D0CT0RL0VE's Blog

...HI ALL!!!!

...first of all...I am a sports photographer by choice...and...I am beginning to realize why I choose to be a sports photographer...

...about a month ago...I was sent to cover a little girl's 5th birthday party...on my drive to the location...I actually thought to myself...SO!?!?!?...the Rockets were about to make the playoffs...Rice and the University of Houston were on their way great baseball seasons...and I'm on my way to cover a birthday party...well...the little girl is known as Princess Courtney...doctors say she should not have seen her second birthday...Courtney's mom and grandmother do not see her as a burden...but...a blessing...Courtney has a disease that has robbed her of all movement except for facial expressions that let you know she loves life!!!!...her mom came up with a "dance" that Courtney could do by pushing Princess C around in her carriage...

...I left AFTER leaving a donation...and BEFORE anyone caught me tearing up....where is the sport in that?!?!?

...before Mother's Day...the Rockets out of the playoffs...and the Texans starting another summer...Damali and I met a shy kid by the name of Tony...Tony was around 9ish-10ish...kind of quiet but strong willed with Damali and me letting us know he was a BIG boy...after the interview...he asked for paper and crayons...and...went straight to drawing...when he was finished with his secret project...he went to his foster mom...and showed/gave her the first Mother's Day card she had received this year...in the card...he had a drawing of her family...with an extra little boy...himself....

...his foster mother teared up...Damali teared up...I pretended to have camera problems so no one would see the lump in my throat...where's the sport in that?!?!?!

...this Sunday...Rice and UH advancing towards the Super Regionals in college baseball...I met the Johnson family...at a "Cancer Day" event...I went to interview Stephanie Johnson...a healthy looking young woman...and asked her what was wrong with her husband...as her voice trembled a little...she told me SHE had her stomach removed...and...that now the cancer was spreading...I felt horrible...until her husband...Greg...stepped in...and...said he had started a support group for other spouses who were dealing with cancer...her two boys...in a show of unity...BOTH had their heads shaved because Stephanie lost her's to chemo...her cute little daughter was a camera hog...but...in a good way!!!!...Greg has a organized a triathalon planned for September that Stephanie plans on participating in...I'm not sure...but...I think we showed the event that night...but...didn't get into the Johnson's story...

...as I left them...choked up...of course...I'm sure they forgot about me...and...the reason they were there....and...got back to being a family...that just happens to be in a fight with cancer...where is the sport in that!?!?!?

...I have NO problem asking a millionaire how he could have missed the three pointer to sent the game into overtime at the buzzer...or how he could strike out with bases loaded...putting the game over in the "L" column...BUT...asking people how they survive with smiles on their faces...when serious roadblocks are place in their paths...THAT is the hardest thing to do...where is the sport in that!?!?!?

...I am glad I met Courtney...and her mom and grandmother...Tony...and his foster mother...Stephanie and her wonderful family...and I hope they stay in the "WIN" column...after all...I am a sports photographer by choice...I don't think I can get through another story like any of theirs...where is the sport in that!?!?!?

...I don't know...that's just me...

...late...

...DOC...

...a rose by any other name...

...when did the pendulum start swinging back to the 1800s?!?!?...I mean...I know when the no smoking policy went into effect...BOY do I know...but when did the "no colorful language" law get voted on?!?!?

...I was at a grocery store early this morning...had to break a hundred...so...I bought an energy drink...went for the Monster...diet of course...this time...anyway...gave the kid the "benny" and he looked at it and said..."Damn!!!...I don't think I can break this yet..."  and he went to the customer service area...where...his supervisor...I think...started an intense conversation with the kid...few moments later...another kid came with my change...I asked what happened to the first kid...and...he said the boss told the first kid not to be cursing in front of customers....DAMN...a curse word!?!?!?...well...at least not one of the big ones...and...are there any big ones any more?!?!?!

...George Carlin used to have a bit where he talked about the seven words you can't say on tv...he says he doesn't do that bit anymore because...most of those words are OK to say on tv now...by the way...DAMN...not on the list...

...it's not like he used the "F" word...which I use "F"requently...or the "N" word...which I "F"N never use...or...it's not like he asked me to do something physically impossible...without being a contortionist...or Ron Jeremy...

...Censor MY vocabulary...well...Keep In SeriouS Mind, You mAy Start Something Far Uglier, Considering talKing is How Everyone commmunicAtes Directly with each other!

...besides...ten years from now...these words may not even be on the list anymore...

...I don't know...that's just me...

...late...

...DOC...

....not that I rant...BUT....

...I was playing "Name That Tune"...while driving in the parking lot otherwise known as the 45-59 interchange...with my car radio...when I stumbled upon this little "NEW" diddy...now...I realize that the song had been out for awhile...but...it was new to me...

...this "song"...nay...anthem...for girls that have been cheated on...takes anger management to the HNL...hole nuva lebel...

...I mean not for nothing...but....do we really need a class called SYBIL 101A!?!?!...not to be confused with Silbila...by the way...welcome aboard....but...how bad does a guy have to be before a girl tells her fave five..."I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive"?!?!?...come on now!!!!

...and what about..."carved my name into his leather seats"...that's just plain mean...it couldn't be like cloth seats...or..."I spilled Jamba Juice onto his seats...that's gonna leave a stain!"...NO!...she had to take a stiletto to his Recaros!!!!

...and...my favorite..."I took a Louisville slugger to both headlights"...why did she have to go Barry Bonds all over the front of a man's KITT 2000!?!?!?

..."slashed a hole in ALL four tires"...DAMN...what's with all the Ginsu work there Xena!?!?!?...when did destruction of private property and public humiliation become the number one and two revenge tactics!?!?!?

...do girls REALLY need this kind of help!?!?!?...whatever happened to...you catch your guy cheating...you call ALL your good looking girlfriends...you cry together...and...then...have a pillow fight...in your Victoria Secrets...oh yeah...in slow motion!?!?!?...wait...that's how I would have written the song...

...I don't know...that's just me...

...late....

...DOC...

...got up this morning...just as I had for the past 42 years...three hundred sixty some odd days before...I didn't notice anything strange...well...something happened to 103.7...AND...Wayne Brady STILL had a show on FOX...other than that...nothing else weird...

...anyway...I got up to walk Sammy...and...get the local "news"paper...not to read...to help with Sam's "walk"...afterwards...I drove...without Sammy...to STARBUCK'S...caffeine makes him hyper...and...ordered "the Usual"...venti...half black...half passion tea...on ice...with three Equals...four...if I'm feeling devious...not that I'm a picky drinker...

...it was nice outside...translation...not sweaty hot...and...not raining...so I decided to partake al fresco...while in the great outdoors...I pulled out a square and my Hawaiian lighter...not that Hawaiians have exotic lighters...this one WAS different...but...it was a just a lighter...from Hawaii...thanks Scotty and Tammy...anyway...as the crackle from the drag off the cigarette faded into the Westheimer traffic noise...I started to hear folks murmur...now...I can honestly say this is the first time I've ever heard a murmur...and I did something I've never done before...I started to pay attention...and...I realized they were pointing and talking about me...smoking!!!!

...the last time I had to worry about the Marlboro Militia...the Salem Secret Service...the Ultra Light Elite...the GPC Gestapo...I was 16...ducking from Sister Mary Margaret at Our Lady of Perpetual Motion...not that I went there...I just looked good in the uniform...BUT I never felt like Anne Frank hiding from the Lucky Strike Lynch Mob...until now!!!!

...when did non-smokers take over!?!?!...I did the EXACT same thing just TWO days ago...no one said anything then...I quickly crushed out my cigarette...slowly started to leave...and got this feeling I was 16 again...back in school...and...EVERYBODY knows that smoking ain't allowed in school!!!!!

...I don't know...that's just me...

...late...

...DOC...