Eagles, Stain and Christmas Preview

I began my coaching career in Abilene after I graduated from A.C.U. I got my first job in the Spring of 1998 at Abilene High School. I had done my student teaching there in the fall and worked with the football program and at Christmas a spot opened up at the high school to teach health and coach, and at Christmas I became a War bird. Steve Warren hired me and I was a coach, for real.

I really enjoyed my time in Abilene and working for Coach Warren and Abilene High was great. That is why I spent this last Saturday at Texas Stadium watching A.H.S. play Pfluggerville High in the 5A state semi final game. I went with Dave G. who was an Abilene High grad and football player and is one of my closest friends. And Blake went also, which was a blast because this was the first time I had been in the stands with my son.

Abilene lost 20 to 14 in over time, but played a great game and there was some great offensive and defensive coaching and play calling from both teams. It was good to see Coach Warren and the staff have so much success. Coach Warren is a great christian man and I am grateful for the time I had to work for him. We played him while I was at Belton and he still remembered my name and asked about Shar and how many kids we had. Just a great man and good coach.

Ever since the Keller Indian season ended Shar and I have had several projects in full swing and this past weekend was the wrap up on most of them. After placing knobs on the kitchen cabinets back in November, I stripped and sanded the kitchen table to refinish it. Before finishing it though I began on the coffee table from the living room, and then Shar bought new unfinished wood chairs for the kitchen and so we had to stain and finish them. Well, Friday night the coffee table came in. The kitchen table has been in for 2 weeks, but I won't let Shar take the table cloth off because I don't want her kids to mess it up. The chairs just came in the house tonight after Shar and I put 2 or 3 extra coats of finish on them. Saturday after the game I came home and began digging out flowerbeds in the back yard, and I just love digging this North Texas red clay. We might as well live in Oklahoma.

All the projects are now finished, except for the flowerbeds but they can wait. We are ready for Christmas, which will be very different this year. The whole family from California is coming to Texas for Christmas and that trip will take place in a motor home that my sister and brother in law just bought. My sis, her husband Kenny and their 4 boys and my mom and dad all driving out from Ca. to Keller and then Temple for the holidays. This is going to be the "happ, happ, happiest Christmas ever!!!!". We are really looking forward to everyone coming out and being together, and we are excited and appreciative that we do not have to travel this year. It will be the first time we have not left the state for Christmas. Blake and Anna are sooooo very excited that Nana and Grandon are coming and "the boys".

Hope you are all doing well. I am not going into the furniture refinishing business so don't ask, but I am really good at making work benches from "borrowed" lumber at the local construction site. I will tell about that project at a later date.