JA!

I thought she was the girl I had been praying so hard for...for so long. But after our first sit down and a few drinks, it's not looking like that was the case.
There are some fundamental opposites between us and when she started discussing some of her beliefs and what she's looking for, I knew she was already showing me the door...or that any hopes for a first date was never going to happen.
I feel that she came at a time when I needed her most. I was kind of hoping she'd be the one. The one that would allow me to move on from my past. The one that would be the one to hold my hand from this present and onto the future.  
I thought that it was by more than just chance that our paths crossed. But I guess life is funny that way.
I'm still happy I had the opportunity to meet and talk with her. I felt we were very much a like. So much a like. But it's always the deepest parts of ppl and their wants that keeps ppl apart. It's a shame really.

2016 Highlights

2016 in review!  I can't think about 2016 without thinking about the first 6 months of the year completely dedicated to commercializing the Stingray tool.  All those long days and nights working took a toll on me but in the end it was all worth it!  We got the job done!  The tool passed the confined heat test.  The brick also passed its confined heat test.  It was a 6-day work week for 6 months.  But we got paid.  I made so much money from overtime, it was ridiculous!  The one unexpected thing that came out of this was the recognition we received after the success of this project.  Suddenly my name is flying all over the place.  For me, it was all very unexpected.
The success that followed the tool was that it gained interest from NASA!!!  Yes NASA!!!  It began as a round-table discussion to full blown reality.  NASA will now redesign our tool so that they can take it on their next mission in ?2024? to drill in Venus.
Yeah...did anything from the paragraph above make any sense?!  As many times as I've talked about it, I still can't believe it!  I give myself credit for assisting NASA in this assignment as I did help get some measurements for them.  HA!
The success of the Stingray tool didn't stop there.  Just recently, there was news that there has been more than 262 tools out there in the field without any failures.  Just mind-blowing!

During the crazy first half of the year with work consuming most of my life, there was one thing that helped keep my mind off the emptiness and that was working out.  Joining LA Fitness was really good for me.  I was doing really well and consistently going to the gym until the company took away the fitness reimbursement program.  I just couldn't justify the monthly fee so I had to cancel my membership.  I've been thinking of joining Fitness Connection for the longest time now, but can't seem to get myself to do it cuz that place is no where near as nice as LA Fitness.  But I had to move on from that...

It's not so much a highlight of 2016 but it definitely impacted my 2016.  Henry's divorce shocked most of us.  Still can't believe 25 years went away just like that.  It's such a crazy thought.  So difficult for me to conceive of such a notion.  But as a friend, I had to do what I can to show him some support.  When the 2nd half of the year rolled around, I was able to spend more time with him.  We'd just go to the bar or whatever.  I'd just be a friend and listen and let him vent.  I would try to give my thoughts every now and then, but it really was not my place to be.  I have yet to know what it's like to spend 25 years of my life with one person and then to have it all gone in one day.  Me and Donny tried our best to be there for him.  He was in a very dark place, obviously.  We even took a camping trip together up to Austin for a weekend.  That was lots of fun!  I just hope he's at least out of that dark place and now able to deal with his reality of life.

UH Football!  UH Baseball!  Catching these games with friends was just the best.  So much fun doing it.

John Franklin's retirement was not something I was looking forward to but I knew it was going to happen eventually.  I can't believe it came up so fast.  We started working together about 6 years ago on the Stingray project and now it's over.  He truly deserves his retirement.  I'm just not ready to have him go.  But I know I'll still see him for UH baseball games.  I better!

Camping/Austin Trip

It was a weekend that was so needed.  I just needed a break from the daily grind and the trip up to Austin couldn't have came at a better time.  Overall weather was just beautiful!

While at Lit Lounge, I met a beautiful Hispanic girl name Priscilla. She was with a friend name Sandra. They both were very nice young ladies, but Priscilla definitely was great eye candy. I gave her a smile just as she sat down next to me. I soon said hello and she responded so I offered to buy her and her friend a drink. We talked for a lil bit but the music was just too loud for me to hold any decent conversations with her. Plus she was only 23. A bit too young for me. She had quite a body on her for such a lil frame she was. That ass though!...hahaha. I did enjoy her company though. Was too bad she had to leave so soon. Maybe she just wasn't feeling me and needed to go. It's cool though. At least she was nice about it.

I loved the music at BD Riley's. That Irish rock music really related to me! I was totally jamming to the band's music. I so wish I could see The Corrs live in person. I would just love it! 


Some of the highlights --
Day 1:
Pace Bend Park. North Taylor.

Day 2:
Salt Lick.
Austin.
Airbnb
6th Street. Dirty 6.
-- Bat Bar.
-- The Driskel Hotel.
-- Bikinis.
-- Lit Lounge.
-- BD Ridley's.
-- Rainey Street.

Day 3:
-- Mount Bonnell.
-- Barton Creek Greenbelt.
-- Home.