luisgarcia dot com

My new goal

Luis — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:25:59 +0000

“I hope we find a cure for every major disease. I’m tired of walking 5k.” - Daniel Tosh, comedian

I’ve decided to challenge myself and will ride in the MS150 charity bike ride this May. I figured that if I’m going to take on a new fitness goal, I may as well raise money to help find a cure for a major disease like Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

What is the MS150?
Basically, I’m riding my road bike 150 miles in two days to raise money to help find a cure for the disease. I have 2 months to prepare and am quite serious about training to reduce the risk of making a fool of myself.

Why am I doing this?
1. A great cause.
2. I’ve never been in any sort of charity race. Ever. I usually just volunteer to help these races.
3. I turn 30 years old in August and would like the fitness challenge to prove I’m not an old man.
4. What else am I going to do on a random May weekend?

Feel free to donate to my goal if you’re feeling spunky.

My Favorite New Shows

Luis — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 18:31:37 +0000

I stumbled upon two new shows that really caught my attention. If you like goofy stunts then you’ll love them both.

Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factoy
Rob Dyrdek, from the recently cancelled Rob and Big show, has a new show. Rob is a famous skateboarder who is whacky and just likes to enjoy life. He is always doing the crazy things that an idle mind can think up. He lives the life that I only dream of.

Nitro Circus
Johnny Knoxville, the star of Jackass, is the new producer/director for this show. It’s basically a show where people do stunts, but not the gross Jackass type of stunts. Definitely a lot of laughs.

Daniel Tosh Standup Comedy

Luis — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 18:13:50 +0000

I’ve enjoyed watching Daniel Tosh standup comedy for many years now. I recently visited the Comedy Central website to find new videos and stumbled across a lot of prime Daniel Tosh videos that are worth sharing. Check out all of the videos on their site and get ready to laugh.

Below is one of my favorites:
Daniel Tosh - America The Augmented

Back to the grind

Luis — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:32:32 +0000

I started my meal plans again this month. I turn 30 years old in August and I have a major goal of getting down to my “fighting weight”. I won’t share what that is but it’ll be a steep mountain to climb. I started running a couple of weeks ago and so far it’s not bad. I can already see that I will need lots of patience to become a good runner, but it’ll be a fun challenge. Stay tuned for my weekly updates.

New England Blackout

Luis — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:47:20 +0000

I’ve been working in the Boston area since mid-November. This is my first time to visit the east coast and frankly, it’s not a bad place. Yes, it’s cold at 9 degrees sometimes. Yes, it’s windy. So far, I don’t have many complaints. I hear that the fun is yet to come with the January and February months approaching, but so far I’m fine, except for one thing. We don’t have power. Two days ago we were hit by a major ice storm that has knocked out power to 1.25 million residences. Unfortunately, I am one of those people. My hotel is without power except for very little emergency lighting. I’ve been taking showers in the dark and have been trying to spend as much time away from the hotel as possible. Luckily, the client I’m working with is a hospital with good backup generators allowing me to work and hangout. It’s Saturday night and they say that the area won’t have power until Monday. That’ll be 3 full days without power. It’s really not that bad. Just a small inconvenience.

Charlie Chaplin, The Kid

Luis — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:44:45 +0000

I saw my first silent film in Bologna, Italy in 2003. I was backpacking through Europe for 14 days with my friend Kyle and we decided to stay in Bologna and soak in the small town. I never thought I would enjoy a silent film, but sitting in the cobblestone square in front of the Basilica di San Petronio was too perfect to pass up. After the film, I was certain I would watch another when I got back to the U.S. Since that time, I’ve seen 4 silent films. Today after watching “The Kid” by Charlie Chaplin, I definitely think this one is the best of the 4. It made me laugh, sad and cheerful all in a 50 minute movie. I would recommend this short film to anyone, especially if they’ve never seen a silent film

Part 1 of 5

Youtube - Part 2 of 5

Youtube - Part 3 of 5

Youtube - Part 4 of 5

Youtube - Part 5 of 5

Boston. Finally.

Luis — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:00:22 +0000

I’ve always said that I wanted to visit Boston and it’s finally happened. I’m in the Boston area for the next month working to help with a Novell Netware and Groupwise migration to Microsoft Active Directory, SCCM, and Exchange. Not sure why I just typed that since 90% of the people who read this blog don’t know what that is. I haven’t had much time to see the sites while here, but plan on creating a list to accomplish in the next month. I have had a few friends live here so they’ve been gracious enough to help me with my list of things to do. The highlight of my trip so far, which to most wouldn’t be exciting, is my lobster dinner on Wednesday. I had no idea that lobster could be so cheap, but I guess it makes sense since they catch them here. Only $13.99 in Kittery, Maine for a really good lobster meal. I hadn’t had lobster in years since I couldn’t fathom paying $40 in Dallas.

I’ll be back in Boston in a few days once I spend a couple days back in Dallas so I’m sure I’ll have more to report.

Cody Martin’s Wedding

Luis — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:59:49 +0000

This past weekend I attended my friend and fraternity brother Cody Martin’s wedding in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had never been on a destination wedding so this was quite a fun experience. “The Weeds” (David and Jenny) and I stayed in Gastonia, NC which was about 8 miles from downtown Charlotte. The wedding rehearsal was a Mexican theme with Corona beer and pinatas. On the wedding day morning, the wedding party ran in a 5k race, the Susan G. Komen race for the cure, to get the day started. We all went bowling at lunchtime that day and then attended the ceremony at 6pm that evening. It was a very busy day and well worth the wait for the reception which was held at a local museum. It was great hanging out with friends and seeing Cody so happy.

Check out my pictures from the wedding.

Miss Chicken, Chicken and Seafood

Luis — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:49:31 +0000

I am currently working for a client who has an office in the Bank of America building in downtown Dallas, Texas. Across the street there is a food establishment called “Miss Chicken, Chicken and Seafood” that I’ve always wanted to try. I’m really big on trying new and obscure places to eat and after working here for over a year, I felt today was the day.

“And then, once you’re in the place, for a second you forget why you’re there. Was there a drug deal you’d been meaning to do here? Is Miss Chicken your pimp? And if so, do you owe her money? And if so, will she trade you chicken and a gun for some of your American Airlines Advantage Miles since you’re a little strapped for cash right now, what with the recent hike in gas and cocaine prices?”
- Alice Laussade, Dallas Observer

I have to say that it was an interesting experience, but the best part about it was the food. I ordered a 3-piece meal with chicken, roll and fries. I also got a side order of popcorn shrimp to be able to try their seafood. All for $7.23. Very inexpensive. I would go back and eat at this place if ever I get the fried chicken or seafood craving.

Be sure to read the complete review from the Dallas Observer.

I love the Red Zone Channel

Luis — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:06:31 +0000

In the past 5 years I’ve become a much bigger football fan. By joining multiple Fantasy Football Leagues with friends, I have learned to care about players who aren’t on the Dallas Cowboys. I have been lucky to have DirecTV satellite service for the past 4 years and during that time I’ve enjoyed many a Sunday filled with the NFL Sunday Ticket package. This package allows me to see all NFL games that are televised whether in my area or not. The one add-on channel that I have learned to love is the Red Zone Channel. This channel allows me to sit lazily on my couch and watch every single major play in every single NFL game without ever changing the channel. An announcer gives a quick intro to what the viewer is about to see and then lets the game play. The best part is that there are NEVER commercials. Glorious! If you are a major football fan, this package is for you.

This is an article about the Red Zone Channel which describes the experience in better detail.