Texas-sized catch up post.

Part 1: El Paso

Who knew this place was so close to Mexico? The coworkers and I considered a journey in to Juarez, but a lack of passports and an ongoing gang war in the streets of that fine town discouraged us. Not only did we want to avoid being stuck in Mexico, but we also valued our lives.

So, we stayed in El Paso, in the general region of the UTEP campus, except for one journey towards downtown to eat dinner at The Dome in the Camino Real hotel lobby. For a $50 meal, the steak was just average.

Filming practice for the Texas vs. The Nation game was interesting. Got to see a new side of college football, deal with scouts and agents a little bit. I learned how to break down practice tape using our software, which was handy to know, since I'm being paid to know it.

The food in El Paso was a little disappointing. I was hoping for some real deal Tex-Mex cuisine, but we didn't find much worth writing home about. The gay (note: only I noticed the gayness of this place, everyone else just found it inconspicuously filled with men only) steakhouse had the best food by far. The filet there was exquisite.

Highlight of the trip: Gene Stallings telling Chad to stop eating his ass. Over and over again. It sparked the catch phrase of the week: anything including "Texas-sized" and an insult in an old, gruff southern accent.




The stadium had a gorgeous view of the shanty-field that was Juarez. Built in to the barren rocks of El Paso, it provided a pretty good photo-op with the clouds rolling over the mountains.


Part 2: Super Bowl
Parental warning: this section contains alcohol abuse. Reading may not be a good idea.

I...don't remember much. I know the Giants won (big boooo). And I put together most of the night from stories I've heard, pictures, and my own recollections. Open bar for me meant liquor all night. I rarely drink at this level, but I thought the situation was perfect. I just finished reading Tucker Max's book while in El Paso. I knew that the next day was going to be marred with pure pain and soreness from the flag football tournament (we went 1-1, but I played well I thought). I was hanging out with people that I don't necessarily 'like' all the time. Some are great, but others, like the one who threatened my life on my way home for hitting on her younger and more attractive sister, are not.

Countless shots, shooters, and rum and cokes later, I found myself home and in bed. After a dangerous altercation with a cab driver that probably should have ended with me apologizing to the police, I called it a night. Somehow, I woke up the next morning at 7am without a hint of hangover. Thank you, smoking ban.

The rest of the details of the night that I have put together are probably not good for blogging purposes, so I'll keep them as personal tidbits.



Part 3: Never drinking again.
Ehm...enough said.