Originally, this was going to be titled, Ode To My Wife – Part 9 (Happy Mother’s Day), but that would’ve required me to actually think and write something super amazing about Nina, which is easy as she does so much for me, Niko, and Riley. But my thinking and writing part of my brain hasn’t…
Spenser Books – by Robert Parker
I am not doing reviews of the Spenser books because they are similar plots and the outcomes are predictable. Despite that, I still am really enjoying them. I have just completed book 16 of 51! I like Spenser, Hawk, and Spenser’s girlfriend, Dr. Susan Silverman. There are also movies and television shows for Spenser and…
The End of Baseball: A Novel – by Peter Schilling Jr.
I have had this book in a paper format for a long time. And, every time I see it looking at me, I pick it up and can only get through the first few pages. I mean, I do want to read it. So, a few weeks ago, I decided to try again, but this…
Niko’s Birthday
Niko had a few requests for his birthday last Thursday, and we happily obliged. First, he wanted cupcakes and cookies to bring to school for his class. Thanks to HEB, the local grocery store as Nina picked up a few items along with cupcakes and cookies on Wednesday. Of course, when Niko came home from…
GameCrafters – “Texas” Bob McSpadden
Name: “Texas” Bob Job: Owner of www.texasbob.com and High school football fan for Katy High School in Katy, TX When I was a statistician and writer for high school football games, I often relied on his online database for high school football stadiums. The information he provided was always greatly helpful to me. In a…
My Birthday Food
I think I need to rename thedadspeaks.com to thedadeats.com, because I love to eat! And, for my birthday, which was last Tuesday, I got Chinese food. But, before I dive into my fortune, let me tell you about Saturday, Sunday, and Monday and what I had to eat! So, pull up a chair and I…
Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood – by Eddie Floyd
I wouldn’t have known who Eddie Floyd was had it not been for my 7 year old son. Let me quickly explain… He likes music as much as I do and somehow, he ended up with a song called Big Bird by Eddie Floyd in his library. He likes the instruments and the song itself….
Mona of the Manor – by Armistead Maupin
When I saw this book as an upcoming release, I immediately threw it in my wishlist and I didn’t care that it was months and month away from being officially published. I had already read the previous 9 books from this series and enjoyed them, especially all the characters. They had diverse backgrounds and sexual…
Triple Birthday Celebration
Yesterday, we celebrated my dad’s 80th birthday which was last Tuesday, my birthday which is this coming Tuesday, and Niko’s which is May 2. Niko and I are less than 80! Normally, we would celebrate by going out to a restaurant, like we did for my mom’s in February. But, my dad had knee replacement…
GameCrafters – Christopher Lyke
I haven’t officially met Christopher, but I was aware of his work with www.texashsfootball.com, and somehow we started following each other on social media. He ended up selling that website in 2013 and I wrote for them in 2015. Name: Christopher LykeJob: Writer HOW DID YOU GET STARTED AS A WRITER?I started writing in high…
Darling Girls – by Sally Hepworth
This was my 3rd book in three months from the Book of the Month Club. I will tell you, that my choices are limited as I am predestined for thrillers and memoirs; everything else I can ignore. My only complaint is it seems the club is aimed toward books about females. Where are the manly…
Brick Fest Live
In January, and while I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw an advertisement for Brick Fest Live in San Antonio, TX scheduled for this weekend. Without even thinking or asking the family, I submitted my contact information so I could be alerted when tickets went on sale. Later, when I did tell Nina and Niko,…
GameCrafters – Greg Dockery
Name: Greg DockeryJob: Instant Replay Technician for UTSA Football and the Alamobowl In 2012, I did stats for a high school football game between the Brandeis Broncos and the Warren Warriors. I was only a year into my writing as I shared photos, stats, and my thoughts on the game itself. Greg Dockery was one…
Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside – by Melissa Ludtke
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. In 1977 at the World Series, Melissa Ludtke, a writer for Sports Illustrated was denied access to the locker rooms by the Commissioner of Baseball, Bowie Kuhn. You mustn’t go in as there may be naked players, but you…
CABIN: Off the Grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman – by Patrick Hutchison
I got this book from Netgalley so I can read and review it before it’s published. When I read the description, I was intrigued. Patrick buys a cabin in Index, WA for $7,500 and then he spends time and money in fixing it up. Even though he had no clue about anything, he read a…
Saturday Thoughts
Yesterday, we got our house cleaned from top to bottom. Unbeknownst to us, she made Niko’s bed and arranged all the pillows and blankets in a very nice layout rather than the what Niko prefers. And, what he prefers is very detailed and it takes Nina and I working together to get it correct. If…
What a Fool Believes: A Memoir – by Michael McDonald with Paul Reiser
I got this book from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. I knew who he was, and then had to check on Paul Reiser to make sure it was the comedian or somebody else with the same name. Yep, the comedian. Ok, so a pretty nifty combination. I am in…
IHOP Again…
Yesterday, I was planning on getting gas in Nina’s car and going to Goodwill to donate some stuff. Afterwards, Niko and I were going to do something fun in the world. I gave him several things to choose: UrbanAir, the museum we visited on 3/22 for his field trip, the children’s museum, North Star Mall,…
Ma’s in Trouble Again – by David Wilson
I got this book directly from the author as he wanted me to read it and provide feedback before it’s published. It’s the third book in this series. A year ago, he posted in the Goodreads Society Facebook page, if anybody would read one of his books, and share a review on Goodreads, Amazon, and…
Field Trip
My name is Mark, and I survived the 2nd grade field trip on Friday to a local museum. I didn’t chew on any dinosaur bones, I didn’t take off my clothes and pose as an old timer from the old times, I didn’t push the red button in the space exhibit, I didn’t build a…