Joel Frey

#WFH

Today is my last day to work from home in El Paso. Over the next 10 days Heather and I will celebrate Christmas with loved ones, toast our 4th anniversary and ring in the New Year. After all that fun has been exhausted, I'll head east to rejoin the Travelocity team at HQ on a daily basis. Once our house here sells, we'll pack up and move to Big D. It's a bittersweet time, but we are excited about the future and, as an added bonus, we will be much closer to Megan in College Station.

As we look forward to leisurely winding down 2011 and ahead to the challenges that await in 2012, I'll leave you with the Top 10 things I'll miss the most about working from home. Blessings to all of you this Christmas season!

10. Shaving occasionally

9. Showering by Noon (note: this deadline was strictly enforced by my better half)

8. Getting Heather's coffee ready as she heads out the door

7. Shooting the breeze with the yard guy, the bug guy, the package delivery guy and the handyman

6. Keeping the laundry pile in check

5. A quiet office (Hello cubeville!)

4. The 60 second commute

3. Asking Cinder, our keeshond, "Are you hungry?" around 5:00 everyday and watching her go nuts

2. Having a glass of wine and dinner ready for Heather when she gets home

1. Catch breaks with Schuster

Basketball for Breakfast

One of El Paso's lesser known oddities is that it is the only slice of Texas located in the Mountain Time Zone.  Generally, this factoid has no impact on how El Pasoans conduct their business, but now and then the rest of the country is reminded of this wrinkle. For instance, last Saturday the Conference USA championship game tipped off at 9:35 a.m. local time. The CBS commentators mentioned the early start several times and how it felt strange for a big game to be tipping off during the breakfast hour.

Heather and I woke up a few minutes before tip-off, brewed a pot of coffee and tuned in, pleasantly surprised to see a packed Don Haskins Center. During the early rounds of the tourney, I had tweeted several times about the plethora of empty seats. "Looks like crickets can be heard chirping," I said in one. But that wasn't the case on Saturday. More than 11,000 of the UTEP faithful had woken up early and were ready to rumble.

The game, pitting a senior-laden UTEP team versus an upstart Tiger squad, featured all of the elements of a classic. With an NCAA bid at stake, there was desperation hanging with every shot and constant shifts in momentum. Late in the second half, after a three-pointer put the Miners up by 12, I thought they had finally put away the young Tigers.

By then, I was on my way to play tennis, listening to the game on the radio. By the time I parked, the Miner lead had been whittled down to five. After checking in, I found a TV in the clubhouse. A Tiger three pointer had just tied the game. My thoughts shifted. "What a heartbreaker this would be for the Miners," I said to myself.

Down one with time winding down, Tiger guard Joe Jackson drew a foul in the lane and sunk two free throws. With 7.8 seconds left, Memphis had its first lead of the day, 67-66. The Miner fans who had gathered around the set looked anxious. A minute later after the potential game-winning shot came up short, their anxiety was replaced with dejection. The Tigers were on their way to the Big Dance and the Miners would most likely have to settle for an NIT bid.

And that's how it played out. The Tigers get Arizona later this week, while tonight the Miners battled New Mexico at the Pit in Albuquerque in the first round of the consolation bracket. Unfortunately, they lost and the team's season is officially over. But I think everyone in El Paso who had basketball for breakfast on Saturday knows deep down when it really drew to a close.

 

Shamefully biased travel advice

As the PR Man for Travelocity, friends and family occasionally ask me for travel advice and, unsurprisingly, those questions usually revolve around scoring a deal.

My first semi-biased tip: use a site like Travelocity to bundle your flight + hotel + rental car together and book your trip as a vacation package. Recently, I walked a reporter from the New York Times through Travelocity's vacation package shopping engine and she used the information in an article that was published last week. It's a thorough review and I recommend checking it out if you're contemplating a spring or summer trip and want to save some bucks.

My second shamefully-biased tip:  sign up for the Travelocity Rewards American Express Card. Why? The dollars you spend turn into points that can be redeemed for cash back when you book on Travelocity. One example:  20,000 points = $400 dollars. Here's a recent post with more information on how the program works.

And, yes, I take my own advice. On Friday,  I used Travelocity to book a vacation package for Heather, Megan and myself from El Paso to College Station for Meg's new student orientation at Texas A&M this summer. Within minutes, I lined up flights on our preferred airline, four nights at our preferred hotel and a rental car. Near check-out, I indicated that I wanted to redeem points. The $400 will show as a credit on our statement and, unlike airline or hotel programs, we don't have to worry about blackout dates and other fine print. Plus, we'll still earn our frequent flyer miles with the airline. And the kicker? We earn triple points on all purchases made on Travelocity so they quickly build back up after redemption.

If you have any travel-related questions, please let me know!

One reason for the recent lag in posts is because I submitted my first article to the Yahoo Contributor Network last weekend. Had my story on the three baseballs I've caught in the stands not been published, I would've have cut-and-paste it into this space, but the Yahoo! editors decided it was worth $10 and put it online on Thursday. If you missed my Facebook post linking to it, check it out here.

Movie Review: The Tillman Story

For months, I'd wanted to see The Tillman Story. After reading several reviews last summer,  I figured the documentary about the NFL star turned Army Ranger would eventually find its way to El Paso, home of Fort Bliss, the massive U.S. Army post that straddles the Texas-New Mexico border.

I began constantly checking the Flixster app on my Blackberry for local show times, but to no avail. At first, I guessed that El Paso was not big enough to warrant a run of screenings. But then, I wondered if the city's proximity to Fort Bliss was actually a deterrent given the film's unflattering portrayal of one of the U.S. military's most forgettable moments during the War on Terror.

Recently, I was perusing Netflix and The Tillman Story crossed my mind. While it wasn't available until February 1, I added it to our queue, satisfied that I'd finally get the opportunity to watch it.

The Tillman Story is well done and the footage and interviews are compelling, but if you've read Jon Krakauer's "Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman," as I had, I don't think you'll take away much new information.

That said, there is one unforgettable sequence from Tillman's memorial service that I didn't remember from the book. At some point, his younger brother, Richard, climbed the stage to say a few words about his fallen brother. With a beer in hand, he called out the previous speakers, including John McCain, who eulogized Pat as one would expect at a religious service.

"He's not religious," he countered. "Thanks for your thoughts, but he's (expletive) dead."

There is so much about Pat Tillman's military career that saddens and disappoints me: his inglorious death, the U.S. government then using the tragedy to market an unpopular war and finally the shameless lies that were told by some of the highest ranking leaders in our country as his family tried to sort through the facts.  As a Christian, however, that scene embodies the most haunting and most hopeless part of all.

 

Hotdish, Potluck, Smorgasbord

We're having potluck for today's 300 words. I hope it fills you up!

• Heather and I are slightly dumbfounded that Megan, whose great-grandparents have called the state of Wisconsin home for almost 90 years, rooted for the Steelers. It was almost as perplexing as when she painted a horseshoe on her cheek last year while we sported the fleur-de-lis during Super Bowl 44.
• Last year, we started a new Super Bowl tradition: jambalaya during halftime. Heather made a scrumptious batch on Sunday and I appreciated having a taste of the Crescent City during the game even if the Saints didn't make it back to the promised land.
• As a lifelong Star Wars fan, the VW commercial featuring a mini-Darth Vader futilely attempting to harness the Force cracked me up. On Facebook I wrote that it was "amazing that Star Wars is still relevant 30+ years after its debut," to which my friend and fellow Star Wars buff Shea replied, "Much like us."
• El Paso hasn't quite fully recovered from last week's plunge into the deep freeze.  Schools just reopened yesterday and the city finally confirmed this afternoon that it was okay to drink the water sans boiling.  Unbelievably, some homes and businesses are still without water.
• We submitted Meg's FAFSA application last night. For those of you unfamiliar with college application process that stands for "Free Application for Federal Student Aid." As I was writing this I asked Meg to recite the acronym and she rattled it off. A few seconds later she then passed the "What is your social security number?" quiz.

Like most Lutherans, I'm an ambassador of potlucks involving pots. We're having one at Trinity (3800 Hondo Pass) on Sunday. If you're on the Northeast side of town, stop by around 11:30 and fill up a plate. And should your soul need refreshing, the service starts at 10:15.

El Paso Feb. '07, Part III

On the final day of my first weekend in Sun City, I was Heather's guest at the small Lutheran church on the West side of town that she, Meg and her Mom had attended for many years. Heather introduced me to the young Pastor, his family and just about every other member of the congregation.  It didn't take long for the names and faces to blur.

"So are they all going to talk about us now?" I asked, as we headed to the car after the service.

"Oh yeah," Heather said, reassuringly.

For lunch, the lovely ladies took me to Village Inn and then we decided playing a round of miniature golf before I headed back to Dallas would be the perfect capper. It was slightly less competitive than bowling had been the night before. Heather thinks Megan won. We took the Roaming Gnome with us and he appeared in most of the pictures from the outing.

As we drove on I-10 on the way to the airport, we reviewed our brief time together.

(Note: Schmaltz alert!!! Schmaltz alert!!!)

"It exceeded my expectations," I announced.

"Me too," Heather said.

Heather and Meg escorted me inside and walked me to security. We embraced one last time before I stepped on the escalator. Once the TSA agent cleared me through, I stopped to fiddle with my backpack. I opened it and there was a giant Hershey Kiss with a sweet note right on top.

It was Super Bowl Sunday and the flight home was empty.  While the outcome of the Colts and Bears game briefly crossed my mind, other questions took precedence.  When would we see each other again? Could we make a long distance relationship work? Is she the one?

The reassuring part was that we both already knew the answers.

 

 

 

El Paso Feb. '07, Part II

Day two of my El Paso familiarization tour featured a packed agenda. First, for breakfast, Heather treated me to her world famous sausage braid. A chauvinistic thought along the lines of "Hooray, she can cook!" possibly crossed my mind as I gobbled the meal down, but I can't recall for certain.

With a full tummy, Heather then drove me around the city she had called home since 1996. We crossed Loop 375 over the vast and rugged Franklin Mountains on our way for a ride on the Wyler Aerial Tramway. From one mile above sea level, Heather pointed out relevant landmarks, including neighboring Juarez. Neither of us thought to bring a camera, but the gift shop offered them for sale and we ended up taking a bunch of snapshots.

Afterwards, we had a coffee date at Java Dave's and continued the discussion. We touched on topics heavy and light, including young Megan, an eighth grader at the time. I could tell the relationship they had forged was built on all of the right principles: faith, love, trust and respect. A short time later, I'd meet her in person.

 We drove to Heather's mom's house. We walked through the garage into the kitchen area and there was Megan, taller than I  had expected. She hugged me and my nerves calmed. Before we munched down Heather's mom's pork ribs we played a game of Battleship. I can't remember who won, but I'm certain she whipped me in Pretty, Pretty Princess before heading to the bowling alley.

"They have the BEST nachos there," she said. We found our lane and placed an order.

Besides the BEST nachos, I also saw Heather's competitive streak come alive at Fiesta Lanes as she took pleasure in beating me in the final game of the evening. Despite this bruise to my ego, I held her hand on the way home.

El Paso Feb. '07, Part I

Last night, during another rolling blackout, Meg sat down at the piano. I didn't hesitate to make a request.

"Can you play 'Autumn in Vermont'?" (note: that isn't Meg playing in the YouTube link)

It had been a while, but seconds later the notes came back to her and we were all reacquainted with the song that she played for us the night we were engaged as well as the evening Heather walked down the aisle. It had become a favorite after she played it at a recital during one of my many jaunts prior to our wedding.

"Do you realize that it was four years ago that I came to visit El Paso for the first time?" I asked.

"It feels longer than that," Meg said.

"How long?"

"Ten years," she replied in perfect deadpan.

We all chuckled in the dark. I then started thinking back on that Friday, Saturday and Sunday in early February, 2007. It had been a decade since I had seen my future wife and step-daughter. Heather and I reconnected on Dec. 4, 2006 and after several weeks of phone calls, emails, texts, cards and letters back and forth, I boarded a late afternoon flight from Dallas and tried to keep my thoughts in check.

"It's just a weekend," I repeated to myself on the hour long ride. Meanwhile, Heather wrapped up her work week, cleaned the car, drove to the airport and, while on the way, called her Mom. "What in the heck am I doing?"

Later, after greeting each other with a warm hug followed by a short walk through the terminal, a hostess at the nearby Cattle Baron seated us. The dinner choice was a strategic decision on Heather's part.

"I wanted to be close to the airport just in case," she told me later.

Thankfully, it was an unnecessary precaution. The dialogue between us in person was as carefree as it had been from far away. We both relaxed, wondering what the next 48 hours held in store.

One degree

Heather can attest to my impatience with local broadcast news. Generally, I find the reporting light on substance, heavy on hyperbole and I enjoy mocking it endlessly. This is especially true when it comes to coverage of weather events. Here in El Paso, the slightest trace of rain is newsworthy given how sensitive the desert landscape is to flooding. Still, in my humble opinion, this does not excuse a news director from running a segment with a shot of a few drops of precipitation striking a shallow puddle accompanied by breathless commentary from the reporter speculating on what could happen next "if."

Over the last 48 hours, however, as Sun City has experienced some of its coldest days on record, including a low of one (ONE!) degree before the sun rose this morning,  I've been willing to cut these ladies and gentlemen a bit of slack. Watching them deliver their live shots street side shuddering in these freezing temperatures has been painful. Once they confirmed that Meg would get to sleep in, we turned the channel and tracked the thermometer on our phones.

Hanging out with Meg this week has brought back memories of snow days past in Bartlett, TN. In 1988, eight inches blanketed the streets of our home in the Hillshire neighborhood. My sister and I were out of school for five days and made several trips to the video store for the likes of "Summer School" and "Dirty Dancing." While Meg, Heather and I have not spent hours camped in front of our Vizio, we will always have the rolling blackouts in our living room midst candlelight.

"Let's sing a song," Heather suggested, enthusiastically, during one 30 minute stretch of darkness last night.

"Let's not," Meg countered.

After a brief round of "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean," we carried on in a more post-modern manner: keeping our friends and family updated on Facebook and Twitter using our mobile devices. Late this afternoon, we learned that Meg will have one more day off. Let the memory making continue.

 

 

Garufa Argentinean

Last night at dinner with friends, we traded a few stories about the places we've lived and how they compare to El Paso, our current hometown. While we agreed that it'd be nice to enjoy the perks of living in a gigantic metro area, we also conceded that El Paso doesn't lack for much and the desert climate is beneficial, especially this winter.

The foodie scene, particularly, is underrated in Sun City. While Mexican first comes to mind - and rightly so - there are plenty of establishments serving steaks, chops and seafood that hold their own with hot spots we've sampled in bigger cities like Dallas. Several include 2900, Mesa St. Grill and Cafe Central.

We can now add Garufa Argentinean to this list. This was my first time to eat at an Argentine restaurant, but after a quick survey of the dinner menu it was apparent that we'd be getting our recommended daily allowance of protein. Still, if you're not in the mood for beef, Garufa offers a variety of pastas and a couple of other choices.

Heather considered the salmon before choosing the Lomo Pibe aka the seven ounce filet while I went for the rib-eye, the 14 ounce Bife de Chirizo.  Both of our steaks were cooked to our liking and easy on our taste buds though I'm not sure what spices and/or seasonings contributed to their Argentine flavor. Perhaps the portion of grilled onions played a part?  Prior to our entrees we shared a Espinacas turnover, a combination of queso freco, spinach and pecans which was also a winner. Garufa's wine list is unintimidating. We chose a 2007 Catena Zapata, a cabernet from the homeland, that meshed as one would expect with a quality piece of red meat.

We definitely felt a buzz throughout our meal and didn't notice one empty table. When we departed around 9:00, there was still a crowd at the entryway so if you go, make a reservation.