BagOfNothing.com

The end of last week was a trip down Nostalgia Lane.

On Thursday, I rode with one of my closest friends to Clyde, TX, to watch his daughter play in her second playoff basketball game. As a starting varsity sophomore, she’s got a knack for blocking shots. It’s not that she’s built like a shot blocker; I think she has a unique ability to time the release of an opponent’s shot.

As long-time readers know, the namesake of my firstborn was raised in Clyde and later returned as a math teacher and coach. I asked him to be my best man, but tragically, a week before my wedding, he died in a drowning accident while saving his girlfriend. In his memory, his mother created a scholarship, and all his close-knit college friends, including me, serve on the board. Since we were going to be in town, I reached out to her in case she wanted to watch the game with us.

As soon as we parked, it hit me that the last time I was there was three days before my wedding, June 2003, when I had the honor of giving one of the eulogies at his funeral. The high school gym was the only place that could hold all the folks who wanted to attend, and it was packed. Chairs were brought it and it was still standing room only. His very large family took up all one half of the court. If memory serves me correctly, the high school was just finished being built, and his funeral was the first event. As I walked in, a flood of memories from that day hit me. It was rather surreal.

My late friend’s mother did make it to the game to watch the team we were rooting for dominate. She sat between me and my friend (also a scholarship board member), whose daughter was playing. Interestingly, she shared that the last time she was in that building was the same time as me. I told her, at least we now have a happy memory of being in this place together.

A funny thing happened with less than three minutes left in the game. Somehow, the opposing team put six players on the floor, and the refs didn’t catch it. Thankfully, no one scored. I bet the refs were embarrassed, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a way for them to “make it right.” I guess if the score was close, and if our team had lost, it could have been easily contested. This was for an area championship, afterall. Today his daughter has a game in nearby Aubry, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to make that one as well.

Speaking of my friend with the basketball-playing daughter, he’s a pastor in Mineral Wells, following the footsteps of his father. His brother is also a pastor in a neighboring town. Well, their father got married on Saturday, and both officiated the wedding. Their father, a widower, who was married for over 50 years, was marrying a widow who was also married for over 50 years. At the wedding, it was mentioned that the two already had over a century of combined Christian marriage. My childhood pastor didn’t have a best man, but a best person, the sister of his deceased wife. The bride’s son, who was also in my youth group, walked his mother down the aisle and gave a much longer than expected, war m hearted answer on how proud he was to give his mother away and grateful to now be a part of this family his family have admired for so long.

Oh, I guess it’s worth mentioning that my friend’s father, who baptized me on Easter Sunday 1993, also officiated my wedding. I’ve been told by them multiple times that I’m considered family and they always invite me to every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other holidays since my family fell apart. As a matter of fact, my friend was the only person I could depend on to drive me to all of my spinal surguries over the past five years, coming all the way from Mineral Wells to do so.

That morning, for the heck of it, I decided to text DaughterGeeding to see if she’d be interested as my plus-one for this wedding that was two hours away. To my utter astonishment, we went. Since she’s a 15 year old, it was also a great opporunity to get some long distance and highway driving experience in. Over the past five years, I don’t often get a chance to show off either of my kids, but especially DaughterGeeding. This was the first time most of these folks have seen my daughter, and they greeted her warmly. Without any prompting, so many of them were kind enough to immediately share heart warming stories of how I impacted their life. The wife of one of the pastors even told her that I was responsible for getting her her first job. Heck, another friend who greeted me by name gave me a hug, and when I told him I was surpised that he didn’t forgot about me me, he would he would always remember me because I helped him get his first job. All of that talk made me laugh on the inside pretty hard. It turns out I can help get other people employed, just not myself, lol. Oh, speaking of which, I didn’t get that job that I had to drive and interview in Austin for.

Because I haven’t attended a wedding in well over a decade, and since I don’t get to dress up often, I decided to really lean into it, going for something dapper. It seemed to work, because as soon as I walked in, the first thing everyone said to me was that I was looking quite dapper.

I almost failed to mention that everyone at the wedding thought DaughterGeeding was beautiful and well-mannered. And many took the opportunity to sit next to her and take some time to genuinely get to know her. Heck, I found out a lot of stuff about her I didn’t know about. Words can’t adequately express how much this warmed my heart. Not only their actions, but just the type of bonding that can happen during a car trip as you gently coach some driving skills.

And here’s something for your cityfolk. When you’re at a small town in Texas, you’ll often see things like this to hold your cowboy hat.

On Friday night, I met at date at Texas Live to eat and watch the Olympics. It was my first time visiting the venue. Parking was a little difficult because of the setup for the upcoming F1 race. Bleachers are everywhere. As a matter of fact, I got a chance to drive down some of the roads with the barricades, so I have just a tiny idea of what it will feel like.

That date went ok, but my mind was mostly preoccupied thking about a date I had planned on Sunday with someone I’ve been wanting to get to together with for a long time. There’s something about the one I had plans with on Sunday that just me giddy. But as soon as I arrived at my destination, I looked at my phone and saw this.

NBC averaged 24 million viewers across its prime afternoon coverage (2-5 p.m. EST) and Primetime in Milan (8-11 p.m. EST and PST) through Friday, according to Nielsen and Adobe Analytics. That is a 94% improvement over the 2022 Beijing Games.

[image or embed]

— The Associated Press (@apnews.com) February 22, 2026 at 3:15 PM

MIKE TIRICO’S ALL-TIME GREAT OLYMPICS SIGN-OFF:

“All the young people out there, those dreams are formed now. Go chase them, our country loves sports, it brings us together unlike anything else. And if you didn’t know that: you saw it in Team USA Hockey” pic.twitter.com/TFWiqAu2Za

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) February 22, 2026

A little Monday motivation for you.

Yay, I did it.. pic.twitter.com/mie5yIGcGL

— o̴g̴ (@Yoda4ever) February 22, 2026

I don’t follow hockey, but this had me tearing up. They brought their teammate’s (who was killed by a drunk driver) kids out onto the ice with their dad’s jersey to celebrate the moment.

pic.twitter.com/06RlyrBVKz

— Ben (@MrGoodlyCooks) February 22, 2026

BoyGeeding turned 14 yesterday. I’m so grateful to have him in my life. So honored to be his father. And today is also Vietnamese New Year.

A US Olympic Alpine Skier Went Viral For Her ‘Back Abs’

https://www.tiktok.com/@mikaelashiffrin/video/7603123594763324702

I wanted to read this CNN article when it first came out, but you have to be a paid subscriber. After all, I can totally relate to these folks.

However, I learned if you wait a few days, a lot of their articles for subscribers will appear on AOL.com: New careers, relocations and medical problems: How ex-federal workers’ lives have been upended since DOGE

• Garley, who lost her job after the US froze all foreign aid in late January 2025, is struggling to find a full-time job with benefits more than a year later. To contribute to the bills, she has returned to a job she held in her teens and 20s: swim instructor.
• More than 350,000 workers have left the federal government’s payroll since the president started his second term on January 20, 2025, according to the Office of Personnel Management. Trump said last month that he doesn’t feel bad about the downsizing, claiming without evidence that former federal workers are now making more money in the private sector.

Readers of that Wise County blogger would expect to see something like this on his blog. But I’m a really big fan of people being held accountable, which is why I’m posting it.

Something else you would probably see on his blog:

Judge Quotes George Orwell’s 1984 in Order to Restore Slavery Exhibits – The Trump administration has suffered a blow in its attempts to whitewash U.S. history.

Ted Roosevelt IV is pretty sure that President Theodore Roosevelt, his great-grandfather, would have been “appalled” by an effort by House Republicans to allow mining near an expanse of wilderness in Minnesota. nyti.ms/4rEJMgB

[image or embed]

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) February 16, 2026 at 1:50 PM

This 60 Minutes segment had me in tears, and one of them was even conceived in a concentration camp.

The part that really got me is the story of how one mother gave her sick baby to a U.S. medic who rushed the newborn to a doctor. The medic always wondered what happened to that tiny and sickly infant. It turns out that the little baby girl grew up, went to grad school inthe U.S., and tracked him down 61 years later.

Hana Berger-Moran: And I asked him if I can call him Daddy Pete.

Lesley Stahl: Daddy Pete?

Hana Berger-Moran: I didn’t have a father, you know? So he became my daddy.

Lesley Stahl: He adopted you.

Hana Berger-Moran: Well, he had no choice.

Lesley Stahl: You adopted him, let me put it that way.

Pete Petersohn died five years later. Hana spent a week with him during his final illness.

He speaks English. She speaks Mandarin. David Duda and Hong Liang, a married couple, rely on A.I. translation and external battery packs. If their phones die, so does their ability to communicate.

[image or embed]

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) February 14, 2026 at 7:10 PM

I love how over-dramatic this dog is.

[image or embed]

— New Years Revolution ✊ (@tekweenie.bsky.social) February 14, 2026 at 9:02 AM

Since so many of you responded to my thread about surveillance pricing—here’s a full breakdown, with visuals, on how companies use your personal data to manipulate prices in real-time: pic.twitter.com/4gJDRNscso

— Ronan Farrow (@RonanFarrow) February 12, 2026

He’s helping.. 😊 pic.twitter.com/9OtulXphlk

— Buitengebieden (@buitengebieden) February 13, 2026

The work they do is amazing. I’d love to do something like this for a living.

The drive to Austin wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be regarding stopping and charging. All the super-chargers at all the Buc-ee’s on I-35 made it pretty easy. There’s a little range anxiety driving there because you know you have to drive back. However, driving back was a cinch. Because the parking garage where I interviewed had car chargers, I was able to leave Austin with a full charge. So I only had to stop once to charge, which I would have done anyway for a restroom break and to stretch my legs. That charge was less than 25-minutes and cost under five bucks. It turns out that not renting a car was a good thing, and I might drive to places like Austin more often.

Traffic stunk on the way there, but was great on the way back; though I was surprised by the number of law enforcement I passed trying to catch speeders. I counted at least seven on the way home.

It’s always unsettling seeing the Confederate flag flying high off I-35 while driving through Waco.

It was fun having the dogs along for the ride and to keep me company. They really enjoyed the attention they received when we took a stroll on the University of Texas campus.

I typically don’t like talking about how my interview went. It’s a silly superstition that I might jinx myself. But I guess I feel comfortable saying it was solid. I guess there was a certain relief about having an in-person interview, even if I had to drive four hours, as opposed to yet another AI-interviewing tool or video conference.

I appreciated the interview’s format. After I was escorted into a conference room, I was given a project schedule and outline to study for five-minutes. Then a small panel of folks walked in for introductions. I was then given four pages of questions. I was told they would read each one aloud. I could take some time to think about a response, without having to answer immediately. Having a visual and being able to reference something was helpful, and I wrote notes as each was read. Most were scenario-based, and only one was the typical “give me an example when” variety. In all, the interview lasted about 70 minutes, and I felt I had a good rapport or chemistry with the team.

Even if I don’t get this job, unlike most interviews I’ve had during this drought, I felt there were lessons I could take away. That I had something to build on. It was also the first time I felt like I wasn’t being tested but being treated as a consultant. I guess I felt like I was on offense this time and not on defense. That is, when each item was read to me, my concern wasn’t how they would grade my answer. Instead, I felt like I was identifying the need, want, or problem, and then telling them the best way to accomplish it.

Speaking of lessons learned, yesterday marked the five-year anniversary of when the person I was married to decided to break apart our family.

I was surprised to learn that Abilene ISD’s (former) superintendent last worked as Mineral Well’s superintendent. He recently stepped down wrinting the following:

On December 30, 2025, I suffered a serious heart attack – a “widowmaker,” with 100% blockage of my left anterior descending (LAD) artery and 80% blockage of my circumflex. Thankfully, I was at home at the time; my wife and children called 911 and acted quickly to treat me with aspirin.

Regarding the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping, I predict a future news article about the increase in sales of Ozark Trail Hiker Pack backpacks.

New York Times

I didn’t think the gondola rides at Las Colinas were still operating, let alone popular.

Often privy to multiple marriage proposals a day, the gondola king of Irving has learned a thing or two about the affairs of the heart. 🚣💕 https://www.texasmonthly.com/being-texan/irving-las-colinas-gondoliers-love-advice/

[image or embed]

— Texas Monthly (@texasmonthly.bsky.social) February 11, 2026 at 4:00 PM

🥇🥇🥇

[image or embed]

— George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 (@gtconway.bsky.social) February 10, 2026 at 7:06 AM

Cartoons are real. pic.twitter.com/iCfj9Qnxzm

— The Figen (@TheFigen_) February 11, 2026

New combat sport league where heavyweights just sprint full speed into each other pic.twitter.com/KhMfUYWlUn

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) February 7, 2026

My next interview will be with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Thankfully, I already have my Public Trust security clearance, which is valid through April 2029. The description, if you are interested, is after the jump.

Continue reading →

Surely, Christopher Nolan will include this in his version that comes out later this year.

Last week, someone from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission contacted me about a fully remote position. However, it would require an in-person interview in Austin, all on my dime. That interview is at 10 AM today.

When the interview was confirmed last week, I used my credit card reward points to book a hotel and a rental car. My Chevy Bolt has a range of about 210 miles on a full charge, under normal driving conditions. Austin is about 225 miles from my house. But highway driving drains the battery more, and you also have to account for elevation changes. There are Tesla Supercharger stations along the route, and with my adaptor, my Bolt can get an 80% charge in about 40 minutes. Many are available at Bucc’ees. Not wanting to stop or worry about range anxiety, I figured renting a car the week before would be the smart thing to do.

The closest car rental place for me was at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine. Getting to the car rental terminal inside is no easy task. When I finally made it to their front desk yesterday, the young dude behind the desk looked like he was going to be upset that I was about to bother him. I told him I was there to pick up my rental car, and he asked for my name or confirmation code. A few seconds later, he informs me that no vehicles are available to rent. Confused, I told him I made a reservation last week, so how can there not be a car waiting for me? He didn’t have an answer, but I asked whether he could check whether one is available at another location, and I’d drive there. That’s when he tells me there are no available vehicles in DFW to rent; they are all booked.

Bewildered, I asked to speak to a manager. His rot reply, “I’m the manager.” He didn’t seem happy that I requested a refund and was exasperated when I asked if I could have my parking validated.

When I got in my car, I tried to find another car rental company, but for some reason, no vehicles were available to rent. Odd, and I didn’t have the time to research why.

I’m not in a position to decline an interview. So, with just half a charge on the Chevy Bolt, I drove to Austin, making frequent stops at Tesla charging stations. And since the plans on pet sitting fell through, I took both DogGeedingII and OtherDogGeedingII. They love going with me on car rides, but there’s no telling what they were thinking about going on this journey.

However, the highlight of yesterday was taking BoyGeeding to an early orthodontist appointment to get his braces removed. I was grateful to be part of that moment.

I mentioned dogs. Well, this dog wandered into my house during the Super Bowl. He had no collar, but I took him to the 24-hour animal hospital to see if he was chipped. He was, and I took him to his owner.

I love Austin. I’ve always wanted to live here. Maybe one day, I’ll make it happen.

I also had the hardest time buying a new dress shirt. For some reason, while all my dress shirts still fit and I haven’t gained weight, I can’t close the collar button. I wonder if my neck has increased in size after my neck surgery. Anywho, I thought it would be easy-peasy to order a fitted men’s dress shirt online, especially off Amazon. Oddly, they don’t have an easy interface to select such things as arm length and neck size. Seems like that would be easy.

Okay, I admit I didn’t know “rock glue” was a thing until I saw it for sale on Woot yesterday.

If you are interested in the job description, I’ve included it after the jump.

Continue reading →