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.

So, I have not be blogging much. Don't know what to say. I've been busy. I forgot. Facebook has consumed my soul. Etc...

Skylab 2009
My old band mate and friend, Peter, invited me up to Denver for Skylab 2009. Skylab is a rave held near Denver, CO every year since 1994, I think. Having not been to a rave since the mid 90's, I thought it would be fun. BT and Rabbit and the Moon performed to thousands of young ravers on the main stage. Four other stages were concurrently in use, one of which Pete was working. I can't say that I was the oldest guy there - but close. LOL. Click the link below for pics.

Skylab 2009

Vallecito
I left Denver for a long overdue trip to the cabin. I arrived to a neighborhood party. Unfortunately, I was so tired from Skylab the night before that my attendance was short. Most of the summer I have been thinking about hiking up Los Pinos river for some serene fly fishing. That is exactly what I got. After walking in about 4 miles, I didn't see or hear another human being for 6 hours. It was truly excellent. The fishing was good with lots of small catches. The largest fish I caught was only a 12" to 13" Rainbow. I have also made trips to Upper Florida and the Animas. The Animas on the Southern Ute reservation is fantastic right now. The water is low and large trout are easily found in the deep channels. First trip to the river yielded 3 nice trout ranging from 16" to 18". I also made a jeep trip up to Clear Lake. Clear Lake sits at about 13,000ft. The electric blue hue of the water is astounding. Click on the links below for pics.

Scenes from Los Pinos

Misc from Colorado

Almost a year ago, Aunt Stevie sent an email to the entire family. It outlined her plan to host a family reunion on July 4th weekend, 2009. Everyone from Great Grandparents to Great Grandchildren were expected to attend the weekend at her house. I dutifully put the event in Outlook to avoid any scheduling conflicts.

The busy weeks leading up to the reunion provoked a strong sense of anticipation. I couldn't wait to see everybody - cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, sisters, etc. I genuinely enjoy hanging with my family.

As Friday approached, I also looked forward to lunch with Andy. He lives in Austin - a convenient stop on the way to Horseshoe Bay. We chatted on his deck then cruised to Manuel's for grub. It is sad that we let over 15 years pass without connecting. I fear many entertaining and humorous conversations were lost.

I arrived at the lake house late Friday afternoon. It didn't take long before a beer appeared in hand and I found myself floating in the pool. It was a quick but nice evening leading to an early bedtime.

Getting a full 8 hrs of sleep, I was ready to celebrate. First on the day's agenda was the car parade. Uncle Randy loaded up the older children in his '64 Thunderbird convertible. They waved like pros while rolling down the streets of Horseshoe Bay.

Next was the boat parade. Stevie and cousin, Christin, spared no decoration or duct tape when prepping the boat. I decided to join the kids in this display of patriotism as did several other adults.

It didn't take long after the boat parade to find myself back in the pool with a beer in hand. The pool was home for most of the day. I played with the kids. Talked with the adults. Drank more beer. Played with the kids. Talked with the adults. Drank more beer. Somewhere along the way, I forgot to reapply sun block. This oversight resulted in crispy shoulders.

Last on the day's agenda: fireworks. We loaded into the boats and headed to the lighthouse. It was a short but beautiful display. Fireworks just look better over water.

In short, it was a great weekend. I hope to see my extended family again, soon!

CLICK FOR PICTURES