When I was a high school football statistician for the Texas Sports Radio Network, I worked a lot of games with Kusenberger, and for those games, I always knew the broadcast would be flawless and my stats would be appreciated constantly. When we got married in 2010, Nina and I had a very small affair….
Author: Mark
Carl Perkins: The King of Rockabilly – by Jeff Apter
I got this book from NetGalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. As a music fan, I knew who Carl Perkins was and was interested in learning more about him. Plus, The Beatles covered some of his songs and The Beatles were my favorite band for a very long time. I…
Lego Builds
Niko has always enjoyed legos, and some of the legos he has were from my childhood. In his younger years, I would have to build any new sets (and, he has a bunch) for him. But, now, he can do them on his own and he rarely needs help. Usually, he calls for me when…
Tyrannosaurus Wrecks (Funjungle, #6) – by Stuart Gibbs
I have been reading this series to Niko, my 8-year-old son, and he absolutely loves them! I won’t spoil anything, but he figured something out in the beginning of the book and he was correct. Sometimes at silly parts (or scenes of chaos), I have to stop and repeat it so he can understand it….
GameCrafters – Chuck Miketanic
I was the statistician for Thursday Night Lights from 2009 to 2016, and in the 5th year, Chuck was the color commentator. I also remember watching him on Fox 29 San Antonio as one of the sports anchors (Ernie Zuniga and Ed Suarez were the others, and I worked with Ernie for the first four…
Spenser – Books, Movies, and Television
The first Spenser book I read was in January of this year, and I just finished book 28 a few days ago! I am rolling along in his adventures, and am really enjoying them. I don’t care that for the most part, the plots are similar. I am looking forward to book 32 as that…
Fat, Drunk, & Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House – by Matty Simmons
I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading, and this one filled that void with a lot of laughs from me. I have read a few books and seen some movies about the National Lampoon, so I knew who Matty Simmons was. If you are a fan of the movie…
Beyond the Jump Shot: The Elevated Life of Kenny Sailors – by Debbie Sorensen
I got this one from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading. I had never heard of Kenny Sailors, but was intrigued by the description and wanted to learn more. He was raised by his mother, who taught…
First Sick Day
Well, we are 10 days into school, and Niko finally had his first sick day on Friday! I partially blame one of his classmates who sits across from him as a few days prior to Friday, he vomited near Niko and some of it got on another classmates Chromebook. Yeah, I know great and thanks…
GameCrafters – Jorge Rodriguez
I was the statistician for the Spanish radio broadcasts for UTSA football, and Jorge Rodriguez was doing the play-by-play. That was the first time I met him. We worked all the home games together in 2012, and connected through social media shortly after. I was so nervous that first game, but he and the rest…
Growing Up Urkel – by Jaleel White
I got a generic email from the Marketing Director saying, based on my previous reviews of celebrity memoirs from Simon & Schuster, I can get this one from Netgalley. I knew of Jaleel White, Urkel and his passion for basketball, but never paid attention to the show Family Matters. Unlike other child actors, Jaleel never…
Week 1
Niko survived the first week of school, and he is really enjoying it. His favorite subject is Math and for rotation (art, gym, and music), it’s gym. And, he likes his teacher, which is awesome! Our morning, afternoon, and evening routines are going well. Mornings, he eats, he uses the bathroom, and he gets dressed…
GameCrafters – Carlos Enrico
I met Coach Enrico in 2014 at a high school basketball game between the St. Anthony Yellow Jackets and the Central Catholic Buttons. I was covering the game from the Yellow Jackets perspective and their Head Coach, Kevin Smisek, introduced us. I knew of Carlos, and it wasn’t until a few years prior to our…
Hotel Goodbyes – by Stephen Jon Thompson
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. Every few weeks, I scroll through the books on Netgalley to see if anything new pops out to me; this one did. His mother was never reliable and any money that came in, went out immediately. There was no…
School Days
Tomorrow, Niko starts 3rd grade. Last week, we met his teacher, and he was organizing his school supplies at his desk. He is excited to resume his schooling! He’s got lots of new clothing from Lands End, Old Navy, and Primary. He has a new lunch bag and water bottle, and his backpack from last…
Lion Down (Funjungle, #5) – by Stuart Gibbs
So far, of all the Funjungle books I have read to my 8-year-old son, this was his favorite. He liked the excitement, the adventures, and all the funny things that happened (especially, the wheelchair rumble towards the end)! His favorite phrase was from J.J. McCracken when he said, “Crap on crackers!” Last night, we were…
GameCrafters – Michael Considine
I first Mike at a St. Anthony football game I was covering as a freelance writer and photographer in 2013. He was in the visiting side press-box covering the game for the San Antonio Express News. We had connected prior to that on Social Media, so I knew what he looked like. It was nice…
Goodbye Summer and Hello Back To School
Next Monday, Niko goes back to school, and this year, his class will be on the 2nd floor! Some schools in the area start tomorrow. He has his school supplies, and a few days ago, we ordered new clothes for him. He still won’t wear shorts and a t-shirt! He wears a t-shirt and a…
GameCrafters – Jay Howard
In 2001, I was an unpaid Intern at The Ticket 760 in San Antonio. I worked with Jay Howard for his afternoon sports talk show. I am not even sure how I landed that job. It’s very possible that I was referred to him by parents who knew him. At that point in my life,…
Middletide – by Sara Crouch
This was my Book of the Month selection from May. Although I purchased the physical book, I ended up reading it on my Kindle. I actually canceled by BOTM subscription as I wasn’t enjoying the selection of books and genres to choose monthly. So, I have one more BOTM left, and, hopefully, I will read…