There's the old Merle Haggard song, "If We Make It Through December." Whew, who knew it should have been January. I mean....If I make it through January I'll be fine!
The highlight of it was of course the wedding of my brother to his beautiful wife Mooch! She was a breathtaking, gorgeous, green eyed bride. It was a phenomenal time celebrating with both sides of the family. They are a truly inspiring union of man and woman. A fine of example of what their parents ideas of love, honor, and marriage are meant to be.
So January has been fun, but gees Louise there's been a ton of expenses out the door!!! New fences to be built, extra winter hay to be used up, front ends on pick-ups, tractor parts, and all with not any rain! (hint hint God, we could use a little) Going over the accounts it's amazing that I didn't have an insurance deductible for a heart attack, but I survived..for now!
I know it's complaining and instead I should be counting my blessings. I mean with the new Obama tax I'm only down $20 bucks a month. Woo Hoo...is that a good thing? Should I be happy about only $20 bucks a month lost? That's like being ecstatic of $3.50 diesel....HELLO it's still $3.50, I remember when it was .65 cents. But, I survived!
I even started finally riding my little orphan gelding Blue. Let me tell you....it was touch and go there on who was riding who. If you know anything about the Blue Valentine blood lines you know they can have a bronc like streak in them. Great horses, once you get past the rare and tear. We did the ground work but he still tried to bunch up a few times. It was great to feel that adrenaline again. I forgot how much I missed that butterfly of excitement when you know one is gathering to blow. We have made a few rides with a whole lot more to go. I survived!
And my love life.....non-existent? There's been some dates. There have been some, "no way in hell am I seeing her again dates", but there has been a few of the, "I'd like to see that one again!" Time will tell. I survived!
It's the first day of February and the sun is shining. All bills are paid and life's good. It's amazing what you can take on and accomplish in the course of living your life. I'm thankful for the days of gravel in my guts and spit in my eyes, because it puts what's important in life into perspective. For me, it's handling the challenges as they come, enjoying the blessing of great family and friends, and always wanting to know what is a little farther up the road. I'm thankful for that!
I'm off to meet a beautiful blonde for Friday afternoon happy hour and big tall Dos-A-Rita's. She's pretty, smart, and laughs at my jokes. Let's hope I survive!
Happy 2013
LB
Friday, February 1, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Pachanga Time!!
3 more days.....well 2 and 1/2 cause we're kicking this party off Friday afternoon! Looking forward to my little brother marrying the love of his life (after dating her nearly his entire life). We're proud of both of them and what great, decent, good hearted each of them truly is. It's going to be a great time with a plethora of family and friends. I hear my grandfather is even going to be sporting a cowboy hat!!
Happy New Year to each and everyone of Y'all! My resolution is to get back to writing more this year. There have been some great adventures that need to be documented, and maybe some others that need to have alternate endings told.
Other than that, have fun, keep her between the greens, and roll on!
Happy New Year to each and everyone of Y'all! My resolution is to get back to writing more this year. There have been some great adventures that need to be documented, and maybe some others that need to have alternate endings told.
Other than that, have fun, keep her between the greens, and roll on!
Feliz año nuevo
Friday, November 2, 2012
63 DAYS????
It's 63 days until my little brother is officially an old man! We still have a batchelor party in Vegas to attend first but time is flying by!!! Pretty sure it's going to be the "EPIC" party of the century!
Whoop!!
LB
Whoop!!
LB
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Unofficially Not Single Is Officially Single
Unofficially not single is officially single! Sounds like a FB post right? I had a friend make that dreaded change from "relationship" to "single", I never know what to respond to those. I mean if the girl was hot how long do you honor the bro code? Do you have to drop her from your friends list? What are the rules? Later, when the comments started coming in he posted up that is was all good and for the best. Bud, I hope so.
A girl and I, that I had been seeing pretty exclusively just decided to call it as friends. So I was thinking about it and realized that I have never made a FB post from "single" to "relationship"....I think somewhere deep down that I'm reserving that for my last line of defense. The ultimate recognition that this girl might be special. I mean the family might meet her, we might be seen together, there might be some couple's dates but until FB says it then it's not official! We've come along way since check yes or no.
This last one, well she had potential. Smart, beautiful, and fun when we saw each other....But, it just didn't work out. Between her career and my whatever, what had started out pretty good just kinda fizzled like a 4th of July bottle rocket. There were some other differences too, but nothing scandalous, it just simply wasn't meant to be. Of course, I wish her the best and we are on speaking terms. It's all good and for the best. Maybe, I am settling down in my old age!
A girl and I, that I had been seeing pretty exclusively just decided to call it as friends. So I was thinking about it and realized that I have never made a FB post from "single" to "relationship"....I think somewhere deep down that I'm reserving that for my last line of defense. The ultimate recognition that this girl might be special. I mean the family might meet her, we might be seen together, there might be some couple's dates but until FB says it then it's not official! We've come along way since check yes or no.
This last one, well she had potential. Smart, beautiful, and fun when we saw each other....But, it just didn't work out. Between her career and my whatever, what had started out pretty good just kinda fizzled like a 4th of July bottle rocket. There were some other differences too, but nothing scandalous, it just simply wasn't meant to be. Of course, I wish her the best and we are on speaking terms. It's all good and for the best. Maybe, I am settling down in my old age!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Who do you work for?
There is a line in one of my favorite John Wayne movies, McClintock, that pretty much sums up how I feel about my family's part in the beef industry. "Everybody works for somebody, and I work for anybody that steps into a butcher shop and orders up a T-Bone steak", Mr. Wayne in character was talking to his future son in law and explaining the responsibility it takes to do a job right.
We ( my brother, mother, and I) don't run the biggest outfit in terms of numbers of animals, but we do take pride in the product we produce. I know that our efforts of maintaining a cow-calf herd in South Texas through drought, disease, and pestilence make a significant contribution in providing a high quality, nutritious, safe food product. No, our cattle may not ever be served at the table of the fanciest steak house in town, but they will end up as part of the Hamburger Helper or other nutritious value meals that the single mother of three is counting on to fill her kids stomachs and give them the strength they need to grow and thrive. That's who we work for! The hard working American family that relies on U.S. Beef to feed their families and provide a nutritious part of a quality meal.
So I take exception when critics slander the hard work of thousands of people who strive to bring that high quality animal to the dinner table where it will be consumed. This whole "pink slime" eruption by activists has cost a lot of good working people their jobs as plants are being shut down and people laid off. The label was unwarranted, but the media running with it was even worse. There has been no scientific research that shows "pink slime" technically known as, lean finely textured beef, to be harmful. In fact, one company that had to shut down 3 of it's 4 plants, BPI, has an exemplary track record and continuously tests their products above the bar of government standards for pathogens in food supply.
The process of lean finely textured beef increased the amount of lean beef available cheaply to consumers. What will be the result of not having BPI and other companies that produce this product? Beef prices that are pretty high now due to the other costs of inputs will climb even higher. Making it even harder for the family trying to eat healthy and live within their means. Because a few who didn't care about the truth of the system sought to destroy it with rumors, un-true videos, and outright lies.
All I can say is that we Americans have the safest food sources in the world. There is always room for change and growth, but our standards are bar-none compared to any other country in the world. However, when rumors create chaos which leads to havoc we should be ashamed! Google whatever you want about "pink slime" or "lean finely textured beef" and you'll find more truth and science in how this product is not harmful to anyone. Read both sides and decide for yourself, but seriously study the research and I believe you'll find that this product was extremely helpful in making a healthy food source more abundantly available to all. Because, we the American cattle producer, work for anyone that steps into a grocery store and picks up a pound of ground round to feed their family.
Thanks,
LB
We ( my brother, mother, and I) don't run the biggest outfit in terms of numbers of animals, but we do take pride in the product we produce. I know that our efforts of maintaining a cow-calf herd in South Texas through drought, disease, and pestilence make a significant contribution in providing a high quality, nutritious, safe food product. No, our cattle may not ever be served at the table of the fanciest steak house in town, but they will end up as part of the Hamburger Helper or other nutritious value meals that the single mother of three is counting on to fill her kids stomachs and give them the strength they need to grow and thrive. That's who we work for! The hard working American family that relies on U.S. Beef to feed their families and provide a nutritious part of a quality meal.
So I take exception when critics slander the hard work of thousands of people who strive to bring that high quality animal to the dinner table where it will be consumed. This whole "pink slime" eruption by activists has cost a lot of good working people their jobs as plants are being shut down and people laid off. The label was unwarranted, but the media running with it was even worse. There has been no scientific research that shows "pink slime" technically known as, lean finely textured beef, to be harmful. In fact, one company that had to shut down 3 of it's 4 plants, BPI, has an exemplary track record and continuously tests their products above the bar of government standards for pathogens in food supply.
The process of lean finely textured beef increased the amount of lean beef available cheaply to consumers. What will be the result of not having BPI and other companies that produce this product? Beef prices that are pretty high now due to the other costs of inputs will climb even higher. Making it even harder for the family trying to eat healthy and live within their means. Because a few who didn't care about the truth of the system sought to destroy it with rumors, un-true videos, and outright lies.
All I can say is that we Americans have the safest food sources in the world. There is always room for change and growth, but our standards are bar-none compared to any other country in the world. However, when rumors create chaos which leads to havoc we should be ashamed! Google whatever you want about "pink slime" or "lean finely textured beef" and you'll find more truth and science in how this product is not harmful to anyone. Read both sides and decide for yourself, but seriously study the research and I believe you'll find that this product was extremely helpful in making a healthy food source more abundantly available to all. Because, we the American cattle producer, work for anyone that steps into a grocery store and picks up a pound of ground round to feed their family.
Thanks,
LB
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Lunch For Little Rylynn
LB, Shane, Jeff, and Andrew-It was a beautiful day for a cold beer and a great cause!Wow, what a day! I should be working on this massive stack of papers on my desk here at the ranch, but I'd rather talk about the event of the day. Today was the Children's Organ Transplant Association's (COTA) fundraiser event "A Lunch For Little Rylynn" at Moravian Hall in Jarrell, Texas and it was alot of fun.
Rylynn was on the waiting list for a heart transplant, but through the grace of God she received an Angel heart October 6th, and is doing well. We are all looking forward to her being home soon and have missed her at Aggieland this year.
So today was a day for her and her legion of prayer champions and supporters to get together and rejoice, and help raise funds for a great organization and the people they help.
There was bbq lunch plates for sale, with dessert as an optional purchase. Including my mom's delivered as promised infamously famous peanut butter cake...(Awww, damn that is just a delicious piece of heaven on Earth)! Ton's of cobbler, cookies, and anything else sweet that a dietitian would scowl at me for enjoying. (Plus, you could buy it to take home. Oh well , we all get a cheat day right?)
A silent auction included some great items courtesy of my brother and our good friends Karen and Jeff Carawan. We even purchased a few things. Who knew Andrew liked hand painted pictures of tugboats? All this time I could have bought the kid great local art and cut my Christmas budget in half. There were a ton of other cool items. However, I'm a tad bit glad that my mom was outbid on the t-sip paraphernalia (I didn't know Gil and Andrea had so many orange friends) she would have looked great in it, but it is still burnt orange.
The live auction seemed to draw the most attention and anytime a group that diverse is together the items will be just as spectacular. I didn't "win" the Yeti cooler, Stihl weed eater, Marlin .22 lever action, or this hill country resort of a bird house. I figure the desserts I bought(see above) made my contribution known.
Shane and his soon to be new beautiful bride Melissa made it out too. Somehow leading to Shane being the winning bid on a new AKC pointer puppy (for his brother). Shady things happen when this guy's around! However seeing them and hearing about what a fun time we'll be having at the wedding in Austin was great. I hear there will be a complimentary shuttle service....that's going to lead to bad things. (I might need a date for that if you are-female (never know), never married, no kids, Christian enough for both, no tattoos, no indoor pets, college educated, kinda know current events, know who Mike McClure, Reckless Kelly, Micky and the Motorcars are, drop dead gorgeous because you have to make us both look good, can dance, and have the ability to not take seriously 90-95% of what I say )
It's safe to say that as we were having to leave and the live auction was still way underway that the event was a success. We are thankful that Ry and the family are doing well and the organization that helps families like this exist. Being a part of today's event was a good thing.
If you missed out on the event, but still want to help then there is always a way. At this website, http://www.cotaforrylynnr.com/ you can learn about the organization and Ry's story. Also, it's something we hear, but not a lot of us do. Please consider being an organ donor. It might just lead to another great day like this.
Have a fantastic week!
LB
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Just A Little Catch Up!
There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. ~Walt Streightiff
A long awaited miracle took place the other day! Little Miss Rylynn Riojas has a heart. An Angel heart arrived and the transplant went off without a hitch! I'm happy to report that she is doing well and recovering. She still needs your prayers but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The Children's Organ Transplant Association and Team Rylynn are having a benefit this Sunday October 23, 11:30-3:00 at Moravian Hall in Jarrell, Texas. There will be a bbq lunch/auction/silent auction/raffle/and children's games. For more information about the organization and benefit you can check out the website http://www.cotaforrylynnr.com/.
I'll be there...and I hear that Leanne and my mom will be providing some great desserts for the bake sale! MMMmm Peanut Butter Cake? (Yeah it's that good that it needs caps) Y'all come out and we'll have a great time.
What else is new? Well I guess it's all kids news still. Stopped by to see Jeff and Karen the other day and little Ruthie is turning out to be quite the handful. It was blast to see her walking across the living room and watching football with us guys. Then at Aggieland this weekend we were able to see our little cousin Finn up for his first Aggie game...(which we won!) Whoop!! Both of them will be having birthdays soon so I'll have to find something cool to spoil them with.
Other than that life has been pretty crazy. We had three inches of rain at the ranch the other day....Amen! So the grass is green and needing mowing, it's been awhile since a mowing was needed. We're hanging on and the cattle still look pretty good. Rain will always be in our prayers and always a welcome sight!
As far as work. I've been promoted to a position in San Antonio, but in trying to find a replacement for me...(Apparently it's pretty hard to replace me, others have tried and failed...j/k) I am still burning up the highway all over South Texas. I'm beginning to think 6-7k miles on my company pickup a month is normal. She treats me good though and there ain't nothing wrong with the radio. However, once the new guy is trained I can say goodbye to overnights in Laredo and hour and half one way commutes to the office. Maybe I'll even find some time for riding horses and chasing women. (Yeah, I've been that busy!)
That's pretty much the gist of my life right now. But continue to pray for Rylynn and if you can help out with the fundraiser that would be great!
Y'all need anything then you know how to reach me.
Hasta,
LB
A long awaited miracle took place the other day! Little Miss Rylynn Riojas has a heart. An Angel heart arrived and the transplant went off without a hitch! I'm happy to report that she is doing well and recovering. She still needs your prayers but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The Children's Organ Transplant Association and Team Rylynn are having a benefit this Sunday October 23, 11:30-3:00 at Moravian Hall in Jarrell, Texas. There will be a bbq lunch/auction/silent auction/raffle/and children's games. For more information about the organization and benefit you can check out the website http://www.cotaforrylynnr.com/.
I'll be there...and I hear that Leanne and my mom will be providing some great desserts for the bake sale! MMMmm Peanut Butter Cake? (Yeah it's that good that it needs caps) Y'all come out and we'll have a great time.
What else is new? Well I guess it's all kids news still. Stopped by to see Jeff and Karen the other day and little Ruthie is turning out to be quite the handful. It was blast to see her walking across the living room and watching football with us guys. Then at Aggieland this weekend we were able to see our little cousin Finn up for his first Aggie game...(which we won!) Whoop!! Both of them will be having birthdays soon so I'll have to find something cool to spoil them with.
Other than that life has been pretty crazy. We had three inches of rain at the ranch the other day....Amen! So the grass is green and needing mowing, it's been awhile since a mowing was needed. We're hanging on and the cattle still look pretty good. Rain will always be in our prayers and always a welcome sight!
As far as work. I've been promoted to a position in San Antonio, but in trying to find a replacement for me...(Apparently it's pretty hard to replace me, others have tried and failed...j/k) I am still burning up the highway all over South Texas. I'm beginning to think 6-7k miles on my company pickup a month is normal. She treats me good though and there ain't nothing wrong with the radio. However, once the new guy is trained I can say goodbye to overnights in Laredo and hour and half one way commutes to the office. Maybe I'll even find some time for riding horses and chasing women. (Yeah, I've been that busy!)
That's pretty much the gist of my life right now. But continue to pray for Rylynn and if you can help out with the fundraiser that would be great!
Y'all need anything then you know how to reach me.
Hasta,
LB
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