Long Time Coming

One of the major downsides to living in Texas is the lack of good sports teams.  More specifically, they aren't Chicago teams.  So when I do get the chance to watch a Chicago game, I try and take advantage.  The Bulls play on WGN pretty much every Saturday night so I get to see them at least once a week.  The bad part is that WGN does not have an HD channel here, which might actually be a blessing since Joakim Noah came back.  Dude is not easy on the eyes.  So I spend most of my Saturday evenings watching the Bulls in standard definition.  In this day and age, that amounts to me being a hardcore fan.

The week I moved down, it was the last weekend of the NFL regular season.  I went to the sports bar a block away and watched the Bears game on a 20 inch TV behind the bar while the shitty Cowboys game was played on the projectors.  Next week, the Bears had a first round bye in the playoffs.   For the second round of the playoffs, I watched the Bears vs. Seahawks by myself in my apartment.  Shitty, but I made nachos, drank free beers, and screamed and shouted my ass off.  When the Bears won and advanced to the NFC Championship game, I decided I had to watch the game with other Bears fans.  Considering I'm about 1100 miles from Chicago, I figured I may have a tough time accomplishing this.  Enter Google.

A Google search for "bears bar Austin" did not provide any help since the first search result is for "Best Gay Bars in Austin."  After a more detailed Google search for "CHICAGO bears bar Austin" I kept finding a listing for Cluckers, a chicken wing bar/restaurant about 20 miles north in the city of Round Rock.  Throughout the week before the game, I kept changing my mind about going to the bar or not.  I didn't want to risk drinking and driving since Texas is insane about cops.  (side tangent: Austin PD, Travis Co. Sheriff, State Troopers, UT Police, and Travis Co. Constables all patrol the city and surrounding area.  An no, I have no idea what the fuck a constable is or how they differ from the sheriffs)  The game started at noon, and at about 10:30am I finally convinced myself that I was going to go watch it with others. 

Bear Down indeed

I called the bar beforehand to make sure that they actually were a Bears bar and the lady on the phone hesitated quite a bit so I had no idea what to expect.  As I pulled into the parking lot and saw this, my fears quickly subsided.  The parking lot was filled with people in Bears jerseys, cars with Bears license plates, stickers, flags, giant inflatable players, etc.  My mind was blown.  And unfortunately, nothing else was.

The bar was packed with Bears fans.  I managed to find a seat next to a guy who had moved away 10 years ago but still loved the Bears.  When the Bears scored, the bar played "Bear Down, Chicago Bears."  This is video of said song.  While the outcome of the game fucking sucked, being able to watch it with fellow Bears fans was something I'll never forget and am looking forward to doing on a regular weekly basis come Sundays in September and beyond.  Do not fuck this up for me owners and players. 

Please try and ignore my finger that keeps getting in the shot. 
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With so many volunteers and agencies we are involved with, I meet a lot of new people almost on a daily basis at my new job.  When meeting someone for the first time, as I'm sure is the case with most people, my first reaction is to go in for a handshake.  For whatever reason though, I always tend to misjudge the other person's hand and either grasp too high where my fingers touch their wrist or go in too low and only get finger tips and no palm.  There's nothing you can do to amend this as it's happening, you just have to forge through and hope the other person doesn't think you're a complete ass for messing up a handshake.  Can't remember the last time I participated in a good handshake.  Probably this one from May '09. 

My dad even looks intense

For whatever reason, my friend Dan and I attempt to take a picture of us shaking hands whilst looking serious.  It's probably one of those "gotta be there" things, but it always takes as a minimum of four attempts to look serious.  I always tend to find this hilarious while those taking the picture tend to get super annoyed.  And yes, that is an O'Donnell University shirt I'm wearing.  Very exclusive. 
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This sign is on the building I work in.  Good thing I only pack shotguns. 

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85 here tomorrow.  Y'all come back now y'hear.