Happy New Year 2011...

Happy New Year to everyone...and sorry it's so late.  We have been busy with family, friends, work, etc etc...  Hopefully the holidays were great for everyone.  Ours were wonderful.  We got to see all the family between our travels to St Louis, Denver, Florida, as well as those who came and saw us in Houston.  No doubt about it, we are tired!

We kicked off the new year at our friends' black tie party...I even pulled out the tux for it...why not, considering we bought it for the wedding.  We had a great time that night..

A blurry shot, but this is all we have...unless others happened to snap one. 

The next day I hit the links for our annual New Years Day golf game...with two foursomes at Wildcat.  Definitely was a hard course...wasn't as bad as two weeks prior, but wasn't good either.  We were dealing with very chilly temperatures along with gusty winds.  I went "tin cup" once again, but at the end of the day, it was a great day at a great course.

Our last visit was by Deb's mom and sis, who both came down for a long weekend to share a belated xmas.  Kitty got a gift, which she loved...a chirping bird.  We obviously have to hold Roma as she'd likely swallow it whole leaving a very disappointed cat. 

Kitty doesn't make the blog much (with Roma hogging all the time), but today she does:

Many more things to come as the new year moves forward...will have to get to posting as time allows! 

Happy New Year all..... 

Halloween 2010...

We had a great time at the Reyes Annual Halloween party this year...it was our first time actually making it.  My costume was predetermined a few months back considering all the crap I've gotten this year about being "old."  Debbie's came together on Saturday when we were getting the final touches squared away for mine.  Personally, I think Debbie's costume was awesome and much better than mine.  When she put it all on, I couldn't stop thinking "wow, she really looks older!"  Me, I thought I was kind of silly looking, but sold it as best I could.

One thing's for sure, we were both very very comfortable on the night! 

My costume consisted of old man staples...loafers, hiked up pants, a cane, a pillbox hanging out of my pocket, bushy eyebrows and glasses, and some silver hair!  (the hair was a pain to get in and out!)

Deb's was a pair of slippers with knee highs, a house coat, hair up in curlers, over done makeup, and big glasses. 

We had such a good time...here a few other photos from the party:

 JR

 Jenn and Brian...determining the champ between Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter

 Abe as a Chilean miner...

 The guy from the Hangover with "Carlos."

 Spicer as Jesus.

And one of the most original and creative, the Tuckers came as the characters from Angy Birds.  (Angry Birds is a very addictive App available on your smart phone...)

Sorry to all those who didn't get their photo here...only so much space to blog today.  Go over to the Reyes blog and find your way to the pics from the party...

Oh and you know it's a fun party when you wake up feeling like your costume...woke up achey and feeling old.  Could have been the drinks, could have just been age...guess we'll never know!

T-minus 3+ months...Austin Half Marathon

What an uneventful post, but this is going to be the "proof" that I will need next summer...apparently I made the comments earlier this year, but I guess it didn't hold true, as when Deb told me I said it...I didn't believe her!

"This will be my last half marathon."

Yup, I believe my running days are ending...not completely, but these long distance training runs are starting to take their toll on my knees.  Granted I've been battling knee issues for 8+ years now, I'm starting to feel a little bit "old" the morning after a run.  I've been running periodic long distances with sprinkled  short distances, as well as speed training, for the past month or so, in preparation for the half.  But, as I increase my mileage as I've done before, I am not enjoying it quite as much.  People ask me what the enjoyment is with running so much...I used to enjoy the challenge, the accomplishment...but now that I have accomplished my goals in running, I don't have that drive to keep doing it.  Perhaps a triathalon or biking...or perhaps something else?  One thing I'm really enjoying is the 4+ games of softball a week...I get more out of it now than I have in a long while.  Who knows what's next, but I do know it's most probably (90%+) not long distance runs!

Anyways, in the spirit of that one crazy man on our honeymoon..."I'm done!"

(And Deb is running with me in February...not sure if shares the "last time" feelings that I have...guess we'll have to just wait and see!)

Where are you taking my friend?

Roma LOVES going to daycare, and today was no different.  She's been fortunate of late, going twice a week.  And she looooves her time with Izzy.  As I said in a previous post, they cry when the other one leaves...well, tonight I snapped a quick (very short) video of Izzy trying to get around the door to see her bud, Roma.  She apparently has considerable height on her jumps...(one thing that separates the two...Roma doesn't have the height on her jumps).

Enjoy...

(The voices are the daycare personnel, who deserve much credit for dealing with our rowdy pup all day long!  They even had a few battle scars/scratches from the two rough-housing today!)

Pumpkin Carving

This past Sunday we headed over to the Reyes' for pre-Halloween activities...including pumpkin carving!  It was a lot of fun seeing everyone's pumpkins come together.  Deb and I didn't plan ahead, so we kind of winged it.  The talk of the party was about what "level" your skills were...so of course, I said "challenge accepted!"  Bragging rights are at stake when we vote this week at their annual halloween bash.
Here is my creation...can you guess what it is?  It's Mario, from Super Mario Brothers.

As for Deb, she went for a classic pumpkin...picture to be posted soon.

Since I don't have a photo of her pumpkin, I'll post her cookies that she created for the season...she continues to increase the bar for herself, aren't they professional looking?!

And since Deb and I had a reminiscent moment when we took out our Fall stuff with a pumpkin, I'll share a photo from back in 2006.  This is kitty when she was small enough to fit into the pumpkin!  Now, not even close.  (Thanks go out to Deb for holding her in!)  Plus you can see our 2006 pumpkins...

And for your enjoyment...when her head was small enough we'd pour milk in the bottom of a glass and she'd get it all the way in there!

Happy Halloween everyone!

(We'll post more with pics from the party and our costumes...mine has been decided for some time.  It references something I've been referred to as a few times in the past year...any thoughts?)

OH, and Roma came along and was able to play with Robo and Miles...they had a good ole time!

October Golf at Beacon Lakes Golf Club

Today I golfed for the first time in a while.  I had a couple scheduled opportunities canceled thanks to my recent thumb injury, but with it nearly back to 100%, I had the itch to get back on the links!  I roped in Andy, Spicer, Loi, and Mintz to come out...with it being a 5-some, we were somewhat limited on courses we could play, so we chose Beacon Lakes Golf Club in Dickinson.

Overall it was a great day at the course, but before I delve into that, I must tell the story of hole #5.  I had just snapped this photo of the hole...it was such a beautiful day today, I was planning on blogging or sharing some photos.

As I'm walking back to the cart to go grab my driver...BAM!  It was a golf ball that had just missed me by inches!  SPICER!  I was caught so off guard and it was a scary instantaneous moment!  As if he deserved a mulligan, he took one.  Here he is at the box.  I was standing next to the carts on the left...note the hole to the right!  I never let him live it down including me throwing golf balls at him unexpectedly...I had small victories seeing him jump nervously!

But the day was a good day overall game-wise.  I shot a 44 on the front, 45 on the back...a solid 89 for the day.  That's including 3-putting a whopping 8 holes!  Count in the 2 drops, I was quite fortunate to keep my day sub-100.  From my score you can see putting and a few stray shots proved to be the achilles heal of my day...my driving was the inverse of sorts...considering I had 9 - 300+ yard drives, including #16 when I overshot the 352 yard pin, and landing on the fringe of the 383 yard hole #17!  Best hole was #8 when I barely missed an eagle attempt on the long par 5...

The greens were quite slow, this was a common occurrence with us...burying the balls deep into the ground.  This was mine on hole #18.

Krna's Wedding

Two weeks ago we went to Krna's wedding in Outer Banks, North Carolina. Terence and I were excited as neither of us had been before and were looking forward to relaxing a bit by the beach. 

We got there just in time for the rehearsal and to check out Krna and Tim's beach house, which was amazing! It had the sweetest movie room I have ever seen, we will definitely be looking to vacation there sometime! It was really nice to get to see Mama Krna and get to know some more of Krna's friends and family in Virginia.

Next day was the wedding on the beach and everyone looked amazing. Terence was in charge of pictures and I have to give him props, because it looks like he did a pretty good job! 

I also have to say that I have never seen such a calm bride, Krna really looked amazing!

Beautifully handwritten vows...

The smooch!

Thumbs up!

Next day we all woke up early and headed to breakfast at a local shop and took our time driving up the coast. We of course stopped for frozen custard and one of the many Christmas shops, then it was back to Houston. Pup was glad we were home, I think she started to miss us after all our traveling!

I am going to miss my Krna, I mean Campbell-licious just doesn't have the same ring to it! 


Congrats Tim and Krna! 

Another 2nd Place Finish...Eyeglasses for MVP!

It's been a few weeks since it was really "news," as if you can really call it "news" anyways!  While the Pearland Little League was dominating in Williamsport, PA in the Little League World Series, the Chuggers were climbing the ranks in our softball league.  Well we ended up in 2nd place...similar to the Pearland LL team that ended up 2nd in the country.  (Their's was a much bigger accomplishment, of course!)

It was another successful season for me...I've been playing with these guys for a few seasons now and posted my best numbers to date.  And you know what made all the difference down the stretch?  My glasses!!

My stats...0.730 batting average, 7 homeruns, 24 RBI's, 7 doubles, 4 triples...with 22 runs scored.  The last two weeks of the season I sported my glasses and did the most damage.  I went 12 for 13 with 3 homeruns, all 4 of my triples, and 10 RBI's...enough to win the team batting title, too!  Plus I played a more solid third base.

Who would have thought GLASSES would make a difference?!?  I guess I thought my vision was better than it really was.  I vote for my eyeglasses as MVP...

New season opens on September 23rd.  Due to Pearland's restructuring of softball we are moving from recreational to competetive league.  I'm going to need my glasses that much more! 

A Fan's Dream, MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown!

First off, Congratulations to Megan and Helen!  Their wedding was awesome and we had a wonderful time.  We wish them many years of happiness to come!  It was a great weekend in upstate New York!

An obvious highlight (taking nothing from the wedding, of course) was the MLB Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY.  When Debbie and I were discussing our Fall plans and the numerous weddings, travels, and holidays, we figured our time was all booked up.  I should have been more aware of the proximity of Cooperstown to Albany and Syracuse (where we flew into, and were the wedding was)...but I give all the credit to Deb for suggesting "why don't we go to Cooperstown?"  WOW, what a wife!  And we made it happen...

Cheryl and Calvin joined us for the day, which made it fun!

It was baseball immortality there, seeing how the game came to be, how it has evolved, the historic artifacts, photos, memorabilia, etc etc etc.  It was baseball overload, and it was awesome!!

Read the caption...wouldn't be okay now!

I'll admit, there was a lot of Yankees stuff there, which I was not too fond of...but I have to remember, there have been some amazing players in history that have been Yankees.  I admire their careers and their accomplishments, but I still consider myself a Yankee-hater!  Sorry folks.

I liked this display with Ted Williams hitting zones, that he put together, I was actually fascinated with this...Red is where he hit the best, blue not as well...

The women in baseball section was there, just like in A League of Their Own, including giveaways in Cleveland (!!!) from years back...aprons!

The movie debate was guys versus girls...The guys say Major League was the best, girls said A League of Their Own.  Granted both were good movies, you have to defer to the Indians winning it all in the ML movie!

The plaque room was awesome...seeing all the history there and realizing how many have played the game with such honor was amazing.

We even saw current memorabilia from historic moments this year...perfect games, no hitters, and more.  Plus we saw Barry Bonds' "asterik" baseball from his record-breaking home run.

Debbie's Cardinals...a locker full of modern-day memorabilia...

Greatest team ever, the Indians!  WOOHOO!  We will win again soon, 1948 was a looooong time ago!

It was a great great day!  Can't wait to go back with the little Kadlec's...after they are born and of course get older!  Haha.

Baseball Rules!!!

Syracuse and Apple Picking

Terence and I went to Syracuse over Labor Day weekend for Megan Helen's wedding. It was so great to get to see everyone! AND to enjoy the cold weather!!

We decided to go apple picking the morning of the wedding while everyone was getting ready. So Leslie, Calvin, Terence, and I decided to head to Beak and Skiff which also has a winery and a vodka distillery.

They had tractors to take everyone out to the apple orchard and handed out bags and ladders for everyone to get their own apples. We were able to pick JonaMac apples (and get all the flavors we wanted back at the general store).

After picking our apples we headed back and picked up some apple cider (delicious) and the best apple cider donuts ever! Afterwards we headed to the apple winery and the apple vodka distillery....and then we were apple'd out!

The wedding took place later that night, it was a beautiful outdoor ceremony and a nice lodge setting for the reception.

Congrats to the happy couple!

The next day we headed down to Cooperstown for the Baseball Hall of Fame...I'll let Terence talk about that cause I was just the photographer! 

Next up...Outer Banks, North Carolina for Krna's wedding! 

Saturday Golf, a Round of Golf Two Years in the Making

Well, today I played my last round of golf with my aging irons.  This week, after weeks (more like months and years) of shopping, I finally purchased a new set of irons!  They haven't arrived yet, but they should arrive sometime next week.  Next round, I hope to shave a few strokes from my game (as most new clubs promise).  My current irons were a gift for my high school graduation over 10 years ago (okay, barely over 10 years ago).  They were a few years old at the time, so my decade plus technology will be history next time out!

Anyways, back to today's round, I met up with a former intern (Josh) I worked with over the summer of 2008.  I'm not sure exactly why we didn't play back then, but I'd imagine it had something to do with traveling and making arrangements for the wedding last year.  I remember the summer of '08 was full of trips planning the where, when, and such...  So, it has been around 2 years since we last worked together, so there definitely has been some built-up "smack talk" going on.  For some reason, I just enjoy it, whether I'm the underdog or the favorite, it makes for fun times out on the course.  (I think of my smack talking "racquetball" blogs in recent years, they did me no favors as I was destroyed often by Mr. Aaron!)

We opted for a mediocre course, Glenbrook Golf Course, a public course on the southeast side of Houston.  I had played here once previously, it was a round in which JR cleaned up...we left far too much money on the table for him that day!  Anyways, it's a challenging course.  There are a number of holes in which you have to hit over the bayou, a Houston thing.  It's the only city in which I've played over them...

Overall, I was actually happy with the play of the course.  The tee boxes, fairways, and greens were generally in good (and playable) condition.  There was a hole that was a little beat up, right off of I-45, that was definitely a distraction!  The view was far from my last round in Hawaii...passing cars and fumes were considerably different than palm trees and coconuts!

The front nine we actually tied, with the two of us sitting on 53's (on par 37).  I was quite disappointed, especially considering my last round.  I shot a 9, 8, and 7 on three holes.  Talk about putting myself in a hole (no pun intended)!  Geez, I took 6 drops!  That is something that hasn't happened in quite some time!

The back nine I was more on top of my game, more relaxed, and put together some great strokes.  With 5 pars, I closed the day with a strong 39...which was quite the turnaround from the front.  On the last hole, a par 5, had I turned my feet a little, I likely would have been on the green in two.  I was satisfied with the par, though.

My biggest mistake from the day came on the front nine...on the second hole I sliced the living daylights out of a ball.  The slice was reminiscent of my beginning days of golf...well, the ball was still up on a later hole that I was playing.  I didn't realize it and hit it...badly at that.  After 3 shots, I found the original ball from that hole...I drove it just short of the green.  Talk about bad luck.  A lost couple of strokes for sure...and a lesson for next time!

I would recommend Glenbrook for the challenge and the price.  On one of the, if not the, hottest days of the year (97 degrees), it was still an enjoyable day on the course.  More so because I won the two year old rivalry by 7 strokes, with my 92.  Next up...not sure, but I'm hoping I'm back in the 80s!