I don’t know what to do with my hands!

In the end of the game when the text group went silent for a solid 40 minutes.  Then my 83 old dad, 2x alumni, LSA and dental, called excited.   It just meant more.   He’s in a rougher part of life but he knew..

At this point, if you want a drink recipe scroll to the drink title, If you want a Valvano attempt,(think , laugh, cry) read on.  Here is the trigger warning. It gets long , it’s not funny.  You’re warned. 

 My brother and I were never close.  Not a function of love or sibling rivalry, we were just too far apart.  He was born in 1968, me in 1979. I was a surprise by parlance, but by the time I was 13 I knew and accepted I was a happy accident.  He literally graduated high school before I entered the first grade.  Once when I said we are technically both  generation X, he laughed in my face saying we have nothing in common culturally.  Which besides the tenuous Star Wars and Indy movies he was right. (and Weird Al!)

                        Going on 40 years.. 

We grew up in a small town. Even 11 years his junior, I was called his name more times than I count by teachers and principals.  Even when I was winning an award for varsity golf, 12 years after he graduated, I was taking bets whether our coach would call me by my brother’s name. (I won the bets)

I worshipped him.  He was at Michigan from 86-91.  He saw 3 Rose Bowls as a student and a national championship in basketball and baseball. He saw some great times.  

He loved Star Trek/Wars/  I loved Star Trek / Wars.   He drives  a mid 80’s crappy Camaro in high school.  I get a late 80’s shittier Camaro.  He goes Michigan and gets an EECS degree, I go to Michigan take EECS 101 and NOPE the fuck out of that and go Mechanical. 

 
            Me  in EECS 101 circa 1998

He was married when I was 14, started a family a couple years later, two boys.  Our relationship devolved into maybe a phone call once every few months to set up a holiday and then family gatherings, which due to our situations were not even consistent.  Not anyone’s fault, just two people at different points in their lives.

Which has more HP? This , a 96 Bonneville, or 2015 Fusion

We always had Michigan football together, sons of an alumni dad who admittedly said he never went to a game in his 8 years there, he later claims it was the worst 8 years in Michigan football history, which was probably true until the Rich Rod- Hoke years.

We would throw socks jumping on beds in my grandparent’s attic on long Thanksgiving weekend, pretending we were Jim Harbaugh and Greg McMurtry.  Countless games watched with special memories of Rose Bowl games in 1988, 1989 and 1992. 

Every year at hunting camp we would have long conversations unto 2 AM about Michigan football in our bunk beds, when we knew we had to be up 4 ours later.  Being a MGoBlog reader I was very critical of late period Carr and was ecstatic with the Rich Rod hiring.  I’m sure I was insufferable. 

He was always telling me be careful what you wish for with Carr, and was in the No way No how camp about Rodriguez.   We both resigned to Hoke, knowing it was probably over after the 27 for 27 debacles then the nails in the coffin with the Morris incident.

When Harbaugh, our teenage and boyhood hero, was hired.  There was nothing but rejoice and optimism going forward.  There were plans on going to games and Rose Bowls inevitably happened, now that we now in similar parts of our family lives.

He died at 47, 8 years ago this month, after Harbaugh’s 1st year.

I did not know how to process it and I still do not, maybe the point of the post.  He was a slightly above weight, nonsmoker, light drinker who had the widow maker cardiac event on a Monday morning.  I never had to process it; I had a 4-month-old at home who was occupying my time.  It’s very easy to occupy your mind trying to keep a kid alive from birth to 3.  Then 2 years later, we were blessed with another boy resetting the clock.

                   Me, End of day 2015-2020

He’s missed so much, his boys growing into fine young men,  The Spot,  watching my sons grow up, OSU 2021,  providing me with priceless fatherhood advice, and watching our hero turn the team into everything we thought he would in 2015.

It is not overlooked, the happenstance of his youngest becoming the 3rd generation to enter Michigan in September, getting to enjoy the season as at a student at the greatest university in the world.

I love you Matt, I miss you, and we love Michigan Football.

The Texas Gentlemen

Sorry you got the bait and switch, 15 weeks of semi humorous dad jokes and mediocre gifs and then I trauma dump on you.  Thanks for reading this year.  I appreciate your time, and comments. 

I lived in Houston, named after the hero of San Jacinto and the 1st and 3rd president of the republic of Texas, for 4 years.  A well-known alcoholic, he was known as “Big Drink” by his Cherokee friends.  (He went to live with a Cherokee tribe at 16).  He fought alcoholism all his life and it was a easy target for opposing campaigns. 

               'Big Sam"

However, as big as Texas is, it was illegal to distill spirits in the state until 2004.  Garrison Brothers was the first legal distillery and has made a name for itself in the last 5 years

I wish I had a bunch of cocktails from my time in Houston, but a margarita with a beer in it isn’t going to cut it.  I am not going to say Houston is culturally adrift, it’s actually pretty diverse and interesting. Great food culture and seafood.   However, it was built on a swamp, it’s way too hot and humid.  There was no such thing as a city planner in Houston,  its roads can best be described as concrete spaghetti.

             Me leaving Texas

Texas whiskey is a spirit made and aged within the state of Texas. It’s particularly distinctive thanks to the state’s weather conditions. In contrast to other whiskey producing states that encounter seasonal shifts in weather, constant temperature swings in Texas can result in four seasons in one day.  Such oscillating temperatures result in a variation of aromas, starting sweet on the nose but robust on the taste. Its generally pretty bold whiskey, it definitely has a kick 

Ingredients

• 2 Oz. Texas Blended Whiskey
• ½ Oz. Coffee Liquor (Kahula)
• 3 dashes Chocolate Bitters
• 1 Orange Peel (for garnish)

Here’s the Texas take on an old-fashioned.   Take the whiskey, Kahlua and bitters and put in mixing glass.  Add ice and stir until cold.  Strain into a chilled glass with a large ice cube or two.  Garnish with the orange peel, feel free to express it over the drink or spray some orange oil over the drink.

Thanks again for reading.   I'll see you in Houston