Beast1624

Uncle Max

2012-01-17T21:04:00.000-06:00

When I was young I went to visit my aunt Nelda and uncle Max at there Arizona ranch where they raised and showed Peruvian Pasos. At that time I had had very little interaction with horses having only ridden a couple of times. My two week visit there was one that will stay in my memories as the best time of my life. I had so much fun spending time with all the horses brushing them, helping to feed them and just exploring the ranch and all its beauty.

My mom had come to visit the last couple days I was there and my aunt and uncle had finally let me ride one of their horses. I was hooked from that moment on. As I rode around the big coral in front of the house they turned to my mom and said "I see she has had riding lessons!" and my mom informed them of how little riding experience I had had and my uncle told her I was a natural. From then on he and my aunt encouraged me to get into some kind of horsemanship.

A couple months later my wonderful parents purchased our first horse and from that moment on I have spent every day in the presence of a horse. If not for there encouragement I would not be in the business I am in today. I have had a wonderful career in the thoroughbred racing industry as a jockey, exercise rider and assistant trainer and I owe it all to that short visit with my wonderful family that saw my potential long before anyone else did.

In December of 2008 we lost Aunt Nelda and just this past week we lost Uncle Max. My heart was broken when I got the call from my dad. They were two of the most important people in my life and I am eternally gratefull to have known them. I will miss them more then they will ever know and I wish I had taken the time to tell them just how important they were and how they played such a pivotal role in the road my life has taken.

Posted by Amanda

Hard trip to Arizona

2012-01-17T18:10:00.003-06:00

Had to make a hard trip to the Tucson area last week. My Uncle Max (mom's brother) was at the end. Left Wednesday 1-11-12, made it that night. He left this world on Friday 1-13.

Max was 81. He ran a successful business for years in Tucson. He and his wife Nelda were two of the kindest, funnest and most loving people you would ever meet. In the late '80's they moved east to Benson and engaged in their passion of raising Peruvian Passo horses until her death 3 years ago.

After mom died they (along with mom's sister Joann and Uncle Jim) were like the parents we didn't have anymore. We now have a hole in our hearts that won't be filled this side of heaven.

Max and Nelda gave our oldest daughter the greatest gift you can give anyone...the next post will be from her.

Whether your are a fan or not...

2012-01-16T14:35:00.005-06:00

...there are some things about Texas you just can't help but like...

Time for the Hollidays

2011-11-23T17:12:00.014-06:00

Matthew 24:22
"If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened."

Time is funny stuff. Jesus uses what sounds to me like past, present and future tense all in the same sentence...and it makes sense. To believers this isn't hard to grasp since we look at God as the architect of our universe, including time.

As I'm still here waiting on some updates to finish & everyone else has gone I have been thinking about this strange stuff called time. Is time unchanging? always marching on? never speeding up or slowing down? Appears so since no one that we know of has come out to say they have found a way to travel back or forward through time (although some pretty bright people on a Science channel documentary the other night said that while we can't do it, and we haven't been flooded with visitors from the future, and common sense says 'no you can't', that all their evidence can't disprove the notion that time can be changed...in fact they said that all their data says it can).

For me time is more like a river, with rapids and slow moving deep pools, currents and eddies. When I was young, before I started school, I remember spending days on end outside playing. The days seemed to last forever and the future was this far away thing that I didn't need to worry about. Then as I got older things moved a little quicker, though it seemed that in grade school from the first day of the school year to the last was like 9 years...and the summers like 3 weeks . In high school we picked up the pace a little, then college flew by in a blur.

I just thought that was fast...seems like the time from my children's birth to now, all grown with families of their own, has lasted about 31 weeks or so. I blinked twice last Christmas and here I am today.

Sometimes time itself seems to slow down: like the time we were on a mission trip in 1997. My group of 12 high school students and 3 adults had a week to roof a ladies house. The first four days time flew. Each time I looked at my watch thinking only a few minutes had gone by it had been hours. The days evaporated and we weren't making any progress. On Friday, with about 4 hours left, we had more work to do than we had been able to do the previous two days and I was afraid we were going to fail. I said a quick prayer asking God's help to get done what we needed for this lady. Suddenly time seemed to slow to a crawl. We were working like Trojans and meshing like gears in a watch. Looking at the watch thinking it had been an hour, only minutes had passed. We finished with no problem and the lady received a much needed roof.

Then there are the magic times when time stands still: our wedding, the births of our children, their weddings, the births of our grandchildren, the times spent meeting new friends like Allison & Brian and Russ and too many more to mention. The holidays are like that. Time spent with family and friends seems to last forever. When I visit these old friends in memories it warms from the inside like hot soup on a winter's night.

There are the dark times, when time seems like a prison: when my father, son, brother and mother died...each of these times seemed like never ending pain. The torment that lasted years when we struggled to make a business work, thinking we were stuck for the rest of our lives in hell. They all lasted forever. But, time has been like a blanket...smothering out the memories of the bad times to just a dim, smoky haze so that today, no matter how hard I try, I can't bring up the worst of these times in my memories.

Now it's time to head home. The Holidays are here. I am looking forward to this next stretch of time.

To all my friends and anyone just driving by: have a good time this holiday season and thank you for spending some time with me.

Dead Dog Days

2011-09-02T14:58:00.005-05:00

Yes boys and girls, it's been that hot here in North Texas this summer.

How hot has it been? It's been so hot that the other day when it only got up to 100 it actually felt nice. 105+ during the day is bad enough but come on, Lord...68 days is enough!! The real killer is it hasn't gotten much below 85 at night since about he middle of July...no chance for anything to cool down. But, after all, it is September and it only got up to 100 (so far) today. The weather man says that a "cold" front (smart a$$) is coming in Sunday and by Monday the high will only be about 88 or so and the low will be in the upper 60's!! Sweet relief at last. Besides the heat it's been bone dry. We can only water 2 days a week and then not between 10am and 6pm...that doesn't leave much time to get any water down before it evaporates. I have barely managed to keep my grass and shrubs from dying. Right now they look like they usually do come Thanksgiving. While the temps are about to moderate for a few days looks like the long term rain chances are slim to none...and the 15 day outlook puts us back around 100 by the 14th.

But hey, October's a comin'! Ironically after the last summer like this one (1980) the following winter was colder with a little more snow and ice than usual. We'll see how it goes this year.

In the meantime, do like the dog...stay cool!

New Favorite Movie Line...

2011-08-12T08:54:00.002-05:00

"...Stop talking or I'll put you back in the trunk..."

Guess which movie?

#9

2011-05-16T13:45:00.007-05:00

...on the way, still cooking. It's a girl...

Vitals: 19-20 weeks, 15cm, 12 oz, due 10-6-11

This will be #9 GC for my Beautiful Wife and I and #2 dotter (that's right, 2 'T's) for John and Amberle. Stay tuned.

I am wondering...

2011-04-26T09:01:00.004-05:00

E-readers (Nook, Kindle) are gaining in popularity. My daughter loves her Kindle. She is a voracious reader and puts away 1 or 2 books a week. So far she has 500+ on hers so this format makes total sense for her and the cost saving has paid for the reader many times over.

If I had the time or interest in reading books like she does I would jump on one. Only drawback for me is I am more into magazines and the Kindle (due to it being black and white only and not lending itself to pictures) is a little thin in that mag department.

So, what about the Nook? It's color after all. Well, they do have a much wider selection of magazines, even carrying about half the ones I get hard copies of and about 4 or 5 more that I would like to subscribe to or did in the past. The reader itself is competitively priced to the Kindle so what's holding me back?

This brings up a question to: why should I spend $149 for a 7" screen then have to subscribe again to a magazine I already get in the mail (for $10 a year...mailed to my doorstep...a paper magazine I can have and hold) and pay them $23.88 for a year...for the same one I get a hard copy of for $10 a year...

LISTEN TO THE WORD COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH: make people pay $24 a year for the paper magazine and only pay $10 a year for the e-magazine and you may actually be able to get some takers. Especially for those who want to feel warm an fuzzy about saving a tree.

And...AND...what about us people who have drunk the Kool-Aid and been faithful subscribers for years (been getting Bicycling mag for 12 years straight now) where's our incentive? I'm paid up for the next 18 months because I took your hard sell 'Go Longer and Save' pitch but I can't switch from paper to electronic? And if I wait a year and a half for it to run out your going to charge me the same or more to get less?

Sorry, seems like a broken model to me. I just don't think that many people will be fooled by this...but then again look at the last presidential election.

(BTW you can check my numbers yourself: go to barnsandnoble.com and look a the e-subscription rate for Field & Stream, then go to fieldandstream.com and click 'subscribe' and see what they charge there)

Not Pleased With MyYahoo...

2011-01-26T15:01:00.005-06:00

I use my.yahoo.com to get all my news, fun stuff and feeds from all the blogs I read. The last couple of weeks I have not been able to get anything on my feed page. When I go to read you every day all I get is 'Ooops!'

I'm getting tiered of oops. Not only is Yahoo having problems of late but their product is starting to suck. The TV guide I have on page one is useless. I'm would love to find another home page but nothing will allow me to customize the layout and color scheme like Yahoo. That's one area they have MSN and Google beat hands down...they don't let you customize and they load a little sluggish for my taste.

Anyone have any suggestions?
Side note: forgot to mention...doesn't matter if it's IE, FF or Chrome. Same thing. And yes, all you tech support guru's, I did delete cookies and cache.

Love Never Dies

2010-09-20T10:42:00.006-05:00

Who knows when love begins
Who knows what makes it start
One day it's simply there
Alive inside your heart

It slips into your thoughts
It infiltrates your soul
It takes you by surprise
Then seizes full control

Try to deny it
And try to protest
But love won't let you go
Once you've been possessed

And soon as you submit
Surrender flesh and bone
That love takes on a life
Much bigger than your own

It uses you at whim
And drives you to despair
And forces you to feel
More joy than you can bear

Love gives you pleasure
And love brings you pain
And yet when both are gone
Love will still remain

Love never dies
Love never falters
Once it has spoken
Love is yours

Love never fades
Love never alters
Hearts may get broken
Love endures

Happy 30th anniversary to my Beautiful Wife

You might be a redneck if...

2010-08-30T14:55:00.002-05:00

...your granddaughter can field strip an AR-15

Yeah...that's my girl.

Remember

2010-05-28T13:40:00.005-05:00

Thank you, Dad, and all the others who have defended our country.

Fading light, falling night.

Trumpet calls as the sun sinks in flight.

Sleep in peace, comrades dear,

God is near

'Taps' by John Mitchum

Beastmobile

2010-05-20T09:01:00.006-05:00

Question was asked by Indi in the last post about the motorcycle. Here's the facts:

-1978 Honda CB750K
-Vetter SS fairing
-Came with Calafia black saddle bags and tail trunk (had to remove for new pipes...still have them if anyone's interested)
-@13,500 miles (as of May 2010)

Bought in December '06. Wife and a friend were keeping their horses on some land with a barn on the edge of town. He had been storing the bike there and had not ridden it for several years (had 7,500 miles on it then). At the time we had the one car so I told the friend to let me know if he ever wanted to sell it and, by golly, he took me up on it. Didn't take much checking to realize that $95 a year for insurance and 35+mpg in town beat a second car hands down...not to mention the fun factor.

Cleaned it up, had to replace the rusted out pipes, rebuild the carbs and recover the seat but otherwise it was in really good shape. Use it for in town running around. Don't want to put too many miles or too much wear and tear on it as there aren't too many like it left. Someday might like to get a newer one to use for my dream trip to Montana but for now this one fits the bill just right.

The Beast has a new Biker Babe...

2010-04-08T11:10:00.001-05:00

All I will say...for now...

2010-03-23T09:32:00.004-05:00

...regarding our latest loss of freedom under the guise of 'for your own good':

"Wish you'd stop bein' so good to me, cap'n"

Stumulus or Sedative?

2010-03-17T08:33:00.006-05:00

Thomas Sowell is one of the smartest men I know. How I wish this man would run for president. Enjoy. From his article dated March 9, 2010...

Abraham Lincoln once asked an audience how many legs a dog has, if you called the tail a leg? When the audience said "five," Lincoln corrected them, saying that the answer was four. "The fact that you call a tail a leg does not make it a leg."

That same principle applies today. The fact that politicians call something a "stimulus" does not make it a stimulus. The fact that they call something a "jobs bill" does not mean there will be more jobs.

What have been the actual consequences of all the hundreds of billions of dollars that the government has spent? The idea behind the spending is that it will cause investors to invest, lenders to lend and employers to employ.

That was called "pump priming." To get a pump going, people put a little water into it, so that the pump will start pumping out a lot of water. In other words, government money alone was never supposed to restore the economy by itself. It was supposed to get the private sector spending, lending, investing and employing.

The question is: Is that what has actually happened?

The stimulus spending started back in 2008, during the Bush administration, and has continued under the Obama administration, so it has had plenty of time to show what it can do.

After the Bush administration's stimulus spending in 2008, business spending on equipment and software fell-- not rose-- by 28 percent. Spending on durable goods fell 22 percent.

What about the banks? Four months after the Trouble Asset Relief Program (TARP) poured billions of dollars into the banks, the biggest recipients of that money made 23 percent fewer loans than before. A year later, the credit extended by American banks as a whole was down-- not up-- by more than $20 billion.

Spending in general was down. The velocity of circulation of money fell faster than it had in half a century.

Just two weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal reported, "U.S. banks posted last year their sharpest decline in lending since 1942." You can call it a stimulus, if you want to, just as you can call a tail a leg.

But the actual effect of what is called a "stimulus" has been more like that of a sedative.

Why aren't the banks lending, with all that money sitting there gathering dust?

You don't lend when politicians are making it more doubtful whether you are going to get your money back-- either on time or at all. From the White House to Capitol Hill, politicians are coming up with all sorts of bright ideas for borrowers not to have to pay back what they borrowed and for lenders not to be able to foreclose on people who are months behind on their mortgage payments.

President Obama keeps telling us that he is "creating jobs." But more and more Americans have no jobs. The unemployment rate has declined slightly, but only because many people have stopped looking for jobs. You are only counted as unemployed if you are still looking for a job.

If all the unemployed people were to decide that it is hopeless and stop looking for work, the unemployment statistics would drop like a rock. But that would hardly be a solution.

What is going on, that nothing seems to work?

None of this is new. What is going on is what went on during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Money circulated more slowly during the 1930s than during the 1920s. Banks lent out a smaller proportion of the money they had on hand during the 1930s than they did in the 1920s. Anti-business rhetoric and anti-business policies did not create business confidence then, any more than it does now. Economists have estimated that the New Deal prolonged the depression by several years.

This is not another Great Depression, at least not yet, and the economy may recover on its own, if the government will let it. But Obama today, like FDR in the 1930s, cannot leave the economy alone. Both have felt a need to come up with one bright idea after another, to "do something."

The theory is that, if one thing doesn't work, it is just a matter of trying another. But, in an atmosphere where nobody knows what the federal government is going to come up with next, people tend to hang on to their money until they have some idea of what the rules of the game are going to be.

on my mind: january

2010-03-15T13:42:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. I'm running way behind but I promised Laura I'd do this back then and I really need to follow through. She got this from InStyle magazine so these questions were probably intended for a more feminine responder than me but hey...I'm secure in my Beastiness.

Itching to work with...the air compressor and air tools set my wife got me for my last birthday. Already built 2 play tables for the little ones, now more monumental projects await. "Air nailer? where were you all my life!"

Favorite Designers...Probably have to say Chip Foose. He's a clunkers best friend and he has a heart of gold.

Signature scent...Aramis. All the women in my life tell me if I ever wear anything else they will disown me so I guess this it's the one.

Cosmetics essentials...Honda powered Snapper Hi-Vac commercial model. Nothing, and I mean nothing makes a yard look better.

Necessary extravagance...Slot Cars.

Happy I Bought...that Coleman battery lantern. Came in handy a few weeks back when we got that 12" snowfall and our power was out for 2 days.

Recent splurge...we bought a new grill for the deck. Really looking forward to the first cookout of the season. Ya'll come on over!

Wishing I could...take a couple of months off work to do a cycle tour across the US.

Craving...get back to you on that one.

Can't put down...'Love Never Dies' CD. The sequel to ALW's The Phantom Of The Opera. The CD was released on 3-9 to coincide with it's premier on the London stage. Here's hoping they have as long a run as the original. The music, by the way, it unbelievable.

Listening to...see previous answer.

Caffeine of choice...since intravenous isn't a practical choice I'd have to say Diet Dr. Pepper. Actually I'm not that reliant on caffeine. Never have developed a taste for coffee.

If I weren't...here being a responsible Beast and Father I would head to Montana and get lost in Glacier for a couple of weeks.

Another Angel

2010-02-12T20:51:00.005-06:00

Please Welcome

Jacob Noal McCliment

Born 1-28-2010 at 2:45 p.m.

7 lbs 5 oz

Baby, Mom (as well as Dad, Brother and Sister) are all doing very well. Another miracle amongst us.

"...I am Fearfully and Wonderfully Made..."

Global Warming Alert

2010-02-11T13:02:00.007-06:00

I have to say I'm sick and tired of the problems global warming is causing. As of today the Dallas, TX area has finally fallen victim to this menace...

We are expecting 8" or more of this global warming blanket by tomorrow (may not seem like much by Brother Yam or Russ standards but believe me it's ALOT for here!).

On a more general note: It's been really hectic here since early December. More posts to follow to report on our Once-In-A-Lifetime White Christmas, work, births and progress on The Great Experiment. Thanks for dropping by.

**Update**
Global warming continues unabated this afternoon in Dallas...

**Final Update**
As of this morning our Global Warming Blanket thickness stands between 8"-12". Just about an all time record.

Thought for the day...Mexican Food

2010-01-07T16:52:00.005-06:00

Taco Bell: imitation Mexican food made by a bunch of white people who don't understand how to make real Mexican food.

Taco Bueno: good Mexican food you can coincidentally get fast made by people who understand how to make good Mexican food.

To those of you in parts of the country that only have Taco Bell: my apologies. Come to our part of the world and we will show you what REAL Mexican food is.

About 9 years ago when the company I worked for sent me to Kalispell MT for 3 months to teach new hire classes a friend and I went to a very trendy looking Mexican restaurant in the ski resort town of Whitefish just north of there. It was a busy place and we had to wait a few minutes to be seated. While waiting I happened to see into the kitchen area while a waiter had the door open. I told my friend "Mike, I think we're in trouble. Look in the kitchen."

Without missing a beat he said "On no. All white people."

Our fears were confirmed when we asked our waitress for a small plate of Jalapenos on the side with our meal and she said "What are those?". That was the worst Mexican food we ever tasted.

A couple of weeks later I was driving around at dinner time and saw what looked like and old Denny's building with a sign out front advertising Mexican food. To my delight I was greeted by a family of Mexicans who owned the restaurant. That was one of the best meals I'd ever had. I frequented their restaurant until I left.

My Friends, The Great Experiment...

2009-11-06T16:09:00.016-06:00

...no, not transwarp drive, we're still working on that one. For this you start with 1/2 " plywood, some 2x4's, 4x4's and 1x6's, a few deck screws, a few adult beverages and next thing you know you have a 12'x5' table...

...then, add some foam panels for padding and...I think a few lights...

...a little snow, some ceramic buildings you've had stored for about 10 years, some Lionel Trains, a little magic, and you have a Christmas Wonderland for the kids and childrens of all ages...

I wasn't one of those kids growing up who fantasized about a massive train layout...trains were a bit before my time. I was more of a slot car guy (still am but more on that later).

But, there seems to be something eternal that links toy trains and Christmas. I just couldn't resist building this, low to the ground and all, so the little kids could enjoy it as much as the big kids. Let me assure you, from the look of wonder in the tiny eyes that have come to see so far I think we hit it.

There's been more than a few nights the last month or so since I finished this that I've gone down after dark, turned off the overhead lights, fired everything up and just sat. And watched. For hours on end. A couple of Saturdays ago my G.S. came over and we went down and just watched for an hour or so without saying a word...no need to. No need to talk, it's just enough to share the moment.

I built in some Easter Eggs...like George at Martini's Bar; Yoda at the head of the Trolley Line; Lightning McQueen - Sheriff - Doc Hudson - Dale Jr. - Mark Martin; the Baily Boarding House & the Building and Loan; even the Now Entering Bedford Falls sign, the High School and the Bridge.

Mainly this is a place to stop, leave this current darkness at the door, and remember the magic of Christmas and the gift of Love...the gift of Grace...we were all given so long ago that is still available to any who desire it.

I've already told everyone I know in the area, now comes your invite: if you live in or will be coming to the Dallas area anytime (this isn't a seasonal display, it's permanent) and would like to come by and see this (or the monster slot car track coming soon!) just email me and let me know. All of you are welcome.

Merry Christmas!

Beast's Refuge

2009-10-13T16:42:00.010-05:00

Every Beast needs a place he can retreat to when the the world stops making sense. I'm no different. When we moved into our current house about 15 years ago I had a unique opportunity to build a work shop nestled down in the back yard to my specs (this was back in the days when I had a little money to put into such projects).

I decided on a 31'x31' space with a 31'x10' loft to give me 30' inside dimensions. Simple slab floor, plenty of plugs on each wall taking into account for a workbench on one side, 4 floor plugs on 10' centers, each wall with its' own breaker and commercial grade florescent fixtures. Decided to heavily insulate the walls, finish out with drywall/tape/bed. Stopped short of texture to save money but had them primer to seal everything. And, of course, central heat and air. This room's so tight the AC only runs about 30 minutes a day total to keep it at 80 in the heat of summer. Had them build the outside to match the prevailing architecture in the neighborhood. A very nice start to an escape from this world. The Cave:

Unfortunately almost immediately the whole building turned into a place where other family members and friends decided to store their 'stuff' because they didn't have room for it at their own abode [George Carlin's definition of stuff: when it's your crap it's stuff, when it's someone else's stuff it's crap] so between their stuff and mine after about a year you couldn't hardly walk through the place. Finally this past summer my Beautiful Wife and I issued the warning that if they wanted it they'd better come & get it or it was going out. We started around the middle of July and finished about the first of September. Loads of now-crap-formerly-stuff went to the curb, walls and ceiling painted, floor etched and painted (Wife suggested peach and tan but I decided on true Man-Beast colors: Black and Gray) and now a cave to be proud of:

And yes, there is a black mini-fridge stocked with an assortment of tasty refreshing beverages. Just a few finishing touches: already have cable run so just need a TV mounted on the wall (Ahh! Now I know what to do with all those Best Buy gift cards I've been saving from Birthday/Father's Day/Christmas the last couple of years!), then just need to run Cat-5 from the house for Internet access and that will be about it for fixing up.

Next up, chronicling the fulfillment of a life-long dream and the real purpose for all that square footage.

Best Time Of Year

2009-10-01T00:08:00.003-05:00

October is the perfect month. You can contemplate the year to date and pause just long enough to soak in the world around you before the Holidays try to run you over. I'm determined for 2009 to not get swept away in the flood of commercialism and family time robbing 'things'-that-have-to-be-done-or-the-world-will-end. I'm at the start of a project close to my heart intended to give our family an excuse to come together this season and all year. This will be the culmination of a life long dream. I will post some in-progress pics in the coming days.

In the meantime, here's to a beautiful 'Moon Of The Changing Seasons'...if you need me you know where to find me.

Question---

2009-09-30T15:09:00.002-05:00

If a midget fortune teller escapes from prison would he not be a small medium at large?

A Message From The Phantom...

2009-09-11T16:19:00.005-05:00

Amor Numquam Moritur, indeed.