my first homebrewery

At the urging of my good friend Dany in Memphis and after having a great time at the December meeting of the LAGERS Club here in Louisville,  I've purchased the parts I need for a home brewery.

Here's what I'm starting with (initial cost of around $380 for the hardware, the book, and the ingredients for my first 5 gallon batch):

• 34 quart stainless steel brew pot with outdoor propane burner (I already had an old propane tank)
• pump syphon
• hydrometer
• thermometer
• 2x 6 1/2 glass carboys with temperature strips and fermentation locks
• Muslin boiling bag
• Counter Flow Wort Chiller
• 3x cases of 22 oz. bottles (and a package of 144 bottle caps)
• Bench Capper
• The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, 3rd edition (by Charlie Papazian)

There's a few other items having to do with the bottling process that I'll get in a few weeks after the first batch ferments and is ready to bottle.

And here's the ingredients for my first 5 gallon batch of India Pale Ale:

• 5 1/2 lbs. amber plain dried malt
• 1 lb. crystal malt
• 1/2 lb. malted barley for toasting
• 2 tsp. gypsum
• 2 oz. Northern Brewer hops (boiling)
• 3/4 oz. Cascade hops (finishing)
• American ale yeast
• 1 1/4 cup dried malt extract (for bottling)

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shizzy's mailbag

I came across Shizzy's mailbag today.  It is hilarious.  I read page 40 and 41 from the mailbag where Shizzy was pretending to be the CEO of Starbucks.  Beware if you work for a public company.  Bookmark it and read the previous email exchanges from time to time.  Very funny stuff..  Shizzy's mailbag is part of the bobfromaccounting website.  I haven't checked it all out yet, but it looks like a very entertaining website.

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finally... a white christmas

Most people don't get excited about snow, but this is the first time we've had snow at home in something like 11 years.  The possibility of having snow at Christmas time and having four distinct seasons are two of the things that excited us about moving from Austin to Louisville.  So now we have the snow.. and right at Christmas time too !  Friday the 24th was a scheduled holiday at work.  This snow fell on Wednesday night, so the office was not open on Thursday.  So I get to enjoy a 4 day Christmas weekend.  Susanna and I are about to build a snowman, and we're toying with the possibility of opening gifts early. :-)

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LAGERS Club 2004 Christmas meeting

Dany's been trying to get me into homebrewing for over a year.  I've been thinking I'm ready to give it a try.  Last week I found a brochure published by the Louisville Area Grain and Extract Research Society (aka the LAGERS Homebrew Club).  I decided at the last minute to check out their December meeting,  and I had a blast.

Approximately 50 people showed up, and almost everyone brought different kinds of beer.  Some (including myself) brought commercial porters, lagers and holiday ales.  Many brought growlers and Cornelius kegs with homebrew they'd been working on.

Everyone was very nice, and several people engaged me in conversation and offered very valuable advice on getting started with homebrewing.   One gentleman loaned me The New Complete Joy of Home Brewing, ,which I've been reading.  Now I'm very excited about it and definatelyu want to give it a try!!

Pic taken via phonecam.

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my first texas hold 'em victory

I won my first Texas Hold 'em game.  It was at our department Christmas party.  We had a very nice lasagna lunch and bottle exchange... The we got down to business with a poker game.

Rachael would have been a formidable opponent...  she had me worried from the beginning... but the cards just didn't favor her.

Jennifer was vicious.. too vicious.. and it cost her.

Chuck was tenacious.. a wolf in sheep's clothing... but the wolf got flushed (I think it was a flush that took him out).

Out of all of us, Kevin has apparently watched more Texas Hold 'em on ESPN and The Travel Channel, so he was our commentator.

I was very patient.. folding around 8 or 10 hands in the middle game... then with my outstanding natural skill and lack of any visible tells.. lured Kevin into going all in against my Full House.. 3 Jacks and 2 threes...

We celebrated with Fuller's Extra Special Bitter.  The picture is of Kevin, some Dead Guy Ale and Paulner (sp?) Hefeweizen (sp?) ... taken with my phone cam... so that's why its a little fuzzy.

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almost northerners

Still alive.  Left Austin on 10/16.  Two days driving.  Kindof depressing to drive through Mississippi and Alabama.  Felt like we were going backward, not forward (lived in those states from 88 to 99), but seeing the cotton in bloom again was nice after so long.

Driving down (fellow UAB alumni) R.M. Scrushy Parkway, wondered if Birmingham will change the name of the road,  now that he is charged in 1.4 billion fraud case.  (He does still have his fans).

Stayed with MaMa and PaPa for a week in Athens, Alabama.  Took boys to get their hair cut at the same barber shop  that, 7 or 8 years ago I guess, they had their first ever barber shop experience.  Ate Mexican at Casa Blanca in Athens and began to worry really bad that we would never have the kind of good Mexican food we had grown used to in Austin.  Tornado touched down 10 or 15 miles north of where we were staying.  Damn.  It was nice to not have to worry about those for the last 5 years.  Wonder if Louisville, Kentucky has tornados.

Two weeks off between jobs.  All projects wrapped up at last job.  Clean slate at next job.  What am I supposed to do for these two weeks.  Slept late.  Played chess with PaPa.

Made it here.  Still upacking, but most of it is done.  Twice as much house.  Amazing how much more furniture it needs so that it will look homey.  We live outside of Louisville in a rural area.  Intentional change of pace and lifestyle.  Horse farms everywhere up here.  Kids forced to play with each other and get along.

The thuhmbnails here are of our front yard and some hot air baloons that lift off from time to time from a field across the road from us.

Found the Claudia Sanders Dinner House and working on becoming frequent visitors.  (Claudia and Colonel Harlan are dead, but paintings of them are on the wall, so we felt like family friends).  Long distance football betting with Edward.  Still don't have cable yet, so no broadband internet, which sometimes causes depression.  Patiently waiting on cable company construction department to run a line up our driveway (its over 1000 feet,  so they are in no hurry).

Work is great.  Fast paced.  Lots of issues to challenge me and lots of room to grow.  Updated my resume.

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one last trip to Mexico

Edward and Johnny dragged me down to Nuevo Laredo against my will on Saturday night for a kind of going away celebration.  We were supposed to leave at 3, but didn't leave until 7, which in Edward's world meant we were right on time.  But that's OK because it gave me a chance to sleep off the depression experienced as a result of Texas' loss to Oklahoma.

We made it to the border around 10:30.  We would've made it sooner except that Johnny needed to stop about 18 times.. rather than take care of everything he needed at one store.. we had to stop once to get him pork rinds, once to get him Rolaids, once so he could go to the restroom, etc... etc...  But it was worth it because Johnny takes abuse well, and you always have to have one person in the car you can abuse.

For any of my readers that have never been to a Mexico/Texas border town, I didn't take my camera, but I found a few taken in Nuevo Laredo on the internet that work.  The first is of El Centro, which is the center block of the 9 square block area just across the border.  There are gazebos and lots of park benches and the big monument you see in the picture which is surrounded by steps all around.  People sit, relax, and chat in the square all day and most of the night on the weekends.  The square is surrounded by clubs, restaurants, and shops.  Our safety (and the safety of our American dollars) was sufficiently secured by the presence of Federalis with AK-47s.

And so we started our Cerveza Tour of Nuevo Laredo.  We started in the club referred to as the "open-air one where all the Americans hang out and dance because it is the closest to the border."  Then we went to "the one where Johnny's band played this year."  I liked this one because the weather was perfect and the club is on the top floor of a building and is one of the few with a large balcony overlooking the main strip.

Ten clubs later (at around 5am), after sampling mucho cerveza, enchiladas, and other mexican delectables, Johnny and I found two big recliners and tried to take a short nap, but couldn't because Edward kept yelling at us (something about what was wrong with us and he was just getting started).  We insisted on leaving... and he yielded under much protest...

Then we found the perfect taco...  I swear I have never had better tacos.  The tortillas were home made, the fajita meat was sliced very thin and chopped, marinated and grilled to perfection, and the pico de gallo was so hot it gave me hiccups on the first bite.  (I tried to recreate them last night, but didn't come close.  The ones we had last night were the best we've ever made at home though, so it was a partial success.)

The second pic is one I stumbled across in my search for Nuevo Laredo images and thought I should add it as a note to self.  Don't stay at the hotel at 718 Guerreros in the summer time.  Edward had convinced us on the way down that we should get a hotel on the Mexican side.  I didn't want to be accused of being a pansy, so I didn't object, but I did want to know 3 things before I agreed: (1) are the beds clean, (2) is there air conditioning, and (3) do the doors lock.  I received what I thought were satisfactory assurances from Edward that he knew of a hotel (the one with the coke machine outside) that was no different from an American Day's Inn or Motel 6.  So I agreed.

But for some reason, we didn't make it to the one with the coke machine outside, and instead stayed at the one called simply "Hotel" at 718 Guerreros.  I don't know why I remember the address.  I guess I have selective memory.  The last thing I recall is Edward standing on the dresser with his arm raised over his head and his hand in front of the vent yelling, "Johnny, the air conditioner's not working..... Johnny, it's been 10 minutes and they're not up here yet....  Johnny, call them again... Johnny... Johnny.." and then I recall Edward on the phone arguing with the front desk (in what Johnny said later was very broken and unintelligible Spanish) that we wanted our money back and we were going to another hotel.  But it was 6am, Johnny and I had already claimed the 2 beds and our last words for the night were "Edward, there's no way in hell you're getting us out of these beds.... we'll each give you one of our pillows and a blanket... you've got the floor."

The 3rd picture is also one I found on the internet and is of Bridge Number 1 that crosses the Rio Grande between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo.  It’s the one that most people use to cross over the border.  Or maybe this one is of Bridge Number 2.  I've never seen that many cars on Bridge Number 1.

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let it be on Earth as it is in Austin

We're moving on October 16... after nearly 5 years in Austin... one of the best places in the country to live... Here's some of the things I'll miss the most (notice how most of it involves food and beer):

• All the Saturday night Boxing and UFC Fight Parties with our good friends
• the Barton Creek trail
• 6th Street
• the best burgers in Austin at Casino el Camino
• the Warehouse District (and here)
• Speakeasy
• the microbrew at The Bitter End
• the difference between good Mexican food and excellent Mexican food
• all the University of Texas Longhorns hysteria
• Chuck and John's 4 year, every Friday quest to find Austin's best Chinese Buffet
• the HUGE beer selection at Grapevine Market and the Whip-Inn
• Central Market
• the Alamo Drafthouse Theater
• the cheesesteak strombolli at Double Dave's
• Dick Nichols and Zilker parks
• Rudy's, the "worst BBQ in Texas"
• the Republic of Texas Bike Rally
• Leslie

I'm sure I'll think of more to add later... there's just so much to love about Austin...

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an alright guy

Thanks so much to Rick N. and Yoli for inviting us to Threadgill's on Friday night to see Todd Snider.  He was awesome.  Go out of your way to see him perform, if you never have.

lyrics from "an alright guy"
I was hanging around in my house
I had that new book with pictures of Madonna naked
I was checkin' it out
Just then a friend of mine came through the door
Said she never pegged me for a scumbag before
She said she didn't ever want to see me any more
And I still don't know why


I think I'm an alright guy, I think I'm an alright guy
I just want to live until I've gotta die
I know I ain't perfect, but God knows I try
I think I'm an alright guy, I think I'm alright

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El Mariachi y Priscilla

Priscilla's birthday party was perfect.  I left the house around 1pm so I could call Olga on the phone and make sure the plans were secure for getting Priscilla out of the house from 4 to 6:30.  I didn't think she was completely on top of her part of it, so I started to freak out.  You should have heard us bickering.  Olga compensated by getting her out of the house at 3, and I'm glad she did, because we ended up barely getting everything ready on time.

Me and the boys went to Party Pig to get some extra decorations.  Josh noticed the Fiesta aisle, and we immediately focused all our attention there.  Ben got lost looking for a buggy, and Josh kept punching this big inflatable cactus in the middle of the aisle.  I said "no way.. that thing is too big.. the house will be full of people.." Then I thought... that makes it perfect.. a big goofy inflatable cactus in the middle of everyone.. lets get it.  We left $150 later with plenty of Tex-Mex decorations, including 3ft tall cutouts of a Maraiachi man and a Cowboy.  Then we went to Sam's for the food.  We would've never gotten back to the house on time, if Josh were not such a ladies' man.  He woo'ed a pretty 18 yr. old to help him get a bunch of stuff on our list.

I made a desparate call for help to Jenny (and Alisha) at 4:30, knowing I couldn't get all the decorations up and the food laid out by myself.  Chuck, Missy, and Rachel came early and saved the day (Chuck was the only one who could reach the ceiling without getting on a chair), and I grabbed Casey off the street.  Casey was whining that he was too hot and tired to help, but I convinced him by telling him I'd had the air conditioner on 65 all day.  Karen called to see if I needed anything (which I did) and went back to Party Pig to get the Happy Birthday sign-in wall poster that I had forgotten.

The house was full by 6:30.  Let me see if I can name everyone who came... a 4-piece Mariachi band, Jenny and Alisha, Chuck, Missy, Rachel, Casey D, Karen and Brandon, Carlos and Henrietta, Claire, Nicky D, Rick H, Carol and Richard Blakely, Natalie, Rick N and Yoli, James and Billy, Robert and Dee, Meagan, Tiffany and Kimberly, Margie, Kaitlyn, Olga's mom, Liz with Casey and Jenn, Edward, Olga, me, Josh, Ben and Susanna.  Thanks very much to everyone.  Priscilla looked very happy, but not all that surprised, when she first walked in and all the kids blew their horns (maybe that's because of the big Happy Birthday sign in the yard).  BUT.. when the Mariachi band started to play and walked out of the kitchen.. the look on her face was priceless... She was completely surprised...  She said later she thought it was a CD, and stood there for 30 seconds just looking to see who all had come over...  Then she saw them and it hit her.  You could see the shock on her face..  and the Mariachi band played beautifully.  It was surreal..  Everyone was clapping to the music, the kids started dancing, and I was finally able to get a beer.

The band played for the next hour, everyone stayed for the Hopkins v. De La Hoya fight, Hopkins won, I won my bet with Edward... it was a perfect night!!

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De La Hoya vs. Hopkins party

We've been planning this for months, but I've been unusually busy lately and haven't had an opportunity until now to send out an invite for this Saturday night's fight party.  We originally planned to watch the fight at the Warehouse, but they no longer show PPV events.  We hope all of our Austin boxing friends can join us at our house on Sat. for the biggest fight of the year.  We'll turn on the pre-fight show at 7:30pm.

Edward will finally lose a bet with me !!!!!

 Lifted from hboppv.vom.  With four world titles on the line, East Los Angeles’ Oscar De La Hoya takes on Philadelphia’s Bernard Hopkins on Saturday, September 18, 2004 at MGM Grand.

De La Hoya (37-3, 29 KO’s), an eight-time world champion in six different weight classes, is the holder of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) middleweight title.  The Golden Boy from East L.A. is regarded as one of the biggest attractions in the sport today, a superstar whose popularity transcends boxing. In the ring, De La Hoya has defeated 17 champions, one of them twice and is a star performer in world championship bouts, with a record of 23-3 with a world title on the line.

At the age of 39, Bernard Hopkins (44-2-1; 1 NC; 31 KO’s) is the universally recognized middleweight champion of the world, and recognized by most observers as the best fighter at any weight - Pound for Pound. He is also one of the best middleweights in boxing history. A pro for more than 15 years, Hopkins holds the all-time record for the number of successful middleweight world title defenses with 18.  Bernard is unbeaten in 24 fights - 22-0-1, with 1 No Contest, dating back to August, 1993. His last loss was by decision against Roy Jones Jr. in May, 1993. His only other loss was in his pro debut in 1988.

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:-( the Gym is Closing :-(

UPDATE
Most of this has been sold.. see comments for more info

I've got an Austin Statesman classified ad pointed to here so I can give the details.  We've decided to sell our home gym rather than move it (1410 lbs of plates.. and then there's the weight of the smith cage).

Its been great, and I'll be sad to see it go.

Tuff Stuff is one of the best manufacturers of free weight home gym equipment out there.

Scroll down below the thumbnails for details, and feel free to post a comment if you have any questions.  Just click on "comments" at the end of this article.

           

Smith Cage/Half Cage Ensemble (click
for manufacturer's info) | ($2500 retail) | (buy it for $1250)

• 7º slant design allows for a more natural body movement
• Enclosed Smith linear-bearing press system with built-in safety stopper
• Adjustable Pec Fly arms for a comfortable start position
• 1/4-turn locking pull-pin bar catches and stopper
• High/Low pulley system
• 200 lbs. weight stack
  
• Comes with multi-purpose bench (click for manufacturer's info)
• Designed for many workout applications

• A high level of adjustability - from 18º decline to 85º upright position
• Independent seat pad adjustments
• Adjustable and removable foot support

Accessory Combo (click for manufacturer's info)

• Preacher Curl Attachment
• Leg Extension and Leg Curl Attachment
• Accessory Rack Stand

My Additions to use with the Smith Cage ($750 retail all together) | (buy these for $475)

• Cable Attachments

• Lat Bar
• Straight Bar
• Close Grip

Olympic Bar

Olympic Plate Tree

Olympic Plates (total weight = 1030 lbs)

• 8 x 45s        
• 8 x 35s
• 8 x 25s
• 10 x 10s
• 12 x 5s
• 12 x 2.5s
       

The Dumbbell Station ($830 retail all together) | (buy it all for $395)  

• Dumbbell Handles (6 pair)
• Dumbbell Rack
• Standard Plate Trees (2 trees)
• Deluxe Multi-Purpose Bench (click for manufacturer's info)

• Designed for many workout applications
        
• A high level of adjustability - from 18º decline to 85º upright position
        
• Independent seat pad adjustments
        
• Adjustable and removable foot support
        
• Built-in wheels for easy roll-away
      

Standard Plates (total weight = 380 lbs)

• 24 x 10s
        
• 8 x 7.5s
        
• 10 x 5s
        
• 8 x 2.5s
        
• 8 x 1.25s
      

Extras  

Seated Calf Bench ($295 retail) | (buy it for $150)

5 ft. Olympic Bar (2 bars) | ($90 each retail)

EZ Curl Bar ($40 retail)

Tricep Bar (2 bars) | ($55 each retail)

Pads for sit-ups

Crunches EZ Bar

Floor Mats (for entire gym area)

Extra Bench

The Treadmill ($1475 retail) | (buy it for $500)
MODEL : 1250 Home Treadmill
FOOTPRINT : 71"L x 31"W

The 1250 treadmill features a powerful, PWM controlled 2.0 HP motor, 0.5 - 10 mph, electronically controlled Incline (0%-12%), 3 LED Windows, 5 programs, Shock Dissipation System (SDS) deck, 2 1/2" rollers, and an extra wide/long running surface. Includes a space saving fold up deck!

Perhaps the most solid treadmill on the market in its price range. The 207 lb. welded steel frame provides the feel of a much more expensive unit.  Additional features such as Shock Dissipation System (SDS) shock absorption, reversible phenolic deck and lifetime deck lubrication are features usually found only on more expensive treadmills, if at all. Our 2.0 hp continuous motor is more powerful than the 1.5 to 1.75 motors usually found in this price range. The unique motor design allows much cooler operating temperatures, thereby increasing the life of key internal parts. Includes five (5) professionally designed programs and Polar compatible heart rate readout. Plus, for the space constrained, the 1250 folds.

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Unfinished Business

Just a little over a week left before UFC 49.  I hope all our friends will be able to make it over for the best fight night ever!!!  And bring some of your friends who you think would like it!!!

Most of you know how big a boxing fan I've always been.  If you've never seen a UFC fight, or if you've only seen a few of the fights from the early 90s.. then come watch UFC 49.  UFC has evolved over the last 10 years to the point where (in my opinion) these are the best fights you can see anywhere.  These are definately the best hand-to-hand combatants in the world.

From the UFC website --> Randy Couture has unfinished business to take care, when he fights Vitor Belfort for the light heavyweight title in Ultimate Fighting Championship® 49: Unfinished Business at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, August 21st.

The UFC brings together the most talented martial arts experts in the world. UFC fighters come from the US, Canada, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Holland, England, etc. All UFC fighters have previous combat sports experience and many are World or Olympic champions. UFC athletes train up to six hours a day or more in preparation for an event. Almost all have studied martial arts as a lifelong vocation.  Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is an intense and evolving combat sport in which competitors use interdisciplinary forms of fighting that include Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Karate, Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling and others to their strategic and tactical advantage in a supervised match. Scoring for MMA events in Nevada, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Florida is based on athletic-commission approved definitions and rules for striking (blows with the hands, feet, knees or elbows) and grappling (submission, choke holds, throws or takedowns). No single discipline reigns.

We are sure to have a great time on Saturday, August 21... Don't miss out!!

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Ben with a Chick on a Chopper on his Birthday

Happy Birthday Ben !!!  10 years.... and you've only had one broken arm.  It's a miracle !!!  You rrrreeeeeallllllly look cool on that chopper.  All the chicks were digging you at your Bday party at Austin Park and Pizza last Friday night.  I think I might need to get me a chopper.  Of course, since I have a driver's license, I will have to get a big one with a motor.  Anyway, I wouldn't be able to ride one for long if I had to pedal the whole time.

Sorry, I would have posted pics of the adults at your party, but there were no pics that made us look really good.  These are on the internet, you know.. for everyone to see.... so only the best pics will do.

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Charles Dickens vs. Homer Simpson

I've always said that Homer Simpson represents mankind.... today anyway.  One of my favorite Simpson scenes involves Bart being held hostage on the top floor of a building.  All of Springfield has gathered in to oooo and aaahhh.  The police chief, unsuccessful in his hostage negotiations, hands the bullhorn to Homer.  Homer looks up with a frightened and anxious look on his face... lifts the bullhorn to his mouth... "Baaaarrrt?" he asks almost mournfully.  "Yeah..." calls down Bart.  Homer, looking sad and dumbfounded, asks "Do you know where the remote is?"

We spent over 8 years without a television, spring of 1992 to fall of 2000.  1991 to 1992 was my first year of law school, and the television severely interfered with my ability to study.  It was difficult to overcome the addiction, but once we finally broke free from the mind-numbing control of the boob-tube, we began to think clearly, engage in long conversations, and to read.  I read 5x more classic literature in those 8 years than I ever did in high-school and college.... and I appreciated it.

Earlier this week, I read about a report issued by the University of Wisconsin concerning America's Most (and least) Literate Cities.  79 of the largest cities in the U.S. were studied in terms of the literacy behaviors of their citizens. (i.e. buying newspapers, buying books, checking materials out of libraries, etc.)  I was surprised and disappointed to see that 5 of the 10 cities at the very bottom of the list were in Texas.  El Paso came in dead last.

So now here's my dilemma.  I read contracts, memos, law reviews, emails, and other documents all day long at work.  For the past few years, I've enjoyed coming home and vegging out.  But I'm setting a bad example for my kids, and they'd be so much smarter if I could pull out of this "ignorance is bliss" tailspin I'm in.  I know what I need to do.... I need to buy a good book, stay away from the computer, get comfortable on the couch in the den, make sure no one turns on the TV, and read for a change.

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Rick Featured in Texas HHS News

Karen gets the Texas Health and Human Services newsletter each month at work and emailed us this morning to let us know that our fellow boxing aficionado Rick Neeck was featured in the August issue.

Way to go Rick !!!  I'm sure if they had asked about your interests outside of work, you would've told them you really enjoy getting together with friends to watch great boxing matches.

The link above will probably end up getting broken, so here's the text:

Name: Rick Neeck
Agency: Office of Inspector General
Title: Investigator

What I do
Investigate Medicaid provider fraud.

How I got started in this field
I started doing investigations with Children's Protective Services. I investigated child abuse and neglect for six years. I have been investigating Medicaid provider fraud for almost four years.

My best day on the job
Last year, I identified a provider that had defrauded the Medicaid program of over $600,000. I investigated the case and referred it for criminal prosecution. I testified at the trials of the two owners of the company in May and June of this year. They were a married couple. In late May, the husband was sentenced to 35 years in prison and, in early June, his wife received 63 years and two months. This was one of the biggest sentences anybody has heard of for a white-collar crime. That was a good day on the job.

How I make a difference
My No. 1 role is as a fiduciary for the state Medicaid program. I identify overpayments and pursue recoupment of any money that has been paid in error. I help identify fraudulent and abusive providers and get them out of the program. I help put policies in place that assure that the Medicaid program does not suffer from fraud, waste or abuse. We hope this helps put more money in the system for the Medicaid recipients to get necessary, legitimate services.

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Finally ate at Hutt's

After 4 1/2 years in Austin, we finally made it down to Hut's Hamburgers on 6th street. (me, Priscilla, Josh, Ben, Susanna, Kaitlyn, and Olga).

This place has been voted "Best Hamburger in Austin" about 15 times since 1987, so I'm not sure why we waited this long. Hut's has a 50s atmosphere, and many of the framed newsclippings and photos on the wall appear to be from the 50s or earlier. The building was first occupied as Sammie's Drive-In in August of 1939.

I tried to order one of their hot (spicy) burgers, so I could compare it to my favorite hamburger place, the Casino el Camino (also on 6th). So I ordered the Chub burger or something like that. It tasted good, but it wasn't all that hot. The Buffalo Burger at Casino el Camino is still 3x better than any burger I've ever had.

If you like 50s music and atmosphere, you'll like this place. I enjoyed seeing the heavily pierced guy with 50% tatoo coverage and the girl who looked like she had come straight from the set of Happy Days, except that she was wearing very dark lipstick and her hair was dyed pitch black. Our waitress was outstanding.

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Fight Night: Tyson vs. Williams

Priscilla and I had a great time last night at our fight night party. Thanks to everyone who came and joined in the fun: Edward, Karen, Olga, Curtis, Liz, Rick, Yoli, Sumner, Steve, Rick, Jenny, Shey (and the kids: Josh, Ben, Susanna, Alisha, Brandon, Jennifer, and Casey).

What a fight!!! Tyson and Williams pounded each other. I never noticed but read later that Tyson tore a knee ligament in the first round.

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Boxing Writer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Mike Tyson tore a ligament in his left knee in the first round of his shocking knockout loss to Danny Williams, his manager said Saturday. Shelly Finkel said an MRI showed a complex tear of the lateral meniscus, and that Tyson couldn''t even walk on the leg Saturday.   Finkel said Tyson's ex-wife Monica, who is a doctor, read the results.  "That's why he couldn''t throw the right hand the rest of the fight," Finkel said. "I was screaming at him to throw it, but he couldn't."  Tyson was dominating the first round, rocking Williams with shots to the head, but late in the round motioned toward his knee and grimaced. Finkel said Tyson refused to make an excuse and wanted to continue fighting.

If that's the case,  then he was fortunate to even get to the fourth round.  It was definately an exciting fight, but I don't think I'd buy another PPV event with Tyson fighting, unless his fight was one of the preliminaries to another main event.

Karaoke may not be the best thing to do after 3 fights where everyone's been yelling at the TV, but we were rock stars in our own eyes. :lol:  Edward nearly caused me to go into respiratory distress from laughing so hard when he changed the "You can check out anytime you like... but you can never leave" part of Hotel California to "You can extend your stay to 6pm for an extra fee.. Just stop by the front desk to let them know..."  I thought it was funny anyway since we just got back from Las Vegas where we were bombarded with invitations to extend our stay until 6pm so they could take more of our money in the casino.

Here's the possibilities for Fight Nights in the next couple of months.  Let's definately do the UFC 49 and the Hopkins v. De La Hoya.  If anyone is interested in any of the others,  let me know.

Sat, August 7 (8:00 PM)

Acelino Freitas (WBO Lightweight Champion) vs. Diego Corrales (WBO Junior Lightweight Champion)

Mike Tyson vs. Danny Williams (replay)

Sat, August 21 (9:00 PM)

Ultimate Fighting Championship 49: Unfinished Business

Vitor Belfort vs. Randy Couture - Light Heavyweight Championship

Chuck Liddell vs. Vernon White

Matt Lindland vs. David Terrell

Sat, September 4 (9:00 PM)

Cory Spinks (IBF/WBA/WBC Welterweight Champion) vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez (Former World Champion/WBC No. 1 Contende)

Sat, September 11 (9:15 PM)

Antonio Margarito (30-3, 21 KO's) VS. Daniel Santos-Pena (28-2-1, 20 KO's)

12-Round Light Middleweight Fight

and

Miguel Cotto (20-0, 16 KO's) VS. Kelson Pinto (20-0, 18 KO's)

12-Round Light Welterweight Fight

Sat, September 18 (8:00 PM)

Oscar De La Hoya (37-3, 29 KO's) VS. Bernard Hopkins (44-2-1, 1NC, 31 KO's)

12-Round Undisputed Middleweight Title

Sat, October 2 (8:00 PM)

Felix Trinidad (41-1, 34 KO's) VS. Ricardo Mayorga (27-4-1, 23 KO's)

12-Round Middleweight Fight

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Welcome to my blog

Weblogs, or blogs, are basically on-line journals that are used by individual bloggers in different ways. Blogs can be personal or professional, topical or random, updated hourly or once a month or longer.... it is all up to the individual. Blogs have been around for several years, but (according to articles I've read) they've really exploded in popularity in the last year or so. I've been thinking about starting one for a few weeks now, so here it is.

I guess it will just be a place for me to write about what I've been up to. Maybe one day my kids will enjoy reading it. Feel free to register and post comments. It's as easy as chatting via email, which alot of do all the time.

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