Archive for the ‘Life’ Category
David’s back. Tell a friend.
Just a quick note that I’m back home from Vegas. It was a fun trip, but it’s good to be home. Now I have to do a ton of laundry, go through 2 weeks worth of mail, and see if my dogs remember who I am. And in case you’re interested, I pretty much broke even in the gambling department
I lost some money playing blackjack and roulette, but made it up playing craps! I never played craps before this trip. But it is a damn fun game! Especially when you’re winning. And when you’re the shooter and you have the hot hand, your adrenaline starts going! My buddy Mike got chips thrown his way by the other players because he was making us all a bunch of money. That was a good night. But the next night, well, let’s just say we figured out why they call it “craps”.
Another interesting thing I saw was a scene being filmed for CSI at the Venetian casino. I didn’t catch on at first as to why there was an area roped off, but then I saw all the cameras and the main actors from the show (William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger). I don’t want anyone to get too excited, but my left arm may be in a scene in one of the upcoming episodes. So feel free to ask for an autograph the next time you see me. I will be signing with my left arm, of course. 
I did catch Carrot Top’s show at the Luxor while I was there. That guy is a trip! Always does a good job with the props. And I was surprised how fast he was incorporating current events into his act, like the infamous Alec Baldwin voicemail to his 12 year old daughter. And if you didn’t know, Carrot Top is freakishly huge now. Huge as in a work out freak! Maybe he got tired of all the pushing around and being called “Carrot Cake” that he decided to do something about it. I wouldn’t want to mess with him.
Anyway, it’s good to be back. I go back to work tomorrow. Hopefully a Dallas Maverick’s loss tonight will be the final touch to a nice little vacation.
-Dave Q.
So I’m off to Vegas today. I will be there for the next 10 days. Not just for fun and games either. There will be work involved. Counting cards is work, right?
You know what sucks about this trip? Not much, really. But I can only take so much of Las Vegas. Small doses of it is nice, as in the 2-3 day variety. But 10 days? Wow. You try it. I did it for 1o days a year ago and the lights and sounds of Vegas were nauseating by day 5. Hearing the slot machines go off would give me an instant headache. So trust me when I say I will want to get back as soon as possible.
At least I will be there for the beginning of the basketball playoffs. And now that baseball is in full swing (pun intended), I’ll be placing a couple of bets on the Spurs and Braves. Daddy needs a new pair of Oakleys!
I don’t know how much posting I’ll be able to do while I’m out in the desert. But I’ll do my best to post any interesting happenings.
-Dave Q.
I’ve been watching this Imus thing quitely from a distance. Don Imus got fired from MSNBC yesterday. And now I just heard that he was fired from his radio show about an hour ago. For those of you who have been living under a rock, Imus called the Rutger’s women’s basketball team a bunch of “nappy headed hos”. Not exactly the nicest thing to say to someone. Don Imus is a jackass. A COLOSSUL jackass. And made an idiotic comment as only a colossul jackass would. But he absoloutley has the right to be a jackass and make idiotic comments. What the hell happened to freedom of speech?
I have been thinking about all this since it came out last week. About how screwed up this situation is on so many levels. The freedom of speech thing is huge. It seems to me that freedom of speech is only ok for certain people. Mainly minorities. And before you start spitting fire my way for stating that, let me inform you that I myself am a minority (my family and origins start in Costa Rica). There is a clear double standard. I can easily see this. Imus says “nappy headed hos” on the radio. It was a mean thing to say. But I can tune in to a local hip-hop radio station and hear all that and then some. Yet nobody brings that up. Does that make sense to anyone? Explain that to me. The only way I can figure it is that Imus being a white guy (cracker, honkey, etc.) is forbidden from saying anything that can hurt the feelings of minorities. On the other hand if you are in the minority, it’s perfectly ok to say those words. Minorities can also use terms like “white trash” without fear of scrutiny.
An African-American can say “nigger”. A gay person can say “fag”. A hispanic person can say “vato”. A white person can say “I’m sorry”.
I love Chris Rock! Extremely funny guy. Love his stand up. Nothing he says offends me. Same for George Lopez. Another great comedian. Besides both being hillarious individuals, what do they have in common? I can think of 2 things. First, they both have some great white people jokes. Second they both make great jokes about their own races. Can you name a white comedian that does that today? Namely, making jokes about other races? The only one that comes to mind is Sarah Silverman. But she being a woman, is also considered a minority. And you can’t tell me Don Rickles or anyone else that is over 100 years old. I’m talking about this day and age. I see a double standard there.
Bottom line is that I feel we as a society have become extremely too sensitive. Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. Remember that? Words are only as powerful as we make them. And we are making them way too powerful I would love for us to live in a world where people took the high road every opportunity and refrained from using offensive racial slurs. Where everyone was considerate and polite before anything else. But that isn’t the world we live in. Maybe Mars, but not here.
For the record, I didn’t know anything about Rutger’s woman’s basketball until now. I’ve seen a couple of the basketball players in interviews on TV. They come across to me as well educated, articulate ladies. Not worthy of being called a “nappy headed ho” at all. So why did they get so offended? I’ve been called things that I wasn’t. And that didn’t phase me a bit namely because it wasn’t true. What they should have been offended by was when Rutger’s coach C. Vivian Stringer and player Essence Carson were being interviewed on the Today show by Meredith Viera, they kept putting up highlights of the Tennessee-Rutgers game. And each and every one of thos highlights showed Rutgers getting schooled by Tennesee. Insult to injury, baby.
By the way, did anyone even care about the Women’s NCAA basketball tournament? This Imus thing right now has given more media coverage to this “basketball” tournament than it has ever had. Maybe they should thank Imus?
Too bad for Imus that there wasn’t more going on in the news when he stuck his foot in his mouth. A slow news day could have pushed this story away from the front page. He might have survived to slur another day. Like he practically did here.
I don’t think he should have gotten fired. Maybe had his head examed, but that’s about it. And looking at Imus, his hair looks kind of nappy to me. The irony…
-Dave Q.
Ahhh, yes. Easter. Or as I like to call it, The End of Lent. Most of you know I gave up quite a bit this year. And although I surprised a lot of people (especially myself) by sticking to the sacrifices, I wasn’t perfect. My intention was to make it to church every Sunday, but I ended up missing 2 Sundays during Lent. And the worst part is that I don’t have any excuses. I just dropped the ball.
I did however follow through on the rest. So have no doubt, I will be celebrating! Tonight you can find me somewhere in San Antonio dining on a nice thick, juicy steak. And enjoying a tall glass of sweet tea. After 5pm.
By the way. I don’t think it was wise to give up all that stuff at once. And I don’t believe I will be doing that again. Live and learn, baby. Live and learn.
-Dave Q.
14 days to go. I’m doing pretty good. I have avoided all alcohol, which hasn’t been easy. I’ve had plenty of temptation thrown my way in the form of Happy Hours, a bachelor party, St. Patrick’s Day, etc. Attending all without giving in to the surrounding booze. Again, I’m not a big drinker, but it’s so easy to order a drink when all your friends have one in hand. So if there is anything going on right after Easter, let a brother know.
And everything else has been good, too. No iced tea. No red meat (KILLING ME!). No eating after 5pm. And going to church on Sundays. And so far, no bad side effects.
By the way, is it normal to have a dream about a ribeye? In my dream, I’m basically chasing a ribeye with fork and knife in hand. The ribeye is begging for mercy, running around screaming. Unfortunately, I wake up before I could get to the ribeye. But the dream will be a reality in two short weeks. Run and hide, ribeye. Run and hide.
-Dave Q.
Wow. I have had the worst luck lately trying to get a new passport. Every time I go, there is something that keeps me from closing the deal. I to the post office yesterday to file the paperwork, only to find out that they require you pay with a check. And then just a little while ago I went, but they closed the office for lunch at noon. Damn.
I’m planning on doing some traveling this summer. I will be in Las Vegas next month, possibly Costa Rica the next (depending on the turnaround time on the passport), Spain and Portugal in July, and then New Orleans in September. It will be a little nuts, but I’ve been saying for years about how I want to travel before I have further responsibilities, like kids.
I will not rest for one second until I get this passport situation resolved!! But for now I’m gonna go get a bite to eat. By the way, you know it’s about $100 for a passport? And to get it rushed, which is what I may have to do for Costa Rica, is about $100 more? So $200 for the passport. You damn well know I’m going to travel. And I better have a good time doing it.
-Dave Q.
This weekend my little sister went to a rodeo in Houston. She lives in San Diego. She flew into Houston for a rodeo. A
friggin’ rodeo!! I don’t even go to the rodeo when they have it here! My brother-in-law is a cowboy. No joke. Well, it’s more of a side job now I guess because he is also a Medic in Iraq. But the influence he has had on my sister is unbelieveable! She is now all about country. I remember when she used to like Depeche Mode and The Cure. No, wait. That’s the other sister. This one used to like Olivia Newton-John.
I know people have different tastes. But what is the big appeal about the rodeo? I went once and all I can remember is that it smelled bad. Shania Twain was there and she did help distract me. But let’s face it, she’s not going to be there every time.
Anyway, my parents met up with my sister in Houston to give her a laptop I had for her. She is in grad school and needs it to do whatever it is grad students do. I hope she gets some good use out of it, ends up getting her masters, which will lead to a PhD, which will lead to lots of money, which will lead to really cool gifts on my birthday.
I just pray it doesn’t lead to her doing some online shopping for saddles and rocky roads. Or rocky mountains. Or whatever they call those cowgirl jeans.
-Dave Q.
23 days down. 23 days to go. This hasn’t been easy for me. Especially the no drinking alcohol part. That has been brutal! Not because I’m a big drinker or anything, but because I have been bombarded with events that you need to drink at to have a good time.
For example, last Saturday was a bachelor party I had to attend. Why was I not enthusiastic? Can’t drink. Where’s the fun there? And St. Patty’s Day is around the corner. A bunch of friends are going bar hopping, so naturally it would be stupid for me to go. I guess I could be the designated driver, but why should I have to suffer by listening to all that sweet drunk talk?
Bottom line is, I am going to think twice thrice before sacrificing alcohol again. Too hard. And being Catholic, I should be drinking wine at church, right? So, yeah. It may have been a little counterproductive.
-Dave Q.
