RoBBlog

BIRTHDAY

Well, there is not much to say about being another year closer to 40. Thankfully, I have many wonderful friends and family willing to help me stay positive. Birthday festivities began with a lovely wine dinner at AURA with the Johnson's, the Sexton's and Steve (aka Cracker). All present parties being winos, wine was the gift of the day. I was blessed by many fantastic bottles including a Boones Farm vintage given by the Johnson children, Jake and Ashely. The parents explained that the children's budget was quite tight this year. As fate would have it, I only opened and shared the bottle of Boones Farm. However, I was kind enough to share the unbelievable carrot cake which Monica prepared for the occasion. All was forgiven.

Click for Birthday Pictures

THANKSGIVING

The Maedgen's Bonnie Blue Farm (aka Maedgen Land & Cattle Company) was the destination for Thanksgiving. Many fine folks attended including, but not limited to, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents. Brother-in-law and turkey killer, Scott, kindly fried us up a bird that was rich with flavor and as moist as a summer night in Houston. Sisters, among others, prepared and supplied the delicious side dishes. Although my attendance was brief, it left me feeling grateful for the many wonderful people in my life.

Click for Thanksgiving Pictures

PRE-CHRISTMAS

MereChris and I traveled back out to the Bonnie Blue Farm for some pre-Christmas festivities with Mom and Bryan. Mom prepared the family favorite chicken and sausage gumbo as well as a peach cobbler - both of which were fantastic. As MereChris and I would not see our dear mother on her birthday or Christmas, we took the opportunity to exchange gifts. Mother provided the perennial surprise gift which went to MereChris this year. The gift? Several small, crudely wrapped and stapled gifts which Meredith was to deliver to various elementary school employees when she was 5 - but did not. In typical response, we all had a good laugh at Mom's supernatural ability to never throw anything away.

Click for Pre-Christmas Pictures

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. James Tommey!

James and Kristin's wedding weekend was months in the making. Thankfully, and to the benefit of all parties involved, I was only present for three days.

I traveled to Boston Thursday evening in hopes of attending the bachelor party. Unfortunately, late arrival prevented my participation in what was later explained to be a very low key affair. I grabbed dinner and a couple of beeryas (phonetic spelling for my friends in Boston) at the hotel before hitting the sack. Friday was to be a long day.

Upon unpacking, I discovered that the coat and tie intended for the rehearsal dinner had not make it to Beantown. This was a problem. A shopping trip would be needed to acquire the items. Between picking up the tuxedo, picking up Nicole at Logan and other obligations, little time was available. Luckily, the hotel was attached to a shopping mall housing a Banana Republic store. Problem solved.

After a brief shopping excursion to the mall, I took the subway to Logan. Nicole's arrival was a relief. Wedding tensions were already running high and I needed my friend to keep me out of the blast zone. Thankfully, her flight was on time making the afternoon feel less rushed. We hung out at the hotel and had a couple of cocktails before attending the rehearsal and dinner. We ended the evening by taking my sister, Meredith, to the Fairmont for a night cap. It was lovely having adult conversation and drinks with her. She can no longer be called "my baby sister" :-(

The big day started with a trip along the Freedom Trail. Nicole and I brought gym clothes and decided a long walk through historical downtown Boston fit the bill. We walked from Copley Square to the Commons and finally stopped 2 1/2 hours later at Bunker Hill Monument. Needless to say, we got a cab back to the hotel.

Starving from our exercise, we walked over to Newbury St for lunch at Stephanie's. We were not alone. The sunny and mild day coaxed the masses out. We had to sit at the bar, which in the end was perfect. Nicole is a true football fan. It is always fun to watch games with her as she can actually converse on the subject. Truly, charming!

Finally, it was time for the wedding. I put on my tux and rushed down to the lobby. Wedding party pictures were taken in front of the beautiful Boston Public Library. And although the wind was high, it did not stop the photographers from getting the necessary shots. Once finished, we traveled in mass to Old South Church.

As the ceremony began, memories of a young Kristin flooded my mind. I quietly reveled in those thoughts until finally the processional began. She gracefully walked down the aisle in her beautiful dress, escorted by our father. The ceremony was touching. I had to suppress the tears as the vows were exchanged.

The reception was back at the hotel. James' father, a professional musician, and band provided the reception entertainment. After drinks, toasts, dinner and cake, we all took turns on the dance floor reliving our youth. Of course, some had to regress much further than others. :-) A good time was had by all.

Sunday, we had brunch at the hotel with the family before taking the subway to Harvard Square. We walked the Harvard campus. The fall colors were simply amazing. The breeze caused the multicolored leaves to constantly stream down. It was like a movie scene for a couple of southerners! We stopped at John Harvard's for lunch which lasted longer than expected. Nicole and I decided to try the micro brew sampler which left us in no big hurry to move on. Eventually, we unglued our butts from the chairs and finished our little adventure with some shopping before heading back to the hotel.

Sunday evening was the payoff. We decided to take full advantage of our time by wining and dining through some of Boston's finest offerings. It began with hotel hopping. We stopped for drinks at the Taj and Four Seasons. Then we ate at a wonderful North End restaurant called Prezza (Thanks, Kristin for the recommendation). The food was excellent and the service impeccable. Lastly, and based on a suggestion by our waiter, we visited the Top of the Hub at Prudential Center. It is an extremely elegant jazz bar sitting on the top floor of Boston's 2nd tallest building. We enjoyed a bottle of champagne while admiring the breath taking view. It was a truly wonderful experience.

Monday morning finally came much to my dismay. A wonderful weekend was over. We packed our bags, hailed a cab and headed to the airport. As sad as it was to leave, the memories of the wedding, the walk along Freedom Trail and the spectacular view from Top of the Hub were well worth it.

Photos from the trip can be found below.

The Rehearsal

The Big Day

The Day After

I know you guys hold your breath in eager anticipation of my next blog post. It is with much humility that I seek forgiveness. If this is causing stress, please consider joining me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/rdickey) where I am active on a daily basis.

Let's go over what has transpired so far in the month of October...

Texans vs Raiders
The Texans have been inconsistent at best. So, I was a little concerned that they might not show up to this game. Fortunately, Houston did exactly what they should have done - win. It was not a impressive win simply because the Raiders are such a bad team. But, it was nice not having to put myself on suicide watch (which is what would have happened had the Texans lost). As usual, the Pooch Punters Tailgate gathered for pregame festivities. Thank goodness for good friends, good food and spirits. Otherwise, there would be little reason to go to Reliant Stadium on a Sunday.

Click for Pictures

James & Kristin's Wedding Shower
Molina's on Washington was the place to be Saturday, October 10. The Frost's were kind enough to host a wedding shower for the soon-to-be-wed couple. Seemed like a good choice. I mean, how crazy could it get with tequila involved? Unfortunately, everyone behaved. It was a disappointment in that respect. I, for one, was hoping for a classic photo opportunity such as Eleanor drunkenly dancing on a table - but, it was not to be. Still, it was a lovely gathering enjoyed by all.

Side note: I learned 2 valuable rules from this event: 1) No self-respecting man should ever enter Crate & Barrel alone 2) Breadboxes are only appreciated by women.

I will post pictures when they become available.

Mom
The family faced disappointing news this month as my mother, Cynthia Maedgen, was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer on her bones and liver. After eight years of medication, healthy living and no recurrence, we thought she was in the clear. Unfortunately, not. But, my mother always weathers nasty storms with bravery and dignity - this will be no different. I ask that you add her to your thoughts, prayers, and/or prayer lists.

The battle is beginning. All warriors to your stations.

Austin
Needing a break, I rented a Mustang convertible and made haste to Austin in perfect drop top weather. Friday evening was spent with Andy, Ericka and friends at Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen. We ate and drank on the gigantic outdoor patio perfectly situated under the hill country stars. Good food, good wine and great friends.

Saturday basically started with Nicole and I sitting at the Shoal Creek Saloon. We watched the Texas / OU game while pounding down beer and cheese fries. We followed that with a tip to DOMAIN, an outside retail / residential / commercial mall. On the way home from shopping, a bottle of wine was purchased to keep us company while we watched the sunset from her patio. The day was finished with dinner at Vespaio and after-dinner drinks at the Four Seasons on Townlake. It was a fun day and a lovely evening.

All in all, it was the break I needed.

"I hate to see complacency prevail in our lives when it's so directly contrary to the teaching of Christ."

Want to hear a joke? Houston Texans. That's it. That's the punchline. Not so funny, is it?

The Texans once again managed to embarrass Houston. The home field loss to the marginally mediocre New York Jets was not only an embarrassment to the city, it was indisputable insult to the fans - particularly loyal season ticket / PSL holders.

As fans, we must realize the truth: we are enabling Bob McNair's addiction to predatory greed. As long as we keep giving money to him, he will keep taking it from us. Don't be fooled - Bob thinks nothing of it. He feels absolutely no sense of obligation to field a better team. He isn't spending your money on team improvement. Your money is going in his pocket. Case in point, the Texans have one of the lowest (if not lowest) paid non-player staffs in the NFL. Mr. McNair is not so bold as to blatantly cheat fans with bad players. He uses more deceptive means. He cuts corners in coaching, scouting and administration.

If Bob was really interested in winning, Bill Cowher would be head coach right now. Bill would have one of the most impressive coaching and scouting staffs in the NFL while McNair gladly paid for it. And the Texans would be a winning team.

But Bob isn't interested in winning. He is interested in greed.

It is time for fans to stop enabling Bob McNair.

Fans with PSLs should stop buying concessions at the game.

Fans with only season tickets should not renew their seats.

Fans without season tickets or PSLs shouldn't buy individual game tickets.

Lastly, no fan should buy Texans merchandise.

Once the money is gone, Bob McNair will have only two choices: 1) sell the team or 2) produce a winner.