Tailgating, Beer, Short Skirts, and Pirates....

I just couldn't get all the pictures in with the last post, so here is the rest of the story! Mike Leach is fascinated with pirates, and now the pirate has emerged as a symbol for Tech fans, along with the Matador, and double T. This skull is painted on the street by the southeast stadium entrance. Someone said that one time Leach lectured the team for about an hour (after losing a game). The lecture had nothing to do with football, but was all about pirates! After that set to, the boys went out and won the next game, because they didn't want any more pirate lectures. I have no idea if this is true; it may be a legend.

Here are some of the students waiting to go in to the stadium.

Tailgaters are all around the stadium and down on the campus too. They drag their cookers and coolers in, and have a party. There is some good food turned out in these spots.

Here I am, ready to go to my first Tech homecoming game in the fall of 1966. No, I was not overdressed--maybe a little underdressed for that time. Some of the girls with money really dressed to the nines with heels and clothes from Neiman's. Me? A country girl fresh from Montana just settled for a suit I made--not even red or black, and my little leather gloves.

This was taken in West Hall, the first dorm I lived in at Tech. Actually, during the first week or so I lived with Dr. Sheldon, who was head of the Home Ec. Dept, because all the dorms were "full." After about a week of classes, the dorms figured out all the cancelations, and shuffled kids here and there, and I got to move into West. I don't remember who I went to the game with, but I did get a mum to wear--a real one, white with a black and red double T on it made out of pipe cleaners. That's how the Lubbock florist did the mums, and they had plenty of business.

Well, hello ladies! Times have changed haven't they? These two graciously posed for me as we were about to cross the skywalk.

Here is an Aggie....

and here is her Raider counterpart. The little strapless dresses are in.

Short skirts--they got this short back in the 60's--there really is nothing new under the sun.

The beer and mixed drinks (see the red Solo cups) are all over the place, but not in the stadium. Bobby was enjoying a beer, when he noticed a cop. His heart turned flips, and he put the beer on someones tailgate hoping he hadn't been caught. It's legal if you are 21 and behaving yourself. Robert added good comments about about the horse, and I want to add one more thing.

Tech Beauty, a mare that was foaled on the Tech farm, was the horse the Masked Rider was using in 1963. She was stolen just before the Tech -A&M game, and wasn't found for three days. She had been hobbled and left in a shed near Idalou without feed and water for the three days. Someone had sprayed AMC (maybe A&M College--A&M Corp)on her with aluminum paint. It's hard to believe that anyone would be so stupid and cruel as to take their hatred out on an animal that just happens to be a mascot. I have other words for people who do things like this, but I won't put them here.

There is a lot more I could say about Tech, but I will leave that for another time (I hope Cactus adds a few comments). Maybe Bob and I will get back to another game within the next ten years, and that is when I'll tell more stories. Until then--Guns Up!

Texas Tech Football...

I haven't been in Jones Stadium since June 2003 when the Farmer's Wife, Jennifer, and myself found a gate open, and slipped in for a few pictures. Well, let me tell you, things have changed since that last visit! I felt like Rudy's mother when she finally got to go to the Notre Dame stadium in that famous movie. The "Goin' Band from Raiderland" is still flashy, and the best in the Southwest (if not the whole USA). That hasn't changed. The Masked Rider doesn't turn the black horse loose anymore. Back "in the day" that horse galloped around the field as fast as he dared go. Now, there is so much stuff on the side line there is no room to run, but the black horse and Masked Rider are still our pride.Here is the tunnel where the Tech players enter the field.

There were over 57,000 fans in the stadium (and no telling how many outside sitting by their coolers).

Lots of cheer leading going on.

The big screen on the north end shows the re-plays, announcements, advertisements, and yell leaders giving the crowd the cue for noise.

GUNS UP!

This is the south end of the stadium where the band sits, the Double T scoreboard, and the dome of the athletic complex is in the background.

Here is the west end of the stadium, and the sky walk over Marsha Sharp Freeway. Parking for the games is a big deal, now; we parked on the north side of the freeway for $25, and took the walk way to get to the stadium. Other people parked and walked 45 minutes, or if they could, took a bus to the stadium. Tech has had a major rebuilding project going since we were there in 2003, and they are still not done with the stadium. The east end is under construction, and if the Farmer's Wife, and Jennifer could see it now, they would swear it looks like the United Spirit Arena on the inside-- TV monitors everywhere in the covered area beside the stadium. Tech played terrible, and let the Aggies beat us (a terrible let down because the Aggies haven't beat us in years). I am not going to make excuses--A&M showed up to play and Tech didn't! Next, I will give you a glimpse of the tail gating that goes on everywhere outside, so get ready.

Meeting the Lord....

Cactus sent me this one, and I just had to post it for everyone! The e-mail said it was from Nye, Montana. I am winding down after the ball game--56 to 8, us, by half-time. In six-man football, the game is over if one of the teams has a 45 point lead, but you can't quit before half-time, no matter how many points you are ahead. Hope you can be in church on Sunday, and have a blessed weekend.

Carne Guisada..

It was in the 50's all day Sunday, and this cool weather really does make me want to cook and eat! So long diet! I used about a pound and a half of rump roast for this Tex-Mex dish. It really is good, and I hope all of you will try it. Here are the main players in the whole recipe. Beef broth, I used Knorr Caldo bullion, and

improvised by using chipped pepper, because the chilis weren't hot at all. Cumin, black pepper, salt and chili powder. I was being lazy, and didn't feel like processing those, long, dried red peppers.

Here are the peppers. I asked the lady at the Iraan grocery store if they were hot, and she said some of them had been, so I didn't bother to pick up any jalapenos. Actually, I think the chipped, red chili is really good. It has a pleasant flavor, and a comforting heat, that doesn't just kill your mouth.

Then I cubed the roast, and floured the meat with just enough flour to coat the cubes. Don't add any salt at this time, because it draws the moisture out, and the meat won't brown.

Next, brown the meat in some olive oil. You can see that this old Le Creuset has had plenty of experience cooking! It is funny how I don't notice how beat up, and used my utensils look until I see the picture. Oh well, they cook better than that new stuff!

When the meat was browned, I removed it from the Dutch oven, put it in the crock pot, then added the broth to the drippings, simmered it on low so all that browned flour that had stuck would loosen, and add to the flavor of the gravy.
This meat was nice and tender after cooking iall afternoon, the gravy was juicy, but thickened, and the flavor was worth the wait. You can see I still have flour on my fingers from mixing up the tortillas! I think this would be good on rice, or just eat it!

One thing I did learn--roast the peppers and peel them first. Here is the recipe, as best I remember.

Carne Guisada

1 1/2 lb. roast, cubed

2 long chilies (roasted and peeled) and enough jalapenoes to warm you up, or

use chipped red chili like I did.

1 onion chopped

1-1 1/2 tsp. cumin

1 -2 tsp. chili powder

about 6 to 7 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 to 1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. chopped tomatoes, canned work well

1 1/2 C beef broth

2 T flour

1. Roast the peppers and peel, then chop.

2. Chop the onion.

3. Flour the meat, and let it set just long enough to stick.

4. Add a couple of T. of olive oil to the Duth oven, and brown the meat. When you add the meat to the hot oil, let it stick a little so you can have that nice, crusty stuff on the bottom of the pan for the gravy.

5. Take the meat out of the pot, and add the broth. Let it simmer to loosen the browned flour.

6. Put the meat, tomatoes, seasonings, onions and peppers along with the broth to the crock pot, and cook all afternoon. Enjoy!

Kids on the Warpath!

Way out there in West Texas, among the mesquites and greasewood, there is a little town, named Iraan, and Iraan has a pretty nice golf course, considering obstacles like rocks and dry heat, drouth and more drouth.

Every year the school has a cross country meet on the golf course, and schools from as far as Presidio come to run the course. Boys participate in this athletic event (3 mile run), but it is mainly a girl sport, designed to get them in shape for basket ball. Here they are starting on their 2 mile journey.

Iraan's mascots are the Braves, and Bravettes, so the name of the trackmeet is the.....

The weather was in the 50's that morning, but the kids were still sweating when they came across the finish line. Our girls won the whole thing, and that is pretty darned good for a "little six-man school!" Way to go girls!

Look real close....

and I hope you can see the monarch butterflies clustered in the tree. This was about 10 or 11 o'clock so most of them were out fluttering around looking for blooms. They go to sleep in the trees at the rodeo arena, and early in the morning there are hundreds clustered together on the branches.

They come through here about this time every year on their way to Mexico. What beautiful little creatures they are! This is our shop teacher, Robbie. He brought his trophies to school so the kids could see them. He shot this buck at a place very near Midland.
This is some sort of antelope that he got on another hunt. These animals crawl the fences and get away from the exotic ranches, and populate the surrounding areas. Robbie does enjoy hunting, and he is a wonderful shop teacher. I will post some of the kids' projects this year so you can see what fine work they do. Tonight it is raining just a little, and kids are already being diagnosed with flu, and upper respiratory infections. Our principal went home yesterday with a fever. It seems when we move to a new school there are new bugs! I am getting a flu shot tomorrow. Blessings to you.

Purple Passion with Leopard

This is my least favorite. The background color is a darker raspberry than this picture shows, and it was really hard to find colors that went with it, and didn't make it look dull. Can't do leopard spots the way I want, but, "Oh well," this will be packed full before I know it, and it won't matter. On to the next one!

A Weekend of Showers

Marina had a shower at Monahans on Saturday, and the food was a wonderful brunch!

Marina also had a shower in Midland, and eventually Bobby and Robert had to quit their football watching, and come help load. Here we are in living color.

Little grandson doesn't stand a chance. He is a Red Raider even before he is born!

MORE FOOD! No time to be on Weight Watchers here with sandwiches, and sherbet punch. This is Marina's mom, Kathy, and her grandmother, Ruth. Brenda from Jayton is in the background.

Marina loves lime green and aqua, so the hostess obliged with a diaper cake in all the right colors. The gifts were wrapped so beautifully, and here we have a Raider onesie, shoes, and a little tiny toboggan cap in black with the red double T on all three pieces.

We have completed our first six weeks of school, and I am nearly all graded, and ready to post. I called the tech support for the new router, and actually got a person to talk to. He was wonderful, walked me through all the steps, and now I can upload pictures and not go off line. I hope to get some rest so I am not so cranky, and exasperated with every little quirk that goes haywire. The dresser is coming along very slowly, and the next drawer is my least favorite, but I have to get it done.

Sand Dunes

I am having H-E double hockey sticks with my computer. The wireless router went down last Thursday, finally get everything hooked back up on Tuesday, and since I couldn't sleep I decided to do a blog. Now, it has decided to go off line every time I try to upload a picture. When I finally get this idiotic thing working I will tell you about all the baby showers I have been to, and have nice pictures to boot. For now, just take a look at the sand dunes of Monahans, where one of the showers was hosted! Got to go to sleep so I can get up and go to school! Good Night!