This post is a lot like Hobo Soup

It's been a while since either one of us posted, so here are some random thoughts I've been meaning to blog about but just haven't found the gumption to do it.

That's right, gumption — now get outta my way, I've got some prospectin' to do!

• The Austin Aztex continue their stellar debut season, and since the last time I posted have crushed the DFW Tornados 3-0 and beat the Laredo Heat — defending PDL champs — 1-0. Thanks to that, as well as a separate loss by the Mississippi Brilla, the Aztex qualified for a spot in the 2008 U.S. Open Cup! The team followed that news up with another win, sending the New Orleans Shell Shockers packing with a score of 1-0. The home team will now face the Atlanta Silverbacks in the first round of Open Cup play June 10th, but not before a match against Mississippi May 31.

Of course, I'm waiting for the next home game, which will be against the El Paso Patriots (boo, hiss!). The Patriots held the Aztex to a scoreless tie the last time they met, so it's a chance for a little redemption!

• Oh, yes, actually, this time I actually am growing a beard. It's not just a case of me not shaving.

• For a variety of reasons, Lopez! and I have been trying to pretend the car doesn't exist. It's not the car's fault and we're not trying to shun it or anything, we just want to see if we can get along without it.

This probably seems ridiculous to some people, but we'd really like to eliminate (or at least minimize) our reliance on a car. There are a few reasons for this: it would mean no car loan and insurance payments, so we'd be able to save that cash; gas is getting stupidly expensive and all I can see is oil company people taking money baths; Austin is supposed to have a small train system up and running by the end of summer, and the bus routes should be beefed up soon; and speaking of buses, most of what we do is in a particular area so walking and bussing is feasible.

In the last couple of weeks I think we've used the car a total of four times, which we think is pretty good. We walk to work and take the bus everywhere else, and it's surprising how quickly you get used to not having a car. There are still some things that are just easier with your own ride, of course, but it's a process and we're working on it. Hopefully we'll get some decent bikes soon, and I think that will help us use the car even less. We even got month-long bus passes!

• Corner Gas is an excellent show with a loopy, gentle humor and you should watch it if you can. At this point it's basically Canadian reruns, but we try to catch it every night. In Austin it's on cable channel 21 (WGN) at 11 p.m. — is it on anywhere else? And why the hell doesn't Netflix have it yet?!

• So is everyone willing to admit that this has been one of the worst — if not the worst — administration in the history of the United States? Oh, and Hillary? Please, just stop it already.

• Finally, things I did last night.

Seriously, I'm going to talk about this once a week

I meant to mention it earlier, but the Aztex won their first home game, 2-0 against the Houston Leones!

It was a good, fast-paced match, with the Aztex dominating game-play and putting pressure on the Leones from start to finish. The team looked good, and combined with a first-game tie against the El Paso Patriots (ppbbth) the Aztex are now at the top of the division. Most of the players looked pretty tight, and the team seemed to work well together (No. 23's got to cool off though — I thought the guy was going to start a fight, and that's not going to help him or the team).

It was a freakin' humid night, but there were about 1,500 people there (which was a lot more than we were expecting) and Lopez said it reminded her of going to a Diablos game in El Paso.

Oh! And my mom and nephew were in town visiting, so it was nice that we were able to take them to a fun game.

Next up — the utter destruction of the DFW Tornados!

Photo lifted from the Austin Aztex Web site

Chico's vs Chuco's: FIGHT!!

It was bound to happen sooner or later; Chico's Tacos in El Paso is suing Chuco's Tacos in Austin for trademark infringement.

For what it's worth, the guys at Chuco's (fellow El Paso homies — represent!) must have know they were cutting it thin, what with the name, the tacos and (arguably) the logo.

But even though Chico's might be an El Paso institution, they don't have a lock on flautas submerged in a thin chile sauce. And like I told Lopez!, Chuco's is what Chico's would be if Chico's gave a shit about quality. It's not the same as Chico's — what could be? — but it's pretty good and I do get a jones for them a lot like I do for Chico's, so I hope they push through this BS and keep rocking the taquitos.

The Statesman has the story and one of the guys from Taco Journalism is quoted toward the end, so go give it a read, fellow El Pasoans, and let me know what you think.

Dammit — now I want some taquitos!

Attention El Paso: The Austin Aztex are going to kick your ass

Let the smack-talk begin!

The Austin Aztex play their first game tomorrow and I'm ridiculously, annoyingly excited about the city's new soccer team. They'll be playing against the El Paso Patriots (Boooo!) and will play their first home game versus the Houston Leones next week.

You're going down, El Paso! Houston — you're next!

Boooo! BOOOOOO!!!!!

My mouth is dry and I can't find the pillow

When I woke up from a dream at about 5:30 this morning, I found myself blinking at the soft, pre-dawn light outlining the blinds I could see across the bedroom. Which was weird, since I wear glasses and usually can't see shit without them.

And that's when I realized I WAS wearing them.

Huh.

My dreams are usually pretty mundane, with the exception of The Giant Talking Cockroach Dream, The Awesome Flying Dream and The Zombie Hoard Dream. Otherwise it's always something like me talking to people at work, or at a sedate get-together if my brain's feeling particularly frisky. A lot of times there are complete strangers in my dreams, and I wonder if my sleep is populated with the faces of people I see on the street.

Often I write in my dreams, and if I can remember enough of it I'll scribble it down. When I look at it later there's a fifty percent chance it's the kernel of an interesting idea, and half a chance that it's something completely ridiculous that doesn't make sense even to me. I did write a Halloween poem in a dream that ended up winning third place in a real-life school contest once, so that was cool.

Exciting stuff, right? My dream last night wasn't an exception:

I was in an office that was an wide-open space, with great big windows along one side and the back (the direction I was facing), and for some reason I think it was in Canada. It felt Canada-y. And I was talking to some woman (another stranger) who had given me a piece of paper to look at; I got the feeling that I wasn't just looking at it, I was evaluating it. Basically, I was some kind of low-level boss (even in my dreams I try to avoid too much responsibility).

And I had taken my glasses off to look at whatever tiny spot I was supposed to looking at, because I'm near-sighted and I can see things that are close-up better without them. I told her something (approved! I'm a good boss!) and REACHED DOWN AND PUT MY GLASSES BACK ON.

[end dream]

So I think I reached out and put my glasses on IN MY SLEEP! And I never do things like that! Except apparently I do.

Consider this a warning if you see me wandering the countryside in the late-hours, glasses in hand and trying to hand you imaginary pieces of paper.