The Rich Life...

30 Day Challenge

2010-11-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

So I have decided to do something called the 30 day challenge. It is were I will do one thing everyday for the next 30 days. And so for my first 30 day challenge, I have decide to run the ACU track roughly 1.8 miles everyday until the end of the month. It's going to be interesting...

Day 1&2

Yesterday was the first day of my 30DC. I'm not going to lie, it was a little rough... No, check that, it was rough. but needless to say, I got through it all and all around 21 minutes or so. My legs were a little like jello afterward, and sucked a little cause I had to go to work the rest of the afternoon and be on my feet, but I fought through it.

Today, my legs burned for the first part of the morning, but as the day went on, the burning and soreness wore itself away. And I'm going to thank my nephew Hunter, I chased him around the HSU Carpet gym for around an hour, and it got me warmed up for today's jog. It went a bit smoother tonight, and I finished around a minute and a half faster today at 19:38. My legs are not as jello-y, and I think the stretching that I am doing is really helping me out too.

I am curious to see how this is going to continue, and to see if I can in fact do it every day for the next 28... We will all see...

~R

My Co-Dependant Relationship

2009-06-11T00:27:00.000-07:00

I know what yall are thinking, and yes it is true, I am currently in a relationship, and what makes it even better (sarcasm) it's co-dependant...

I know, I know, it is not healthy for me to be in this type of relationship, but I just cannot help it. There are some perks: companionship, someone to talk to, go jogging with, eat dinner with, watch TV with. But there are also some con's: the constant nagging, hogging of the bed, waking me up way too early, I always have to make dinner, I am the one cleaning the house, picking up the messes because someone forget to wipe off their feet after being outside...

Is it just me or do the con's out weight the perks???

Oh yeah I forgot one thing... This is the one that I share my time with... My sister's 130lb Great Dane, Romulus...

I guess I can be a little selfish at times....

My Finale... Scrubs

2009-05-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

As I look back on the last eight years, a lot has changed... Presidents, governments, natural disasters, war, terrorism, high school into college, life after college, bills, gas prices, recessions, saying goodbye to loved ones... But the one constant thing that always brought my spirits up, was watching the doctors and nurses at Sacred Heart Hospital on the TV show Scrubs.

I don't know what it was at first that got me hooked on the show? But it was a good stream of humor, life lessons, and real life sorrow all merged into one show(also, Sarah Chalke is HOTT), and from the first episode I was hooked. And looking back on it all I am a little saddened to see it go. Its like a part of me, a best friend is moving away and you really don't know when you will see them again. And I don't know if a rush of emotion hit over me, but I have not laughed at a TV show the way I laughed tonight. And as the last minutes ticked by a welling of emotions hit, and I too started to think of what has happened in my own life in the past eight years.

But I know it will all be okay... Cause being a true blue Scrubs fan I do have all 7 seasons, and cannot wait until the day that the 8th one comes out. I also with the help of a friend that is a big fan of The Todd, we made a Scrubs Drinking Game! And trust me when I say, choose a light beer to play with, a darker beer you'll be done after 2 episodes, and you will make it through a half episode if you dare to choose liquor!

I know that I have made many suggestions on my blog, some good, others were way out of left field, and others extremely bias. But I suggest that if you have never seen Scrubs of kinda on the fence about the show, give it a consideration. I hope that you won't be disappointed, because I never was.

I leave you with some parting words...
"Cause I can't do this all on my own... No, I know that I'm no... Superman"

Great News!!

2009-04-26T23:02:00.000-07:00

Check it out!!

That is in fact my future nephew/niece. Cool Uncle Ricky is now in full swing! That's right my lovely sister Amanda and awesome brother-in-law Mitchell are expecting their first child. And quite honestly I could not be happier for them. I did in fact shed a tear for this amazing news and was just overwhelmed with love and happiness for them and the new addition to their family and ours. I really cannot wait to meet him/her and share my infinite wisdom with the little one. Ha!!

Any how, I just wanted to share the news with everyone and if you would indulge me a little and just say a prayer for Amanda and Mitchell and the blessing that God has given to them.

Contender for Douche of the Year

2009-04-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

As we move towards the end of April, I can't help but look back at the happenings of this past week and realize that we have our first contender for Douche of the Year!

That's right people, we usually don't see our candidates for this "prestigious" award until the summer starts. The big blockbuster movies start rolling, you know when the true ego of every big name Hollywood hot shot and sex deprived congressmen/ governor really starts to show.

But not this year, Oh no! Congrats to Perez Hilton you are the first candidate for 2009 Douche of the Year.

Not only are you a very small, single minded individual who likes to take cheap shots at people while they are down and out. Mind you some times that's alright to do, I mean common, Britney Spears... Its like shooting fish in a barrel, it really is. But I am not here to call you out on trashing Britney's "sterling" name. Or there is also Miss Lohan. Or the fact that you seem to have a dangerous crush on Heidi and Spencer. I really think that you are about one missed Xanex pill from running them down on Hollywood Blvd, stuffing them in your trunk, slitting their throats, and going all Norman Bates just so you can full fill a sick and twisted tea party with your "new" family.

No, I am here because you single handily crushed the dreams of Miss California Carrie Prejean just because she does not agree with your lifestyle, and your way of thinking. She is a 21 year old woman with dreams and aspirations of making this God-forsaken world a little bit better, rather then cheapen it like you so often do. You should be ashamed of yourself and what you said and did to that girl. I will be totally surprised if any one even comes close to you in contending for this award. I hope one day you have to answer for your actions, and ultimately pay for what you did to this girl.

Perez Hilton... you have been served the first nomination for Douche of the Year

As American as Mom, Apple Pie, and Steroid Infused Baseball...

2009-02-09T08:32:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning I woke up, took a shower and started to get ready for church. I had a good feeling that it was going to be a good day despite the clouds covering up the sun. Church was good, and my grande Starbucks in my cup holder made the ride back to my house better. But it was when I got back to my house and turned on Sportscenter, that the clouds in the sky came down and covered me.

One of my favorite sports once again was in scandal of a player using steroids, and not just any player, one of my favorite players, Alex Rodriguez. A player poised to have another MVP season this coming year, the one hand picked to take over Barry Bonds home run record* mark, being a roll model for younger generations and Latinos, all while being a sportsman, and showing that hard work and dedication pay off... Or so we thought?

Reports are saying that back in 2003, in which he won the MLB MVP, Rodriguez tested positive for illegal performance enhancing substances, along with 104 other players. Whether it is true or not is to be seen. But for me, and other fans of the game, it is still a sad time in the sport whether or not you like A-Rod or not.

What kind of message is this sending to younger players out there that follow the careers of these athletes? The kids that hang on every move, and word that these player do or say. In a time were we have to put labels on the things that our kids buy and watch to protect them from dangers, and other things, are we going to have to filter the athletes that they watch too? How sad is this?

I played football for 10 years, 4 of which at a great college that was a top 10 national team every year. The wanting to be better, faster, and stronger was pressed on you every day that you stepped into the field house, the weight room, and on to the practice field. And as hard as you may thing it is to get your hands on steroids and other enhancing substances, it really wasn't.

But to me, I knew that I would get zero satisfaction if we were to win and I had cheated to get there. And that is what those drugs make you, a cheater! What happened to the days of working hard, having dedication to your desire to play the game, and investing into yourself to become the best that you can be, and feeling good at the end of the day.

I am disappointed, upset, and saddened by all this. And only hope that the younger generations out there learn from these "athletes" and follow their own course. Sad day...

Weapons of Mass Sedution... Girl Scout Cookies!!!

2009-01-27T18:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's that time of the year again, and as much as you try to dodge it, and run from it, sometimes it just hits from behind, like a James Bond to a bad guy. Yes! Girl Scout Cookies!!

I think the people at the Girl Scouts of America have strategically placed a time for their cookies at a time were you are finally settling into your workouts, and are finally seeing results from your latest new years resolution, and then like a bolt of lighting... BAM!! "Excuse me! Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?" Those little girls, standing outside the grocery store, Blockbuster, Sam's, Best Buy, with their little sashes, looking up at you with big 'ol puppy dog eyes, knowing that in fact how hard it is to say no to them.

My last interaction with one of these peddlers of oh so goodness was this past weekend, my mom and I were outside of Sam's, on our way in, and then BAM! Out of no where, there she was... This little girl was all of 3 feet tall, a cross between Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning before War of the Worlds, with her little Brownie's uniform on, blondie hair coming out of her beanie, and green eyes burning a hole in me from behind her big thick glasses. With the voice that could have come from one of the members of the Lollipop Guild, asking me:

"Excuse me sir! Would you like to buy some cookies? Girl Scout Cookies?"

I couldn't help it, it was like that scene from Sherk 2, where he is looking down at Puss in Boots, with those big eyes just glistening back at him. Now how could I have said no to this sweet little girl? Did I want any cookies? Yes. Did I need any cookies? No. But I said yes anyways, and just to add to my now stolen heart by this little girl, she took me by the hand to show me the selection of cookies that she had.

And if I had had the cash on me I would have bought up every box on the table just on the fact of how cute this little girl is. But thank God that I only had 5 dollars in my pocket to only buy one box from her. Caramel Delights! Or as I like the old school name Samoa's.

I took my cookies and gave her my 5 dollars, and she counted my change to me. As I turned around to head back into the store, she spun around and shouted back to me: "Thank you! I hope you enjoy!"

So, next year as this time comes around again, I will try to have a little more self control, will power, and finally say "No", or at least try to...

More "Change" We Can Believe In: Gitmo Closes

2009-01-22T19:53:00.000-08:00

In just his second day as President of the United States, President Obama signed executive orders to close the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as well as other CIA black site prisons within the year. Siting: "We intend to win this fight. We're going to win it on our terms... in a manner that is consistent with our values and our ideals"

So now when the US suspects a terrorist, or catches a terrorist, are we just going to play the whole "good cop, bad cop" scenes that we have seen on Law and Order, or any crime dramas that we flock to go see at the movies?

How about all the innocent lives that these people have killed throughout the years? The families of these individuals? Trade Centers in the early 90's, Oklahoma City, the attacks on September 11th? How would you want to deal with these monsters that helped plan, execute, and fund these and many more operations like these?

Mr. President, would you like to give your opinion on this?

How would you deal with these people that have done these things? Oh yeah, and that would give a proper reparations, and closure to the families?

Tell you what... when we do catch these "people" and I use that term loosely, because they are not really people, lets sit them down, ask them why they did it, planned it, tell them not to do it, and if they have learned their lesson, keep them in jail until their black market buddies have the money to post bail, hijack them back to whatever country they were from so they can continue and quite possibly fully end their plans, or worse, do it again.

Nice to see that when your Labradoodle makes a mess on the Seal of the United States rug in the Oval Office, you are going to go ahead and pick it up, set the dog aside and talk to it on why it was wrong, let it go play with the girls, and hope that it does not do it again.

How many times is the "dog" going to crap on the US before you rub its damn nose in it, and smack the hell out of it with the Washington Post that's on your desk? Or is that not in the manner that is consistent with our morals and ideals? Cause it sure does seem to work in every other house in America.

One last thing before I go.

Mr. President, put yourself in the shoes of those people that have been effected by acts of terror, how would you feel about these terrorist? How would you want these people to be taken care of? What would you feel as just for them, and how to get the information to prevent this from happening again?

Change We Can Believe In???

2009-01-14T20:42:00.000-08:00

In his speeches leading up to the the acceptance of the democratic nomination, also the democratic national convention, and also his speech once he won the presidential election; Presidential elect Obama has been focusing on a "new hope", and "a change we can believe in". Also a key note in his acceptance of the election he states that " a change is going to go TO Washington, and not FROM Washington". So why is it so that most of his appointees to the Presidential Cabinet are people from Washington??

- SEC of STATE: Hilary Clinton- D.C. alumni, former First Lady, and New York Senator
- ATTORNEY GEN: Eric Holder- Former Deputy Att. General in the Clinton Administration
- CIA Director: John Gannon- Former CIA staff in the Clinton Administration
- TREASURY SECRETARY: Timothy Geithner, president of Federal Reserve Bank of New York, also a DC lobbyist
- DEFENSE SECRETARY: Robert Gates, a holdover from the Bush administration
- NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL DIRECTOR: Lawrence Summers, former treasury secretary
- HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES SECRETARY: Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle

If this the kind of 'Change" we can look forward to, then we are going to be looking at the same Washington that we have been dealing with for the past 12 years! Is this true Mr. President Elect?? If so, please don't beat around the bush, or sugar coat your administration! Come out and tell us that you don't really know what you are doing and that you have as much experience running the country as a biology teacher in Duluth, North Dakota.

I understand the fact that you were a junior senator from Illinois, and that you only got to see DC for four months out of the year(most of which you never checked in to vote). I understand that for you to succeed that you will need to surround yourself with people and players that know the In's and Out's, and the politics of Washington. But don't stand there and lie or try to get away with tell the American people that change is coming TO Washington and not coming FROM Washington. Change we can believe in?? That's to be seen...

Which now leads me to my rant: the economy.

Did you know that the unemployment rate is the lowest it has ever been since 1945? 2.63 million people have lost their jobs. Which is causing the economy to drop further into it's current slump. And all the "government" can do is bailout the big companies that are now effected cause of the job loses. The housing market, auto industries, banks. Believe it or not all of these are all one in the same.

"Dave" loses his job of 20 years, cannot make his mortgage payment on his house, bank forecloses on his house, the bank that loaned Dave the money for his house borrowed the money from a bigger bank. The auto industries now seeing that Dave and money others like Dave are losing their jobs, and cannot afford to buy new vehicles, are still producing cars, trucks, and suv's as if the economy was on a high note. Spending all this money to produce and not getting anything in return, down goes the auto industry.

Bailout... What is with this new sense of fall back that everyone is depending on?? My company is losing money... Government Bailout! We aren't producing as much as before... Government Bailout!! How come everyone out there is looking for a hand out all of a sudden?

I might be wrong here and correct me if I am, but isn't that what this country was founded on, what it was made of? Our sense of hard work, dedication, making a name for yourself, blood, sweat, tears, all for the cause and the WANT of "The American Dream". And when the times got bad, they worked harder, and if they failed, by God they picked themselves up, dusted the dirt off, and got back on that horse that bucked them off and tried again. And they would go through hell for a heavenly cause to try and get a piece of that dream.

I urge you to go out and ask your mother/father, your grandparents, if they ever wanted a bailout when times got rough? And then ask them if their parents and grandparents wanted that same bailout. I can guarantee you that their answers would be a "no", no rather a "hell no". Everything that they had, they earned, nothing was ever given to them. They would rather go without then get a handout.

You want to get out of this economic slump?
-Stop printing money! Sure it will help in the short term, but we will be in the same situation we are in now because of it. And what good is printing money if you don't have enough to back it up.
- Stop giving houses to people that cannot afford them.
- Tell Big Businesses to stop whining, get off their asses and work harder!
- You want to pump money into the economy? Make jobs for those 2.6 million people that are unemployed. FDR did it, it worked, who's to say it cannot work again
- Get off your ass and stop whining! I know it is harsh, but that's the way the world and life is. roll up your sleeves and don't be afraid to get dirty!

You want a change you can believe in? Believe in yourself, cause it all starts with you. Nothing in life is free, everything has a price, and no one said its going to be easy.

The Book of Richard 2:2, Remembering

2008-11-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

First I would like to apologize to all, it has been a long long time since the last time I posted anything. And as much as I would like to catch yall up on the happenings of Richard, and also talk about the election, I'm going to have to respectfully decline to a later time in which to do so.

My mom and dad came to Corpus this weekend to visit me and they brought Abby with them, she was also happy to see me, and check out where I have been living the past 2 months. They got to come in on Saturday morning, and little to their knowledge I prepared a brisket, and beans, and sausage for lunch/dinner. It was real nice to finally treat my parents for once. They have always done it for me, even when they would come to my apartment in Abilene, so it was great to return the favor after all these years. We got to watch the Longhorn game, and a lot more college football that has taken up the just of my Saturdays since college football started back in September.

Sunday I got up and made breakfast for them, eggs, bacon, bisects, and mimosa's. After wards we got in the truck and drove down to the beach, so Abby can run in the sand and see the water. Which at first she was a little freaked out by it, by got closer and closer as the time went on. When we were down on the beach we could see the USS Lexington in the distance, and it got me remembering the last time I was with my dad in Corpus.

I was in the sixth grade and my history class was going on a field trip to Corpus to see the USS Lexington and learn about WWII. Well for the first time my dad was going to be a chaperon for my class. I was so excited, I had always got to hang out with my dad, but it was at home, or he had brought me along with him to work. But for the first time I got to be with him outside those environments. As we left the school I was so excited that I could hardly sit still, and all I heard was how big my dad was, I think that everyone was in awe! Once we got there it was so much fun to see all the planes, guns, life boats, the rooms, and to jump in between the doors. We got to ride the outside elevators to the ships main deck as we got to learn about the battles it saw in WWII, and how the catapult worked. Looking back on it I don't think I left my dad's side the whole time, and saying "look at this!" and "look isn't this awesome?!"

It was just about the most fun time that I had in my life, and what made it better was the fact that my dad got to experience the whole thing with me. It was amazing really. It was right there when I scored my first run in baseball and he was there to give me a high five, and when I had won my first football game a couple of years later. It's a feeling that I will always remember no matter how much time passes by. And I look forward to the day when I can take my son there and watch as he has the same great time that I did.

I'm Back in Texas!!

2008-08-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

okay, sorry i know that i have been back since last weekend, and i have delayed on up dating yall, but it has been a busy week for me in san antone, but enough with the excuses, here i go.

cook, brandon and i left austin on sunday, and flew into cincinnati, we first found our gate, and realized that we had and hour before we had to board our plane, so we found a bar right next to the gate, and we stopped in to have a couple of drinks. so we were just sitting there enjoying our drinks, when our waitress asked what time our plane left... check!!! running... saw the plane being taxied out to the runway... oops!! we lucked out though and the airline put us up in a hotel for the night, and gave us a ride back to the airport fir the first flight out in the morning. so the first flight out was at 7:15 the next morning, or so we thought... a dozen and a half delays later, and four beers, we finally headed for hartford at 1 pm. oh yeah, and we had an engine go out on us!!! son of a bitch, that's why i hate flying!!!

so, there is really nothing to tell yall about work other then we did pull more footage in two days then i ever did in a week in san antone! so needless to say i got to get paid by the foot rather then my lousy minimum here in texas. money!!!!

so i did get to tour the yale campus, it was awesome seeing it, and going into buildings that were 300 years old, and to see the names of all the famous people that went there, and man it was just amazing. i also got to walk around downtown new haven and got to see the historical sites, and the new haven green. which if you didn't know that's were the amastad came into port and the slaves were sold in the first slave trades in america.

i also liked the company office (the bar) in new haven. the owner is a huge elvis fan, and if you know me, so am i. love it!! elvis stuff every where! oh yeah and the beer was cold too! and the whole kicker was that it was literally two doors down from our warehouse. if you had a good day the bar was right there so you could celebrate, if you had a bad day, it was right there so you could forget about it.

i also met a girl there, she was one of the bartenders at tcb. her name is jill, and yes, we did go on a date. although i was late picking her up, i got lost driving around west haven. but other then that i showed her why texas boys don't compare to anyone else out there. and she seemed to think so too!

so other then that, it was a good little work trip, we got alot done, and got the second crew going up there, which helps out everyone in the long run, i guess.

but to let you in on some new news, i will be moving out of san antone this weekend and will be moving to corpus christi, and looking to start working my magic there by the middle of september. oh yeah, and bayfest is in corpus the last weekend of the month, three days, music, beach, drinking, if you want to join me, please let me know and i will reserve you a ticket, and an airbed in the apt., or couch, or a corner of the floor, depending on how many people come down.

so i guess i'll be going for now, and i'll be talking to yall soon, have a great one!

~R~

Bon Voyage Texas!

2008-08-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

well i just got the call today, the boss is done jumping through hoops here in san antone, and is sending me to connecticut... this sunday!

that's right! this sunday. not much time do really get things in line and do everything that i have to do. that and its an open ticket, only one way, so i really don't know when i am going to be back. that's the thing that bugs me the most. i could be there a week, or i could be there for a month or two. i really don't know, and i don't think that my boss knows either.

so what i do know is that i will be on a plane on sunday heading for new haven, and i guess i'll let yall know when i am going to be back.

~R

The Dark Knight

2008-07-30T09:59:00.000-07:00

okay,

so i finally went to see the movie that i have been waiting to see for the past three years, one of my favorite comic books heros: batman, in the dark knight. and to sum up the movie as a whole and i quote " it was f-ing awesome!" and "well worth the wait!"

frank miller is a complete and utter genius! he took his re-tooling of the comic from the pages and put it on the screen. the story line, the characters, everything was great! now i am going to make a statement that may come as a shock to many of you, but i was in agreeing on the best sequel ever made: the godfather pt II, but now after seeing the dark night, it is now in my book the best sequel ever made! and i know that it is a little bias on my part cause i am a big fan but it was just an all around great movie regardless.

and i know that everyone made a big deal about heath ledger's performance, and it was all cause it was his last film, and that it was over hyped. i strongly disagree. he took the joker to a whole new level that jack nicholson could only dream about. he was dark, funny, sadistic, conniving psycho that you want in a antagonist. it was brilliantly done! and he should get the oscar for it.

if you have not seen the movie, i strongly suggest that you do. and if you have not seen the first one, go rent batman begins, and then go see the dark night. cause it now tops my list of favorite movies. until next time!

~R~

The Book of Richard 2:1 Total Randomness

2008-07-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

so, i finally got my paper work from at&t on thursday, so for the first time since the 27th of june i have work to do that does not involve me driving all over san antone looking for parts to our old machine. and unlike back on the 27th it is more then two days worht of work! so now that i have all my paper work in, i only have about 2-3 weeks of work left here in san antone. and we are going to have a stretch of down time here in texas before we head on down to corpus christi. so i will be going to connecticut, for a month or so now, before we go to corpus. yea! not really, i don't know anyone up there, at least here i know a couple of people in town and i am not that far from austin. oh well i'll keep yall up to date on that.

its been three long years of anticipation, and an even longer year and a half since they released the making of it, but now its finally here! the dark knight comes out on friday!! and you better believe that i will be the first one in line waiting for the theatre to open on firday. i would go and see it at midnight on thursday but do to the above paragraph, and working nights still i cannot... but non-the-less, i am super stoked about it!! and as many of yall know, i love comics, and even more so, dc comics! batman and superman that's all i wanted to be when i was growing up. so if you want to come with, let me know and i'll pick up the tickets!

i really need to wash sara (my truck). she is dirty as hell!

i hate doing expense reports for work. its a pain in my ass, especially now that it comes out of my account and then i am reimbursed later on that week. it sucks!

all-star game tonight!! go nl!

olympics start in 24 days! whoo hoo!

~R~

a whole mind full...

2008-07-08T21:35:00.000-07:00

sorry, i know it has been a long time since the last time i posted anything, and finally everything as really caught up with me, and i have had a lot of things on my mind. so if you will indulge me i will get started.

you know it is funny how the human mind and for that matter heart works. no matter what happens in the day to day living of a single persons life i guess you will always remember times, dates, and incidences that have effected your life whether it be good, or bad. i have always been that type of person who can chronically date things that have happened in my life. and while the most have been great, good, and life defining moments, others have weighted heavy on my heart and mind, and in a certain way now that i look back at it, have also defined my life as the goods ones have. i guess there are really two dates that i remember that stick out that were great dates that define myself, and also two others that have changed the course of my life as well. and while one would beg the question on way i would hang on to these other two? and i really cannot answer that. while i know that what happened on those two separate days were no way good to me personally, i cannot help but remember those. it has been two years for one of them, and eight years on the other, but i can still remember them both like they were yesterday. weird. but i guess that is life for you. i guess that if life was predicable, and you only had the good times in life, life itself would be rather boring, right?

now for the other thing that has recently been on my mind.

i was born with what i would consider a handicap in my family. while i have had two loving grandmothers, my sisters and i were cut short by never knowing our grandfathers, and them not knowing us also. but the one true beacon that we have in our lives has been our great uncle cal. he without being asked to has filled in the role as our grandfather. he is one of the most kind selfless persons i know. he has fought and survived the great odds three times already, and now for the forth time in the last 15 years he has been diagnosed with cancer. please if you could join with me and my family in praying for his health and well being, and for strength, of his family. i am so grateful that i have him in my life and in the lives of my family and the people that know him. we as a family and him, have fought this battle with him before, we have prevailed, and we will once more.

~R~

Baseball...

2008-05-25T21:13:00.000-07:00

last thursday my good friend ben wrote in his blog about the un-uniformity of america's baseball fields. stating the facts that while football fields do not change dimensions, from week to week, and basketball courts do not move the height of the goal. so why do baseball fields come in different dimensions, field shapes? it is a good observations. while making his point he suggested that all baseball fields be made uniformed in shape, size, and dimensions. and to keep to the statistical part of the game stats will be filed as: T.E.A.M. (the era ahead of modern) and M.E.(modern era).

all good points and well thought out, but he did not take into consideration the most important part of the game, the sentiment, traditions, and americanism that is baseball.

imagine this, you are on a road trip, or a business trip, you fly out of new york to chicago, and while you are landing you glance out the window to the same view that you had when you took off. houston, looks like l.a., and denver, and miami to boston. that's what it would be like if you made all the baseball fields uniform. the fact that they are all different is half the excitement of the game! take into example the following stadiums...

wrigley field, home of the chicago cubs. first notable thing you recognized coming into the stadium is the green ivy that covers the out field walls, the image of multiple all-stars, and countless other players crashing into the wall catching a deep fly ball. the white nautical flag that flies when the cubs win, or the bullpen that is in playable foul territory. or when the cubs win, the stadium speakers blast harry carey saying "cubs win! cubs win!"

yankee stadium, new york yankees. could you imagine it being referred as "the house that palmer, scott, and witmore built just like the others"?? no! it's "the house that ruth built" the only thing you see when you get off the subway. the right field that never got extended out to fit the center and left field walls. where else would they put the bullpen? where would the bleacher creatures sit?? or what about the 82 foot backstop? one of the defining characteristics of yankee stadium. and hearing 'ol blue eyes singing "new york, new york" right after the yankees win! nothing else like it.

finally... my favorite

fenway park, home of the boston red sox. coming off the red line, and walking down historic yawkey way, and entering the park, there you see it, you hear about it, see it in pictures, but nothing does it justice like seeing it in person... the green monster! the defining characteristic of fenway park! it's absolutely amazing, i could not, and do not want to think what fenway would be without it. next, the right field, the whole section! first its only 302 feet to pesky's pole, the shortest in all the majors, and most college fields. "williamsburg", the given name for the bullpen in right as well, 23 feet closer to home plate. not to take into consideration that the whole damn park is unfriendly to left handed pitchers. and lets not forget section 42 row 37 seat 21, also known as ted williams' red seat, for the longest home run in a regulation ball game 502 feet. and the signing of neil diamond's "sweet caroline" during the seventh inning stretch. fenway in one word "timeless"!!!

baseball is something that is america, we all have it in our blood. now i played football for the better part of ten years of my life, but honestly i cannot remember my first football game, whether it was the cowboys or the oilers, i cannot recall. but i do remember my first baseball game. i was 5 years old houston astros vs. the philadelphia phillies. houston won 5-2 and nolan ryan pitched a complete game.

now i do realize that the sport here recently has been tainted by allegations, and actual use of steroids. we as fans of the game need to let the players, managers, and commissioner know what we truly think about it. its taking the sport out of it. and is setting the wrong message to the future kids of the sport. and hopefully it will pass like the scandals of the past.

so making baseball so uniform would be taking the exact element that is baseball out of baseball. whether it be your dad showing you how to snap your glove close, the smell of the fresh cut grass, seeing your favorite player for the first time, and enjoying the parks home hot dog. it all goes away once you uniform everything that is the sport.

i leave you with a great quote from a great movie... enjoy!

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again."--- Field of Dreams

~R~

Pet Peeves!!

2008-05-14T03:27:00.000-07:00

my biggest pet peeve besides people dressing up their pets like people, is just straight stupidity!! wow! some people i guess got skipped over when god was handing out brains. i'll give you a couple of examples...

a couple of weeks back a man was not convicted in the "accidental" shooting death of his wife. while trying to install a satellite dish to his house, the man did not have a hand drill to correctly install the dish mounting screws. so he whipped out his smith&wesson .40 cal. and shot 4 bullets into the house, unknown to his wife two of the bullets went astray striking her and killing her on the spot.

yesterday a man was pulled over for speeding, when the police officer noticed that the drivers 6 year old son was not properly buckled in. instead he had a case of beer buckled into the seat while his son sat on the floor board of the truck.

really people? wow!! and it makes me wonder why and how these people are allowed to procreate! people like this should be shot into space so they can wonder aimlessly, or deserted on an island.

until next time, i think i'm going to have to up myself to 2 chapters a day of the good 'ol zen book instead of 1.

deuces!

~R~

Richard 1:3

2008-05-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

wow!! it seems like a dog's age since i last posted anything. these nights are crazy, and a little scary if i do say so. last night, or this morning, how ever you want to look at it, i was to set up at a man hole that was about 25 feet off the road. yea! not bad, at least i'm not on the street and in traffic right? no! i would have rather been in the middle of highway 90, or in the middle of the ghetto, then this hole. not only was it back off the road, it was in the middle of a bunch of trees, and just a stones throw from a creek, the weather and the elements washed away the ground around it, so now the lid was about chest high on me. once i got the lid off, the hole itself was a good 25 feet deep, no ladder, only the rungs on the chimney of the hole. and now for the good part... once i set up my lights guess what i saw?? 1 dead cat, 3 dead squirrels, in the hole was about 5 dead frogs floating in the water. so you know what that means! SNAKES!!! perfect just fucking perfect. and to make things worse i had to hang in the hole to clear the cable, my arms got tired! i knew that it was out there somewhere just waiting to bite me right in the ass! once the cable cleared the wall i got my black ass out of there and hauled ass! worse damn hole i have ever been in! i'll take stinky ass water, mud, muddy water, cramped, and cramped muddy water up to my elbows in the middle of the ghetto at night, with no traffic cones, in the middle of the interstate, then do that again!!!

i'll keep you updated on any more bad holes.

until then, shout out to all my peeps! stay black!

~R~

Richard 1:2

2008-04-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

so i finally played at the course in my backyard yesterday. its a really nice course. one of the nicer ones that i have played in a long time. we really didn't keep score cause we all had a long day at work before, and about 6 beers before we even got out there! but i did pretty good.

we are fixing to get into working nights here in san antone. 8-5. which in all reality isn't that bad. right now our permits are only 5 to 7 hours long. so now that we are working nights we have more time to work, which in turn means more footage, and more money! also less traffic, and also not having to deal with the ass that is the warehouse manager.

i'm going to watch the spurs finish out the suns tonight. maybe phoenix forgot that they can't beat the spurs in the play-offs. even with shaq! it's just not going to happen.

to all my mav's fans out there.... ha!!!

manu ginobili is the man! have you seen this guy play?? amazing!!

the dog that lives next door i have nick named her spider-dog, she can climb the fence with no effort. it's crazy!!

i need to go to the sprint store, my phone is cracked again! and hopefully i'll run into the same front checking girl that was there last time. we had a nice little conversation last time i was there.

one last thought... go spurs go!!

Birds...

2008-04-25T05:54:00.000-07:00

thoughts of the bird outside my window this morning...

"you know i usually see this guys light on around 5:50 or at least hear his alarm clock... i wonder if he forgot last night to set it?? i guess he had a little too many margaritas last night. well i feel that it is my duty to wake him up! you know i do have a beautiful singing voice! here goes nothing..." (starts singing) "ooo i guess he hears me! i hear moving, no snooze button here, i'm going to continue singing! wow! i guess he is hung over he looks pissed through the window! oh, look he is coming outside, i did my job, he is up and going, just the day in the life of me a singing bird! what? ah, how rude!! i spend my time making sure he gets up and for what? to get a rock thrown at me, what an ass!!! wait... oh shit i forgot... i heard on the news yesterday morning that all road work and related work is cancelled do to the end of fiesta celebrations... i guess i'm the asshole now! my bad, oh look worms on the golf course!!"

stupid ass birds!!

~R~

The Book of Richard 1:1

2008-04-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

just to let you know in no way is this blasphemy, richard just figured it would be easier to separate his thoughts this way, and and it was a co-creative idea with me and jc(wearing w.w.j.d. bracelet)

you know, san antone celebrates just about anything, last week kicked off "fiesta", here in a couple of weeks... cinco de mayo. and it continues throughout the summer. they even had a week long celebration for marti gras... spanish background, french celebration. not real good with the math now, but something doesn't add up...

i need to buy a binder for all my paper work. grown up binder though, i'm thinking leather, no more 5 star mead's for richard!

so today at work i fell into a man hole half filled with water, this is after i hurt my peck(i think i pulled it) and got soaked from the waist down which didn't piss me off so much as the fact that richard hates wet socks!! and then i began to realize that only god knows whats really in that water!!!

richard recently started watching the office, funny shit!

i really wonder how long i can keep up the whole third person thing... this sentence, not so much!

okay forget third person, its too much work!

i never read lord of the flies. maybe i should give it a try. what do you think?

i have still yet to play the golf course in my backyard

~R~

Over all thoughts

2008-04-23T14:25:00.000-07:00

so, has many of yall know this is my first posting on my new blog. call me a follower cause my sister and my favorite cousin has one, but i thought it would be a nice way of putting all my thoughts out there for my friends and family to read about. and since i don't get to talk to yall on a regular basis its good to see how i am doing and what it is like in the world of richard.

just to fill yall in on the resent happening of the rich life, (yes, i will be refering to myself in the third person, so get used to it!) i have resently moved to san antonio were i am currently working. yes, i am no loger an medical assisant, and thank god, that job was taking a toll on me, so in a way it was a blessing in disguise. any how, i am now working for cable pullers inc. or cpi. we are pulling out the old copper phone and info lines from the ground and shipping it to china and they are buying it hand over fist. i really like this job. i get to work with my hands which i don't mind, in the sun, and i work with some cool people. plus i get paid really good, and will continue to move up in the money bracket fast! and now for the thoughts of richard...

i have been reading here lately, i know what you are thinking and yes there is a middle finger being shot your way! i have been reading a daily devotional book and a book on how to be more zen. and here lately i think they are working. i have found more peace within myself and have been less stressed out. so think it it working, a lot better then my last zen book. christ and buda, a winning combination!!

i also wonder why some people are dumb! yeah there are stupid people out there and to a certain extent you can fix stupid, but bumb people on the other hand are a different thing. can you fix or learn how to be not dumb? i don't think you can. dumb is just dumb, once you get there or born there, there is no turning back.

i hate my phone company! sprint can suck a fart out of my ass!

as you must have noticed already i hate pushing the "shift" button on my key board.

is the government jacking up the gas prices so they can pay for the debt that they have accounted in iraq?

mormons... have you driven by that place out towards san angelo? you are bound to get caught doing something when you have the only 8 storie buliding in the middle of flat ass west texas!

the only reason i watch law and oder here lately... alana dela garza!! check her out!!

well i guess thats enough madness for now. check in next time for more. same bat time same bat channel!

~R~