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1. So my grandmother died, which sucked.  It did force me to go home for the first time since moving up here, which in turn led me to inquire about a position in my home town when I'm done with this fellowship.
2. Ultimately I don't think my wife would be happy with that so it won't happen, even though it means turning down almost $200,000 more than I'll make in the Metroplex.  Ridiculous.
3. I've been listening to the Traditional Country Hymns station on Pandora a lot recently.  I like classic hymns like Amazing Grace, and that station has them by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Allison Kraus, and Ralph Stanley.
4. I've also been playing Amazing Grace on guitar and transcribing it into every key I can.  That limits it to major keys, of course, but still, playing it in E instead of D makes a big difference in the voicing of chords you can use.
5. I need to have words with my future colleagues about some things.  Their offer is below market value, but I agreed to it because I wanted to work with these people.  The problem is that now several unexpected expenses have cropped up, which puts our ability to buy a house in jeopardy.  I promised my wife a house when we moved back and they are going to have to make that possible.
6. Fuck the Texas Medical Board.  I paid $1000 to apply for a license, which as far as I can tell is the most expensive license application in the country.  It then takes them four months to process it.  Unacceptable, and it gets worse.  After processing and approving the application they let it be known that you have to pay almost another $1000 to "register" your license.  Ludicrous!
7. When I said I was giving up college football I should have said "college football message boards" to be more accurate.
8. Texas has seven eight commitments now for the 2013 class.  None of them are "reaches" exactly, but only a couple are the absolute best in state at their position.
  --  Jake Raulerson is either an amazing OT prospect or a pretty good DE prospect depending on how his body develops.  Let's all hope for the 35+ pounds he needs to be the former.  If he only makes it halfway no reason he couldn't make a nice TE.
  --  Tyrone Swoopes is a guy Mack clearly hopes will by VY reincarnate.  I'm not seeing it, but he's hardly a reach.  If Brewer pans out then the QB this year is a moot point anyway.
  --  Kyle Hicks at RB is meh.  He's probably the 3rd or 4th best RB in state this year.  Doesn't really matter, since RB is hardly a priority this year given the guys already on campus.
  --  Jake Oliver, a 6'4"/200# WR, is the best recruit the Horns have so far.
  --  Ricky Seals-Jones, a 6'5"/220# WR/TE is probably the second best recruit they have.  He plays QB in high school, and I'm not sure there's a clear difference between him and Swoopes there right now.  You should read that as I think Swoopes would be better at another position rather than RSJ should be Texas's QB of the future.  RSJ is also straight balling for his HS basketball team, averaging 30 and 10 per game.
  --  A'Shawn Robinson has the potential to be a great OT.  The problem is he wants to play DT.  He's a good example of the Texas coaches' new philosophy of getting good athletes on campus and then sorting out where they play.  One of those guys who shouldn't be able to move like he does at the size he is.
 -- Deoundrei Davis has locked up the Ojo Cup for most ridiculous name in this class.  He's a a Derrick Johnson starter kit at LB.
  --  Jacory Warrick is apparently number 8.  He's the Kendall Sanders of this class -- excellent athlete with great size for CB or decent size for slot WR.  Good pickup.
9.  Texas A&M is off to a kick-ass start on their recruiting class.  They have 13 commits (at least two of which will decommit before signing day, I'm sure) with top 3 guys at QB (Stewart), RB (White), and DT (Golden).  While I wouldn't take him over Oliver or RSJ, their WR commit Derrick Griffin is a 6'7" guy who moves like a 6'1" guy.  They've probably taken a couple reaches, though.  Specifically their OL recruits are questionable, their other DT commit is JAG, and their DB recruits would not have caught Akina's eye.
10. Spring practice has started and it sounds like Ash has sewn up the starting QB spot so far.  Orlando "Duke" Thomas is making a splash at CB as an early-enrollee freshman.  Sheroid Evans better watch out or he'll get Wally Pipped.  Only one practice video has been put up, and it focused on Kenny Vaccaro.  That guy is shredded.  They're practicing in helmets and shorts and his jersey looks like it's stretched across shoulder pads.
11. NFL combine notes of interest:
 -- RGIII broke off a 4.41.
 -- Darron Thomas (Oregon) is an idiot.  You don't come out early as a mobile spread QB and run a damn 4.8.  Hello CFL.
 -- Cyrus Gray (TAMU) made some money today.  4.47 in the 40 and 21 reps of 225 on the bench press.  His 40 time was only 0.02 off of LaMichael James and Chris Rainey, the top speed backs in this class, and his bench shamed them.
 -- Darrell Scott (USF - punked UT coming out of HS) dropped a laughable 4.73 in the 40.  At his size to not see him on the bench press top performers is shameful.  Another cautionary tale unfolding before our eyes.  Mack Brown Curse, imo.
-- Marc Tyler (USC) also shuffled to a 4.76 in the 40.  Shocked.  Hell, Baylor's big boy Ganaway was faster than that (4.67).
-- Fozzy Whitaker just outside the top 10 on the bench press at 20 reps of 225.  For his size that's pretty impressive.  He won't get drafted, though.  He ought to finish out his graduate degree while rehabbing and training with Wylie for a year, then workout at Texas's 2013 Pro Day and get drafted in the third round after breaking off a 4.40.