Spring Fever

Man was spring break ever a tease! It was such a great break from school and a good indicator of what summer will be like. I thoroughly enjoyed the laziness and the ability to have "no agenda" days where I could wake up at whatever time and do whatever I wanted. My break was amazing. Clint Collier, one of my closest friends from college and pledge son and co-captain of the Whitman Swim Team, came down along with one of his friends from high school. The three of us drove down to South Padre for a couple of days and enjoyed the 90 degree temperatures and warm water. On the way back we stopped in San Antonio for dinner on the river walk and then went to Austin for a couple of days. In Austin we recovered from our sun burns and enjoyed walking around the UT campus and visiting the Johnson Presidential library.

We got back to Houston and rested. We went to the rodeo one night--the best people watching I have EVER experienced. Rodeo Houston is the largest rodeo in the world, 22 days of 70,000 plus spectators per night. It was intense. Following our night at the rodeo, Clint and I went to a bar in Houston in the Rice University area, and this is where a story begins....

We were at a college bar playing darts when a group of Hispanic men our age came up to us and started to play next to us, then they wanted to play with us... they let us know this by just stealing our darts. They started talking to us, clearly on something. One of the guys who went by, "The Infamous Mexican", showed us his $30,000 bail papers and his charges for a felony for sexual assault of a minor under the age of 14. I was slightly freaked out by this episode. They were trying to talk to us, we were being nice. They informed me that they were from Magnolia Park! MY SCHOOL'S NEIGHBORHOOD! I then found out that they went to my elementary school when they were younger!!!! At this point I got really sad... and they told us they had weapons. This all being rally scary, one of the guys told me to look up at the ceiling at something then he hit my neck! I was freaked, but was like whatever, we're at a bar full of people and don't have too much to worry about only that they just stole my beer and drank it in front of me. I told the guy I taught in Magnolia Park area and he hugged me and said I have a place in Heaven for teaching his children... then they left. This scared me! My first run in with a gang and the fact that they came from the area where I teach makes me very sad for my kids and really more determined to make a difference for them.

In other news, spring break was great but now I want summer to come! I was just offered an amazing internship at the Bill Clinton Foundation (clintonfoundation.org) working on his global aids initiative in Human Resources and Recruiting in Boston... a pretty exciting experience... however, it isn't paid. If I didn't have to pay for rent in Houston through July then I wouldn't worry about it, but I do. I stopped working at Starbucks... it wasn't worth the $7.00 an hour for the stress of working 24 hours on the weekends. I am coaching at the Houston Racquet Club which is a sweet place and a sweet deal. I will get to teach private lessons in the future which will pay a lot.

I am making friends, continuing to love spinning and running, hating my roommate situation, etc. Church on Easter Sunday was amazing as I was able to witness Southern woman at their best.... a pretty ridiculous sight really.

Missin Everyone!
Robert