Bad Investments

Let me tell you all about a very bad investment Ive learned more about recently. There is a VERY large house not far from where I live. By large its listed as in the 50,000 square foot large. Yes, that's four zero's. Basically a rich guys wife went to France and when she came back begged her husband for a house modeled after a French Chatau (spelling?). He abided by her wishes and built this MASSIVE house. They lived alone in it for just over a year. Now, she feels its too big for just the two of them. (duh!) So the husband has put the house up for sale. And they will now move into the "smaller" house the own across the street, which is valued at just $2 million. The big house has been priced at...are you sitting down.... $45 million. The monthly payment on this house is $650,000. Now, despite what you have just read, I do not live in a rich area of the Dallas Metroplex. This house is an oddity to say the least. So im betting he will not get $45 million for this place. Hence the really bad investment. Moral of this story: If the wife, girlfriend, sister, mom, grandma, stepmom... anyone, ever asks you to build them a 50K sq ft home modeled after a French Chatau out of your love for them, just say "But dear how about the "cosey" $2 million home just across the street?" You'll save yourself a heck of a lot of money in the long run.
I am going to try to get a photo of this "shack" and post it on my site. Not easily done though. The owners dont like people stopping in front of their mansion. Pesky common folk!

Texas Weather

Two days ago it was sunny and in the upper 60's here. I was out in my shorts and t-shirt enjoying the nice weather. Today, its 25F and sleeting ice pellets. Im sure tomorrow it will be 90 degrees and sunny.

Are you there? ... Over.

Recently, my place of work issued us new work phones. Normally that would mean getting the cheapest cingular or nokia phone the vendor had just so we could communicate. This time though, they gave us those cool Motorala Nextel phones. These are the ones that have the walkie talkie button on the side. No more dialing a full number just to ask a simple question. Now i just highlight the guys name, and hit an alert button. In seconds i get a loud, "whats up?!" from my phone. Its pretty cool. Our phones have that rubber, shock absorbing coating on them and a rugged outdoors yellow face. I asked the boss if we would be getting the matching Hummer H2's to go with the phones. All i got was a blank stare. I'll take that as a No.
Earlier this week I decided to use a few comp hours I had accrued thru work and take Monday and Tuesday off work. It was nice to just relax and get caught up on a few projects ive been working on at home. On Tuesday I went out to lunch with my buddy Chris. He's recently fallen on hard times in the work department and tells me he has decided to return to his home town in South Texas to save some money and finish his degree. Although I was a little bummed to hear he is moving, he promised to move back up here in about a year. Which will be cool. Until then i figure that will give me the excuse to drive to South Texas and get the beach/Gulf of Mexico tour from a local's view. Chris is not only a good friend of mine but a fierce competitor in Medal of Honor. Now how many friends do you have that will let you fire round after round of red hot lead into their back and then laugh and have lunch with you the next day? Hey, what are friends for! haha

GGGGOOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!!!!!

Friday night, I had another one of those moments which always reminds me of why I love playing soccer so much. It was our first Co-Ed game of the new season. We were leading 3-1 at half time but had not played as well the second half. It was now tied 4-4. Less than a minute left in the game. Our team was awarded an out of bounds free kick an just past mid-field. Dustin takes the in bounds kick and passes it to Heather, one of our forwards. As their defenders close down on her, she quickly passes the ball over to me. I have the ball just outside the top of the other teams goalie box, I hear the guys on the bench yelling, "10 seconds!!". One defender in front of me and one closing in quickly from my left. I throw a quick fake to my left and push the ball a couple feet out to my right. Wind-up, strike the ball as hard as i can... lower left corner, nothing but net. Game winner! Four seconds left, time runs out.. we win!! I have to say, there's nothing more satisfying in soccer than to see your opponents defenders collapse to the ground in exhaustion and frustration, knowing they are beat and there is nothing they can do. ha! Of course, ive been on that side of things before too, so i know how awful it feels. But, this was my time to smile. :)