuana. There were so many signs hanging from the bridges in support of our troops. As I passed Camp Pendleton there was a guard shack near the freeway and I would always honk as I passed and the Marine at the booth would always acknowledge my honks. I am sure he was hearing this all day.

I am sure you all have your memories and take aways from that day. Bottom line is that we are Americans first and it is a shame that someone has to fly planes into the WTC to make us realize it.