One guy dead....

Austin, May 28th

No thats not a late, yay, Osama is dead! message. Someone else died. Happens surprisingly often here, we have in English class something called 'Good things & Current events' and at the current events part we learn who died and such things.

Anyways, Loran and I decided to go to San Antonio, one of the big cities around here. We were in the Mercedes, top down, listening to Nelly, and I watched who was around us. I saw two guys on motorcycles passing us. I was thinking, 'Oh boy, they should better be wearing helmets' and then I focused again on other things. Suddenly the car infront of us slowed down, so we had to take car that we don't hit him. And that the guy behind us wouldn't hit us. I tried to see what happened, and then I was like, 'Holly Shit, this dude from earlier lays on the road!' As soon as we realized what was going on Loran and I called the police. Well, he called them, I tried getting the key lock turned off, so I could dial 911, but somehome I must have missed the key... Loran told the police about the accident and gave me the phone, in case they say something he couldn't hear. Then we drove away, we didn't see what happened, and there were already about 7 guys around him, so we couldn't help anyone. When we passed the body we saw that he was covered with blood and didn't move. I really hope he lives.

In San Antonio we went to the Alamo. There i learned that 2 Germans fought and died in the battle of the Alamo.

That's is something my history teacher never told me. There is even a German flag inside the Alamo. There were people from 6 nations, except for America, defending the Alamo.

After we visited the Alamo, we went to Ripleys Believe it or Not. There was a lot of incredible stuff. We had lunch in an Irish pub. I was short inside to watch the Soccer Champions League game.

On the way back to Austin, there was the traffic suddenly backed up for a short distance. Two lines of the interstate were closed for a few yards, because of an accident. On the road was a person, covered with a yellow blanket. I guess this dud did not survive the accident. He drove a motocycle, just like the guy from this morning.

My very last High School Football game

Austin, May 27th

Today we had our Spring Game. The whole football team, freshmen, JV and varsity was divided into two groups. The Black and the Red Squad.

So after school we went to the study hall where Coach Vincent hold a speech. I didn't know that he would talk, so I waited with Haley at the bus lane, until her bus came, so I was late.

After the speech we ate pizza and drunk Gatorade. I will miss that stuff in Germany, there we just have Powerade. Then we waited. After we put on our pads, we started hitting each other. We rather hurt our fingers than the guy we hit. One of my friends slipped with his fist on my shoulderpads and hit my hin the neck. That really did hurt. But I didn't say anything, so some of them were impressed that nothing can hurt me.

Then it was time to play. My last High School Football Game. We had rotations, but since I'm leaving pretty soon I the coaches did not put me in any rotation. Coach Rushing put me in the end of the second quarter in the game for a single play. It was 300 x-scissors. That's the exact same play we used when I got my first pass in the fall. The big difference, this time not the quarterback screwd up, but me. I caught it, but when I started running, the tight end who blocked the corner, was so far on my left, that I decided to run right. Big mistake. The play is so, that the tight end blocks the guy in fron of me and pushes him to the sideline. The inside receiver blocks an other guy to the middle of the field, and creates so a hole. Me idiot did not use the hole. So I got stopped after 6 yards. Still a good play, 6 yards is more than half of what we need for a 1st down. But I was planning on a touch down. But whatever, it's just a game, and we played against our own team. I had a lot of fun, although I had a little headache after I got blocked, I hit my head on the ground.

My team, the Red Squad, won 35 to 30. And on tuesday I will hopefully watch myself playing in a football game on video tape.

Prom

Austin, May 21st

I slept long, because I expected a really long night. Then I watched some TV and ate. When Steffen and Kym came I started get dressed. Put suddenly one of the buttons of his jacket ripped, so we looked for something to sew it on again. Looks like I'm the only here who can sew a little.

When we were dressed we took a few pictures and left to pick up the girls. Kym and Steffen went ahead and Loran and I got lost. The neighborhood wasn't in our Navi and we couldn't see Kyms car. So it took a lot longer than expected. At Abis house we waited for Trey and Ashley. And for the girls to come out. In the meantime we talked to some other people, parents and friends of our dates.

Then we took some thousand pictures. Apparently Kym looked up what other people do in their Prom pictures, so she helped us to take ours.

My Promdate Andrea looked really good in her blue and green dress. 

After everyone arrived and all the pictures were taken, we all went to the Oasis for dinner.

Then we went to the Doubletree Hotel, where the Prom was. We danced and talked to other people we knew and took pictures for a flipbook.

We left at around 11:30. The girls were tired, so they went all to Abis house, where they spend the night. Steffen and I went to the party of our friend Ryan. But we couldn't stay to long, Steffen had to be home very early too. So I was already at home at 2:30 a.m. or so.

Getting ready for Prom

Austin, May 20th

First thing I did when in lunch, was buying the Prom tickets. Steffen bought his, too, so when we both stood there, the teacher who knew us, asked if I buy his ticket, too.

The buying process seemed to take for ever. They first had to fill in the receipt, then they had to find my name on the list. I don't know what there problem is, it's long, starts with a not very common of letters, and it's impossible to pronunce for at least 95% of the Americans.

Then they had too find my dates name, unfortunately I wasn't sure about her lastname. But Steffen knew it. By now I not it too, but that would have sucked if I couldn't buy tickets, because I don't know the full name of my date.

Then they wrote my name on the chart behind my dates name and vice versa. And then the same with Steffen.

After school Steffen missed his bus, so we decided to walk to my house. Unfortuntely he is not allowed to take my bus, without permission of school and parents. Then we went to a store to order the flower wrist corsages for Andrea and Ashley.

Later Steffen picked up his tuxedo and came then to my house. Daniel joined us later, too and we watched TV and practiced a performance to the song Just A Dream, by Nelly, which we want to perform at Prom.

No mother, but a cheerleader

Austin, May 19th

Ookay, now I have a little reason to get nervous. Prom is in two days, and I need a date. Asking someone is no problem, I'm not the kind of boy who is afraid to ask questions. But will SHE have enough time to get a dress? I guess I just have to try.

The girl I choose, I met about one month ago at the RADD lock-in. Her name is Andrea and she is a sophomore. 16 years old, not a mother, very good looking and friends with Steffens date. We sit at the same table during lunch on B-days, for the last couple of weeks. So I decided to ask her after lunch, when Jessi, if she sits with us, left and Steffen is busy with Ashley.

And guess what, she first couldn't believe it, and then she was totally happy. She later told me I made her day, she didn't expect me to ask her, but was very happy.

 And her best friend (and my 'bestie') Abi, too. Because I'm friends with her date, and so Abi, Andrea, Ashley and we three boys could go all together to prom.

So, long story short, Marky Mark goes to Prom, and his date is a cheerleader!

No Prom date

Austin, May 18th

That was a great day. With highs and a pretty bad low. I guess I just start with the worst. I got a really bad turfburn. This morning I played 1on1 against a tiny little freshmen cornerback. And the coach asked me if I'm able to run a extended 4. In the past weeks the 4 became my favourite route, and running something rare like a extended 4 against a freshmen who might never have seen it before? Of course I will do that. The only difference it, that at a 4 I run 12 yards straight, turn to the sideline and back to 10 yards. And extended means that I run 17 and 15 yards. So I run towards the corner, but I did not turn at 10 yards like he expected, nor did I try to pass him. He looked like he was afraid that I will run over him, but then I stopped and run to the sideline. It took him a second to realize what I was doing, but then he tried to push me so I could not catch the ball. Since the ball was already close to the ground, I kind of slided on my left leg over the ground so I would not be to high with my hands. The result is a bad turfburn.

But the highlight is, I got the ball, and won about 16 yards for my team.

Of course it doesn't matter how much we gain, in a practice, but I'm still proud, I knew the route in theory, but never actually run it before.

Next low, Kelsey said she doesn't think she would go to Prom, there were a couple of reasons, I just remember the funniest, the world will be destroyed on saturday, thanks to gay marriage, and just in case it really happens, she want to be with her daughter. Did I ever mention that Kelsey has a daughter? A cute little girl of 11 months. I learned that about half an hour after I asked Kelsey out.

I'd really have like to go out with her, I'm sure it would be very interesting.

But okay, I'll find someone else.

Next high of the day, I had fun in school. We didn't do much, I let people sign my yearbook, it's already almost full, but there are a lot of people who still have to sign it. But the day was fun.

EOC Algebra

Austin, May 16th

I actually planned on talking to Kelsey about Prom. But we wrote our End Of Course Exam in Algebra, and we had assignet seats, so there was no chance to talk to her. I guess I'll just have to do that on wednessday.

The EoC was a joke, there were a couple of problems I was too lazy to solve, so when I had answercoices I just guessed, or when they wanted a number, I just wrote stuff like 666.

Then I draw stuff on the papers, the American flag for example. I think I did pretty good, and if not... who cares? My average is a 100 in the moment, I don't think I'm able to fail this class.

Movienight

Austin, May 15th

I went with Steffen to the pool, and then to Carolin to watch a movie. She complained that she never sees Stefen and that he never answeres her texts. Well, now she can't complain anymore, we spend some hours at her house.

Bretts Birthday Party

Austin, May 14th

I had a great breakfast at Texas roadhouse. The 8 ounce steak was really good, but to small. The vegetables testet watery and the beans tasted weird. But I came because of the steak, not to eat vegetables. Two of my friends told me this week that they are now vegetarians. I could never do that, I just love medium rare steak to much.

Before I left I wrote a phone number, or actually just random numbers, on the bill. That had the result that every waitress said smiling of laughing goodbye.

At around 5 I went to Walgreens to get a toy. Brett asked us to bring a toy, instead of a gift to her party, so she could donor it to the Dell Hospital.

At 7 I left for her party. The Navi send us a super long weird way, she lives close to Vista but we drove for like 20 minutes in an unknown area.

Baily, a girl I met ages ago in Spanish class took the plastik stuff of the toy I bought, a sponge-like football, and she, Evan, Steffen and I throw it until it landed a couple of times in the pool. A short time later we, or actually I, thow something else in the pool. The birthday child Brett. Good that we partied at her house, because she as not wearing her bikini, but a dress. Now her dad threatened me, that I will land sooner or later in the pool too. Later he gave me the choice, he will push me or I go by myself. Going by myself is no fun and since I throw Brett, we thought it would be fair if she pushes me now. Good for her that she was wearing a bikini now, because i picked her up and jumped with her into the pool. Steffen and Evan were in the pool a short time later too. Evan and me in full clothes, Steffen without his shirt. Evan had a second shirt in his car, but I wore for the next half an hour or so a shirt of Brett. Of course she gave me a absolutely girly shirt, but whatever, at least its dry.

The we danced, the music sucked. I like real songs better than the remix of a song. Surprisingly they played Disco Pogo from Die Atzen. Since we are here this song became quite popular. Steffen and I sung and danced to that song, while everyone else was watching and cheering. It was a lot of fun.

Later many of us were in the pool. Since my pants were already wet I didn't change them, so I had dry swimming trunks for after the pool. I took Steffen on my shoulders and we fought against the others. No one could beat us, even when they all together attacked us, thay weren't able to get us down. Although I swallowed at least five gallons of water, Steffen stayed on my shoulders.

The we went inside and talked to Bretts dad. We tried to armwrestle him, but he later told us that he was second best armwrestler in the world about 30 years ago, so we had no chance.

Then he told us about Psycho-Cybernetics and some other stuff.

At around 11:15 I got picked up by Loran.

Candy, Movie and a wet floor sign

Austin, May 13th

It's Friday 13th, and like often, not such a bad day. It could have been a little better, but actually it was pretty good. I didn't need to be up as super early as monday through wednesday. Although I couldn't sleep as long as yesterday. I had to be in front of my locker at 7:40 or the coaches count me as late for our morning workout. Quarter to eight is not bad, and the workout wasn't bad either. But I forgot to bring my protein powder and I have had just two slices of bread for breakfast. So I was starving by time I had lunch.

Photojournalism was alright, the class has to learn how to use the pentool in Adobe photoshop. She told us the names of some 'experts' in this class. Like Carolin, one of the German girls. I don't think she knows that I use the pentool perfectly well, so she didn't say my name. So nobody asked for my help and I had time to cut out Anakin Skywalker in a Star Wars poster and drop a red shadow behind him. Since I needed just like 5 minutes for that I dropped a blue shadow behind Anakins shadow. And the last 60 minutes or so of the class I just talked to friends.

The we had boring Ranger time. We will probably have that now on fridays, instead of wednesdays, because of some stupid tests.

In Football we watched the scrimmage videos of yesterday. We watched like 50 playes, some of them in up to three different angles.

What i did i mulitmedia I don't even remember anymore. But I guess I just read stuff in wikipedia and listened to music in Youtube. Sometimes it's not good to be done with all the projects so early.

In Theater we watched a part of Westside Story. I still dont like it.

I styled Dianas hair. First I braided her hair, and when I finally liked the way they were braided I put the up and fixed them with one of Haleys hairpins.

After school I went with Steffen to the Cinemark and we waited about one hour for Diana and her friend. Two other guys came as well. With one of them, Limon, we went to Target to get some candy. There was a soda clearance, so we got 12 cans of Pepsi for just 3 dollar.

Then we waited again. When everyone was there we couldn't decide what ovie we were goint to see, so we went to a restaurant instead. And then to Starbucks. For some reason I decided to take the Floor Wet sign as a souvenier. Now it's in the back of Garys truck, I will use it when we clean the house the next time.

At Starbucks we decided to go to my house and watch a movie there. So I called Gary, we went to a Redbox, where we got the movie 127 hours and then to my house.

It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But I can't believe this guy cut off his arm with this tool-knive. I have one just like that at home, and I would never be able to use that to cut of my arm. I just couldn't. With a swiss army knive or any other high quality knve maybe. But not with such a knive. It's a good tool, but nothing for surgeries. But I truely hope I never come in such situation. I could hardly watch him cutting himself, I don't know I would be able to do that.

By the way, I when I informed Kelsey that I want to get our prom tickets, she told me that she is not sure if she will be able to make it to Prom. Not good...

Prom date?

Austin, May 12th

So Prom is pretty soon, but I don't have a date yet. I guess I should change that. I asked Kelsey, in my opinion the most beautiful girl in my Algebra class. She was first thinking a little, but said then smiling yes.

Well, that was easy, now I just need to get the tickets. I guess I'll get them tomorrow.

Day of relaxation

Austin, May 8th

I slept until 2 o'clock. Then I took a shower and Gary and I went to Baby A's. Thats a Mexican restaurant. When we arrived there, I hadn't eaten in 15 hours! I don't know how I could survive that.

I had a huge burrito.

On the way to Baby A's I told Gary that I'd like to ride my bike sometimes to Steffens house, so i don't depend always on someone with a car. He lives close to Tiffany and I discribed Gary the way the cab driver brought me home. It's actually not that difficult to get to Lakeline Boulevard. I just have to go down Avery Ranch Blvd, then either go a little bit along 183 or Bells Drive and then turn right on Lakeline. So we drove the way back and forth to figure out what would be the safest way to go to Lakeline. I guess beeing so close to a Interstate is not very safe, but Avery Ranch is connected to a couple of neighborhoods wich are also connected to Lakeline. I don't know why I didn't thought of that earlier, probably because who ever drives me, usually goes a different way. Lakeline is a curved street, and most people don't go left on 183, but right. Or they drive to Vista Ridge Blvd and then to Lakeline. And that seems to take forever.

But now I have a pretty safe way, and I will test that some times next week.

After we ate Gary showed me Pennybacker Bridge. A bridge across Colorado River, with no support in the water. And it's made of the same materials Pennies are made.

Back at home we made sure that i can ride the bike, I didn't use it since last fall, and the tires were flat and we oiled the chain.

Tiffanys birthday party

Austin, May 7th

Today was Tiffanys party. It actually started at 2 o'clock, but I couldn't get a ride until 3. I wanted to go by bike, but I have to cross 183, and go under a interstae, so Tiffany absolutely didn't want me to do that.

So I waited until her stepdad picked me up and in the meantime I skyped with Tim, a friend from Germany.

 At Tiffanys we went to the pool in their neighborhood. A shot time later Steffen texted me that he is in fron of the house and don't know where to go, so Tiffany and i picked him up. When we came back one of the manager or so made some trouble, apparently it's not allowed to have more than 2 guest in the pool area.

So we went inside again and she unwrapped her gifts.

Then we went to her boyfriends pool. The water was a litte cold, so Steffen and i kept us warm by throwing things. Or better little freshmen girls.They found some water gun-like tubes and shot at us, so I used one girl as shield while I was looking for an other tube to shoot back. Poor Tiffany got a lot of water in the face when her boyfriend shot at me and I just hold her body in front of my face. Later three girls hold each other, because they thought we couldn't pick up all of them. Well, wrong guessed, they are not really heavy and in the water, picking up 3 of them wasn't that hard, and when Steffen helped me we could even throw them. i think we all had a lot of fun. Later we just sat at the pool and talked. When we went back to her house, we watched some movies. Steffen left at around 12. His host dad didn't allow me to spend the night at their house, and Gary was already in bed. Tiffanys parent were in bed, too. So I decided to call a yellow cab after we ended the second movie. Tiffany thought it's crazy, but she had no better idea what to do, so we watched a third movie, until my cab was there at around 1 am. It turned out that the yellow cab is not yellow, it was black. I don't think I was ever in a black cab.

Watching football

Austin, May 6th

We had no practice today, so we went to the weight room instead. Since there are AP tests in our study hall, we had to be really quiet. When we were in the weight room during period yesterday, we were not allowed to shout and cheer to our team mates, what we usually have to do, so it was a totally weird workout.

Today the receivers and backs were in a different weight room. The one the basketball and swimming and probalby the soccer team usues. It's much smaller than ours and the racks are older. I don't like this room.

During period we watched the scrimmage videos from yesterday. After that I asked the coach a lot of questions, because I'm still not sure about what to do at some plays.

We will start to practice cutting next week, I like that, I always wanted to try that in a game, it's basicly rolling over the feets of a other guy to make him fall. And I think we will practice 'X scissor', one of my favourite plays.

Scrimmage

Austin, May 5th

No football this morning, so I didn't wear contacts to school. I don't like wearing glasses, but contacts are annoying after some hours. I'd better wore contacts, because we had our first Scrimmage after school. Scrimmage is like a football game of our offense plays against our defense. And everything is videotaped, so we can watch it tomorrow. 

Looong day

Austin, May 4th

Last day of football practice this week. It was so freezing cold the last to mornings, so I wore the blue long sleeve shirt from yesterday, and the black shirt from monday. And then the weather got a lot warmer then the last two days. It was almost a little too warm with two long sleeve and one short sleeve shirt.
We had offense practice first, then pass hull, and then defense practice. Since I'm a offense player only, I stayed with my coach and together with Hank, Tyler and the freshmen receiver I did all the exercises again. We showed the freshmen how the exercises work, and lead the lines, so they could watch us first, before they did the exercise. Not all of them need that, some are just as good as we JV/Varisty player. And pretty sure are some of them better then I am.
My highlight of the practice, I caught every single x-cruze pass. In the practice last friday I messed that up, and I know I'm good at x-cruze. Jailbreak I have to practice again, I was really good at Jailbreak and Bubbles, what is almost the mirror reflection of Jailbreak, last year. But today I dropped pass three and four. The coach told me to make the route longer, and then I caught the last two passes again.
All in all a pretty good practice, but I hope it will be warmer next week.

I was so tired that I almost fell asleep in Algebra.

Later today i went to Steffens'a and we went to the pool in their neighborhood. For dinner we walked down the street to an Asian restaurant. I don't like to food there very much. Then we stood in front of his house and talked. We talked until it got to cold and so we went inside. At around 1030 I texted Gary to pick me up. He didn't respond so I texted him again and again, in case he just didn't realize he got a message. At around 12 we interrupted Daniel at his homework to drive me home.

I found later out, that Gary went to the hospital and got there some medications, which made him sleep. he doesn't felt too good the last dasy, and until he is better, I better don't stay out too late, or make sure that I get a ride home from someone.

Build-a-bear

Austin, May 3rd

Tiffanys birthday is this friday, so it's getting time to get her a gift. I asked her a couple of days ago what she wants. Of course she didn't want anything, so I asked and asked and asked until she told me she wants a stuffed animal. I was first thinking about buying a huge teddy bear or penguin, but then I decided, that it would be a much more personally gift, if I take her to build-a-bear and we build together a stuffed animal. And I wanted to see how build-a-bear works. Loran told me it looks like a lot of fun and some other people, who actually did that ensured me that it is fun.

So we went to the mall and built our own little football bear, called Carmel. We even have birth certificates. Our bear has to hearts inside, one with the initils TB and one with MS on it. We found a football outfit in the colors of our school, but I'm not really happy with the number on it. It's 00. In Germany it's mean to call someone a 'doppel Null'. Anyways, we are in America, and I saw a lot of Jerseys with the number 00, usually in soccer, but I guess there are football players with that number, too.

I took the bear home, and will wrap it some time this week.
Then we spend some hours looking at shoes, dresses and jewelry, and just walking through the mall. There are some things I never realized they are there, like a model of a city on the ceiling!

Loran left today to visit his dad, he will be back next week.

Spring football!

Austin, May 2nd

I went early to bed yesterday, but I was so excited, I couldn't sleep a lot. At 530 in the morning Austin picked me up. Then we picked Dalton, one of our team mates, up and went to school. After I got dressed I had time to eat a little bit, then we went outside for football practice in the dark on a freezing cold morning. I wore a long sleeved shirt, but I was still cold. At 8 we could go inside, take a shower and go to the cafeteria to get something to eat.

We first had position training and then pass hull. I talked to Grant, his only position is X-receiver, just like me, so on Defense days we often help out with the Quarterback training, or talk, and we made fun about the player communication. We think it would be really funny when I start in germany to shout 'Liz Liz' or 'Hit, Hit' or 'Pass pass, Ball ball, Bingo!' and all the other stuff we player use to communicate during the game, and start throwing footballs. Altough none of us knows what all that means. At least not the defense words. Or what the Quarterback says, when he is not talking to receivers.

After school i didn't really do anything, and went early to bed again, I will have football practice on tuesday and wednesday too.

Rest

Austin, May 1st

I slept in and then I watched some movies. I think thats all I did. 

Tomorrow is my firts Spring Football Practice, and i just want this day to be over, so I can play some ball!

So I got up late, watched some movies, and went to bed early.

And tomorrow football HELL YEAH! *cough* Heck Yeah!

Isn't it funny that ther is a appropriate way to curse? Steffen and I talked last week in theater class about that. We should have that in Germany, too. Not that cursing is there a big deal, but something like Dang, Heck, Shoot, Gosh and so on, would be nice.