FIRST EVER TECH FOOTBALL GAME WITH ERICA, PHILIP AND RUDY (1995)

IT WAS THE FINAL FOOTBALL GAME THAT OUR RED RAIDERS WERE PLAYING IN THE SOUTH WEST CONFERENCE. ACTUALLY, THE CONFERENCE WAS ABOLISHED THAT VERY YEAR ALL TOGETHER.

(THE PIC BELOW IS FROM A RECENT GAME 2008, THE "DOUBLE T" SCORE SIGN IS STILL THE SAME AS IT WAS DURING THE 1995 GAME SO THAT IS WHY I INCLUDED NOW. WISH I HAD PICS OF THAT '95 GAME!!!)

I REMEMBER WORKING OUT IN THE COTTON FIELDS WITH MY MOM AND STEP-DAD. I HAD QUIT MY JOB WITH KMART AFTER 12 YEARS AND WAS TAKING A YEAR-LONG BREAK FROM WORKING. IN THE MEANTIME I HAD BILLS TO PAY AND SAVINGS WAS DWINDLING QUICKER THAN I HAD PLANNED SO I WENT TO WORK IN THE FIELDS. BESIDES, IT BUILT UP MY CHARACTER AND MADE ME A STRONGER PERSON AS I THINK BACK TODAY.
ANYHOW, WITH WALKMAN AND HEADSETS ALONG, I WOULD OFTEN OPT TO LISTEN TO THE RADIO VERSUS A CASSETTE LATE EACH AFTERNOON. ONE FRIDAY I HEARD THAT THE MISSOURI TIGERS WERE GOING TO BE IN LUBBOCK THAT NEXT DAY FOR A FOOTBALL GAME VS. OUR RED RAIDERS. THE TICKETS WERE PLENTIFUL AND CHEAP AT $5 A SEAT, WHICH WAS RARE AND INEXPENSIVE BY TODAY’S STANDARDS FOR SURE. THE MIZZOU TIGERS WERE GOING TO BE ONE OF THE NEW TEAMS TECH WOULD FACE GOING INTO THE NEWLY CREATED BIG 12 CONFERENCE SO IT WAS EXCITING TO PREVIEW THE TEAM.
I BELIEVE WE WON, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO CONFER WITH ERICA OR RUDY TO FIND OUT IF THEY REMEMBER BECAUSE I REALLY DO NOT. TO BE HONEST, IT WAS NOT A MATTER OF WHO WON AND WHAT THE FINAL SCORE WAS, BUT THE FACT THAT IT WAS THE FIRST FOOTBALL GAME I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF TAKING THEM TO AND IT WAS NEW TO ME AS WELL.
WE HAD END ZONE TICKETS WHICH I WAITED TO PURCHASE WHILE WE ARRIVED AT THE STADIUM, AGAIN, A RARE THING TO DO TAKING INTO ACCOUNT TODAY’S “SELL-OUTS”. THE SEATS WERE NOT TOO BAD, WE HAD A DECENT VIEW. WE YELLED AND CHEERED AND, YES, WE JEERED. I BELIEVE RUDY WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE A T-SHIRT WITH THE BIG 12 LOGO AND TEAMS ON IT. IT WAS A HOT ITEM AS THEY WENT ON SALE FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT GAME TO INTRODUCE FANS TO THE NEW CONFERENCE WHICH WOULD BEGIN PLAY THE FOLLOWING SEASON.
WE ATE AT THE BURGER KING BEFORE THE GAME. IT WAS THE ONE ON 19TH STREET JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM THE TECH CAMPUS. AFTER WE FINISHED EATING, BEING THAT I HAD NEVER ATTENDED A GAME BEFORE, I CHANCED IT AND FOLLOWED THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC AND WE PARKED ALONGSIDE 4TH STREET. WE HAD QUITE THE WALK TO MAKE TO THE STADIUM, BUT IT WAS FUN & WORTH IT.
IT PLEASED ME SO TO HEAR THEM AND TO SEE THEM HAVING SUCH A GOOD TIME. IT WAS RAINING CATS AND DOGS ON THE WAY HOME, BUT THANKFULLY WE MADE IT. RUDY WAS SUPPOSED TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT THE GUZMAN RANCH, BUT HE CHANGED HIS MIND SO WE TOOK HIM HOME FIRST. ERICA, PHILIP AND I THEN MADE THE TREK TO THE RANCH. THE RAIN CREATED A FLOOD ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE FARM ROADS AND IT WAS NOTHING SHORT OF A MIRACLE HOW WE GOT TO THEIR HOUSE. THE WATER WAS HALF WAY UP TO THE MAZDA PROTÉGÉ I OWNED BACK THEN. THE KIDS LAUGHED AT ME AS I SORT OF HAD A COW ABOUT IT ALL. THEY WERE USED TO IT AND THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY HOW THEIR AUNT DORA WAS FREAKING OUT. NOT SO MUCH BECAUSE OF MY CAR OR WHAT NOT, BUT I WAS CONCERNED FOR THEIR SAFETY. MY NEPHEW, PHILIP, ASSURED ME IT WOULD BE OKAY AND THAT THEY WERE ALWAYS ENCOUNTERING RAIN AND FLOOD ISSUES LIKE THAT. MY NIECE ERICA AGREED AS IF TO REASSURE ME AND HERSELF. AT SOME POINT, I BELIEVE MY SISTER, EVA (PHILIP & ERICA'S MOM), DROVE HER PICK-UP TRUCK TO MEET US SO I WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO FURTHER THAN I HAD OUT IN THOSE COUNTRY ROADS. I BELIEVE WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN STUCK HAD MY SISTER NOT DONE THIS FOR US. NOT SURE IF I SPENT THE NIGHT WITH THEM OR NOT, BUT I THINK I DROVE BACK INTO TOWN WHERE I WAS STAYING WITH MY OTHER SISTER, JOSIE, AND HER FAMILY (MY BROTHER-IN-LAW, JABIER, AND MY NIECE, ALEX). WE LIVED IN AN OLD BUNGALOW-STYLE HOME OVER ON 16TH ST.
IT IS THIS EVENT THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET AS LONG AS I LIVE. NOT HAVING HAD MY OWN KIDS, I LOVE AND ADORE AND AM SO PROUD OF ALL MY NIECES AND NEPHEWS. SO, WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES FOR ME TO HELP THE OTHERS SHARE THE SAME EXPERIENCES AS I HAD THAT DAY WITH ERICA, PHILIP AND RUDY, I WILL DO SO. TODAY, AS I SIT HERE, I REMEMBER THE DAY AS IF IT WERE YESTERDAY AND IT FLOODS MY EYES WITH TEARS WITH JOY AT HAVING BEEN ABLE TO TAKE THOSE 3 WITH ME THAT DAY AND THE FUN WE HAD. IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT PHILIP IS NO LONGER WITH US, BUT FOREVER WILL I BE GLAD I HAD THAT DAY TO SHARE WITH HIM AND WITH WHICH TO REMEMBER HIM BY; HE WAS A TRUE RED RAIDER FAN AS WELL.
SO IF THE NIECES AND NEPHEWS OF TODAY GET TIRED OF AUNT DORA TRYING TO GET THEM TO ATTEND TECH EVENTS SUCH AS THIS, THE STORY ABOVE IS THE REASON I DO SO. IT MAKES ME GLAD KNOWING I COULD SHARE OUR FIRST FOOTBALL GAME TOGETHER (ERICA, PHILIP, RUDY AND I) AND THAT I HAVE THAT ONE MEMORY OF PHILIP. IT MAKES ME SAD THAT I DO NOT HAVE MORE MEMORIES SUCH AS THAT ONE WITH PHILIP.

TODAY, I JUST WANT TO DO AS MUCH AS I CAN WITH AS MANY OF MY LOVED ONES AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. "LIFE IS SHORT" AS MAMMA ALWAYS SAYS.

CARPE DIEM (SEIZE THE DAY)

I FOUND THE ARCHIVE FOR THE 1995 SEASON (CLICK ON LINK):

http://www.doubletnation.com/story/2007/7/20/7358/41138

"Yikes"--- It's IKE

Most folks we know seemed to have faired well in the greater (northern) Houston area, thank goodness. But the storm is still not over. The poor ppl in Galveston Island unfortunately did not fair as well; they are in our prayers...maybe there is something we can do being so far away via local churches or the red cross org. For sure just keeping them in prayer.

Friends, Cindy, Janna & Willa in Tomball were just laying low and relaxing and taking in the start of the weekend one day early. According to Cindy, Willa (daughter) and the animals were excited to have everyone home on a Friday. They were being rowdy and it was barely 8 AM when we spoke. It was funny. Janna was taking advantage of a (rare) couple more hours of sleep.

As for other family/friends in the area, we hope Jabier's nephew David & his family are okay as well. Mom's family (Araseli). We have other acquaintances (previous work colleagues) in the area, we also hope they did well. Now we all prep for the rains and storms which seem to follow hurricanes. Lot's of tornadoes already being reported as of Friday. Mainly in the Louisiana parishes. Texas Tech game tonight. The mighty SMU 'Stangs coming to Lubbock.

Mom's Birthday Party

All went well at Mama's party to celebrate her 74th birthday. I was so happy & so elated that almost everyone was able to attend. Only ones missing were Jay and his son, J.J., Gilbert, Dominique & Celeste (they were all missed), and of course, our brother was not there nor his family. We had such a good time, none-the-less. Mom was presented with a mock copy of her house deed. After 8 years, her house is paid off and it is officially hers. I am so elated we did not need to wait until late into 2010 to pay it off as originally agreed. The home was purchased from Mrs. Osborn, she has been awesome through this entire process. She has always expressed to us (family and to other ppl in town) how fortunate she was in having our family buy her home as we never waivered or reneged on any of the contract agreements in the entire 72 months that we had this business arrangement. She is good for saying that, and it makes us proud knowing we always did right by it all. It was an honor as well for our family to "have done business" with Mrs. Osborn; what a wonderful landlord she was. Blessings to her for her trust & giving us a chance at purchasing the beautiful home after so many others (tenants/buyers) faltered on her. We all saw something within one another, we somehow knew we were the perfect fit for the agreement.

I hope all goes well going forward, and we all look towards completing all necessary repairs to the home as a priority list is compiled. It is an older home, but it is "solid". Too bad current builders do not share the same building ethics. Mom's home, thanks to the Lord, does not need a lot of repair, but it is good knowing that $$$ is more free to flow for the reparations.

It was a blessing for the family. The Lord is good and just and He really never gives us more than we can handle. Not sure what tomorrow brings, but with trust and faith, I know all will be good. What a fantastic family we are (so blessed indeed).

PARTY AT MOM'S 9-06-08

WE ARE HAVING A BELATED BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR MAMA TODAY.
MORE DATA AND HOPEFULLY MORE PICS LATER.

Erica and Nick are getting married...

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CONGRATS to the lovely couple from their respective families!

Nick proposed to Erica during a birthday party which her family hosted for her on Saturday, July 19th, 2008. It was a very special event. Erica was celebrating her 25th birthday in a few days (Weds. 7-23), but had to be in Dallas for classes at SMU for her bank job on the actual day. Our sister, Eva (Erica's Mom), decided to schedule the fandango that particular Sat. before Erica's business trip. No one but a handful of ppl knew what dear Nick had in mind so needless to say, our entire family was taken aback but, in a very good way. The story goes as I was honored to claim witness to it...Nick joined the d.j. on stage a couple of hours into the party and joked that he had been practicing to sing a song for Erica as she had often wanted to hear him sing Karaoke. He managed to bring smiles and laughter to the fairly ambiguous but happy crowd. Ambiguous because if you knew Nick, it is so not like him to be so bold & brazen (I was proud of him). Others in attendance included a handful of slightly raucous ppl who managed to contain their emotions and go about in celebratory fashion - loud fashion (ha, ha). Naturally, since it was a b-day celebration, there were also a scrambled bit of inebriated individuals about the dance hall (La Vedera in Big Spring, TX). All types of folks around, Nick hit a "homerun" as he continued to joke and made everyone laugh and take a relaxed approach to the entire event. It calmed the waters, per se, until the serious speech came about. Nick then proudly announced his love and admiration of Erica and how many years they have been together...it was clear by this point what was coming, and we were right...he semi-proposed on stage then walked over to where Erica was, and true to form as a gentleman would, (good to see that chivalry apparently has not died), he dropped down to one knee and propsed again with the beautiful ring in hand. Erica, being the intelligent person she is and with the splendid & beautiful heart she does indeed possess, said "YES". Clearly, one can tell she loves him and respects him as much as he does her.

I am so proud of them both as are our entire family members. Fun preparations to follow I am certain until the proud day arrives. They will share their love in celebratory-fashion as they recite their nuptials next June 13th, 2009. More data to come as our family continues to make preparations.

So without further adieu, join us in congratulating

Erica Guzman and Nick Puentes!

WELCOME (first posting)...

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW FAMILY WEB SITE
It is good to be back online with a new family web site (blog). Hope you enjoy the stories and events we will share with you.

OUR FAMILY'S PATRIARCH AND MATRIARCH: RODOLFO AND EVA DOMINGUEZ

For Whom this Website/Blog was Created!

DOMINGUEZ 2012 BIRTHDAY CODE