Book of D: The Perfect Friday Drive

The Perfect Friday Drive: #DepecheMode "Personal Jesus" / #FooFighters "Everlong / #Evanescence "Afterlife" / #Flex "Cupid" / #Hoozier "Too Sweet" / #FrenchMontana "Unforgettable

Book of D: Ode to Patrick Mahomes and Kermit the Frog

Because it's been long said that Patrick sounds a lot like Kermit. 🤭😁😉

Book of D: Biblicists are Like a Book Club

In my old age, I've come to realize that people who consider themselves as people (Esp Christians) who "know the bible," whether as students of the bible, theologians, biblicists, or whatever they want to call themselves, they are ordinary people who are mostly interested in insider debate. In other words, they get a kick out of sharing a literary experience with someone who has read the same book—and truly understands its nuances, context, and "canons." It's like belonging to a book club. The semblance of camaraderie born of bibliophilia creates a profound sense of connection and validation. In essence, people who master the bible and love to quote it and talk about it in depth are really no different than those of us who love science fiction. 

Book of D: For My Iranian Lur Friends

For Masoud Hosseinpour from the #TEEFTA YT Channel. Masoud and his equally, remarkably-talented brother, Darius, created this amazing song. I then created a video/animation for the song. I used my own personal cartoon style. A cartoon style that aggravatedly took me months to create, setting a code was a "for damn sure" protracted process. Masoud is Hassan's b-i-l; the same Hassan I wrote about several times on this blog. I stopped writing about him, and a lot of other topics for no good reason - other than just being lackadaisically lazy. If anything, I wish I'd kept writing about Hassan and Iran, especially during war time. Moreover, I wish I'd kept writing to denote the beautiful history and traditions of the Lur people of the Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province in Northern Iran where family, heritage, pride, peace, hard work, and power live, 24/7/365. Anyway, to the members of the three Iranian Lifestyle YouTube channels I admire: #TRISIranianLifestyle, #DARALIranianLifesttle, and #TEEFTAIranianLifestyle ... Thanks for the content and esp for making your viewers, like myself, a huge part of your family and friend"s circle.

Lawn Care Midland, Texas, Wilshire Park

 

Midland Lawn Fix Guide for Dora

307 Thornridge Dr, Wilshire Park • Midland, TX

Dog Deterrent Setup

Bermuda Repair

Home Depot List

1. Sprinkler Setup 2. Patch Repair 3. Shopping List

1. Motion Sprinkler Placement

Orbit Yard Enforcer setup for 307 Thornridge Dr - Wilshire Park

Orbit Yard Enforcer Setup

1

Placement: Position 6-10 ft from property line, 2-3 ft inside your fence/garden bed. Point sensor toward area where dogs enter. For Thornridge Dr corner lot: place near sidewalk facing street if dogs cut through front yard.

2

Height: Mount 12-18" above ground on included stake. Higher = wider detection but more prone to wind triggers.

3

Water Connection: Use standard garden hose. Turn faucet 1/4 to 1/2 open — full pressure not needed and causes overspray.

4

Sensitivity: Start on "Day & Night" mode, sensitivity dial at 5. Reduce if wind/cars trigger it. Midland wind will cause false triggers on high settings.

Arc & Range Adjustment

Spray Distance: Adjusts 0-35 ft. Set to 20-25 ft for typical front yard to avoid hitting street/sidewalk.

Spray Arc: Metal clips set left/right stops. For corner lot: set 90° arc to cover just your yard, not neighbor/street.

Sensor Range: Detects up to 40 ft. Test by walking perimeter — aim to trigger 5-8 ft before dog reaches pee spots.

Midland Wind Tips - Critical for Wilshire Park

• 1. Lower sensitivity: 15-25 mph winds are daily here. Set dial to 3-4 or use "Night Only" mode to reduce false triggers.
• 2. Stake securely: Midland caliche soil is hard — pre-soak hole or use mallet. Check after storms.
• 3. Face away from west: Prevailing winds from W/SW. Angle sensor N/NE to reduce wind-triggering.
• 4. Winter removal: Drain & store Nov-Mar. Midland freezes will crack the unit.

2. Bermuda Grass Patch Repair

Dog urine damage fix for Midland's alkaline soil (pH 7.8-8.4)

Why Midland Soil Needs Gypsum

Dog urine = high nitrogen + salts. Midland caliche soil = alkaline + clay + poor drainage. This combo creates dead yellow spots that won't recover. Gypsum breaks up clay and flushes salts without raising pH.

Step-by-Step Repair Process

1

Flush the Area - Day 1

Soak each dead spot with 2-3 gallons of water to dilute urine salts. Best done ASAP after spotting damage. For old spots, soak 10 min, let drain, repeat.

2

Remove Dead Grass

Rake out brown/dead Bermuda with metal rake. Scrape remaining dead spots with shovel 1/4" deep. Remove all debris — Bermuda spreads by runners and needs contact with soil.

3

Apply Gypsum - Critical for Midland Soil

Sprinkle gypsum at 40 lbs per 1,000 sq ft (or 4 lbs per 100 sq ft). For small patches: 1-2 cups per dead spot. Work into top 1-2" with rake. Water in thoroughly. This displaces sodium/salts from dog urine.

4

Add Compost/Topsoil Mix

Mix 50/50 compost + topsoil. Fill dead spots level with existing lawn. Midland native soil is too alkaline/clay-heavy — pure topsoil won't drain. Compost adds organic matter Bermudagrass loves.

5

Seed Application

Apply Scotts EZ Seed or Pennington Smart Patch per bag rate — about 1 lb per 100 sq ft of bare area. EZ Seed has mulch/tackifier built in. Rake lightly 1/8" deep. Don't bury seed.

6

Watering Schedule - Midland Heat

Weeks 1-2: 2-3x daily, 5-10 min. Keep seed moist but not puddling. Midland 95°F+ dries fast.

Weeks 3-4: 1x daily, 15-20 min. Morning best before wind picks up.

After 30 days: Deep soak 2x/week to match existing Bermuda. Total 1" water/week.

7

First Mow & Maintenance

Wait until new Bermuda is 3" tall (about 3-4 weeks). Mow high at 2-2.5" first cut. Apply milorganite or low-nitrogen fertilizer after 6 weeks. Keep dogs off 30 days minimum.

Midland Timing Tips

• Best seeding window: April 15 - June 15, or Sept 1-30. Avoid July-August heat unless you water 3x/day.
• Soil temp: Bermuda needs 65°F+ soil. Use meat thermometer — Midland hits this mid-April.
• Don't use lime: Midland soil is already alkaline pH 7.8-8.4. Lime makes it worse. Use gypsum only.

3. Complete Home Depot Shopping List

Midland Home Depot: 4519 W Loop 250 N • Click items to check off

Orbit Yard Enforcer Motion Sprinkler ~$50.00

24-hour battery motion detector + sprinkler. SKU: 1000437917. Lawn & Garden Dept.

Scotts EZ Seed Patch & Repair Bermudagrass $38.97

10 lb bag - Covers 225 sq ft. Seed + mulch + fertilizer combo. SKU: 1005083782.

Pennington Smart Patch Bermudagrass Mix $32.97

10 lb bag - Covers 325 sq ft. Alternative to Scotts. Has tackifier for Midland wind. SKU: 1006658347.

Gypsum Soil Conditioner ~$10.00

40 lb bag. Look for "Soil Buster" or "Fast Acting Gypsum". Breaks up clay, flushes salts. SKU: 100167833.

Compost & Manure Blend $4.00 ea

1 cu ft bags - Buy 2-3 bags. Earthgro or equivalent. Mixes with topsoil 50/50. SKU: 100338792.

Premium Topsoil $4.00 ea

1 cu ft bags - Buy 2-3 bags. Scotts or Vigoro. Mix with compost for patches. SKU: 100325503.

Metal Bow Rake $15-25

Optional if you don't have one. Needed to prep patches and remove dead grass.

Estimated Total: $147.94 - $157.94

Base total with one seed type + gypsum + 4 soil bags. Add ~$40 if buying both seed types or need rake.

Customized for 307 Thornridge Dr, Wilshire Park, Midland TX 79705

USDA Zone 8a • Alkaline caliche soil • Avg 14" annual rainfall

Last updated: October 2025 • Print this page for reference

Deez Magnum Opus: Good Luck, Babe (Digitally Remastered)

Deez Magnum Opus: Good Luck, Babe

Book of D: The Love of My Life

Sara and I were not yet dating when this picture was taken, but there was a lot of mutual admiration and respect between us. 

We got each other's sense of humor and love of history, reading, politics, family, and love of love. Respectively, we had each been through heartbreaking relationships. Sara's was more complicated and hurtful than mine. I was in a relationship with someone else when this picture was taken, but the relationship just prior had been such a cacophony of confusion plagued by years of painful reflection and resolution. All I know is that the more time I spent with Sara, the more I wanted to be with her, just to talk and find other things we had in common. It was uncanny how vast our similarities were. Moreover, our  differences made our mutual attraction more sublime. It didn't take long, after Sara and I formed our friendship, to realize that we were each other's answer to the great love we each thought would surely allude us in our lifetime. When I supported her trials at different relationships with others, before our mutual attraction sparked, it came with great care and caution; awareness for her, her beautiful heart, and willingness to risk too much to find her great love. I wasn't jealous, I was just vigilant. I supported Sara's decisions to take chances at meeting others. One time, I even helped Sara pay for a trip to Chicago and loaned her my luggage (lol), so she could meet the person she had been communicating with online. Those pesky little chatroooms back in the day. Haha. I never partook in chat rooms or dating sites myself. Upon meeting Sara, I was with someone (Ronnie) whom had captured my heart, or so I thought. It was more of a physical attraction and probably a rebound relationship. A few months after my chance encounter with Sara, through a mutual friend of ours, I knew the relationship I had with Ronnie was superficial and not going to go further than the stale association it had become. When I started noticing my Sara in a different light other than a friend, my heart woke up and that was pretty much it for me. I made the first move on an evening that found us alone, chitchatting about trivial things. We were both tired. We had each worked earlier that day. I was a team lead at Target, Sara was employed at Mervyns. We had gone to work extremely early. She usually clocked in around 5 am, while I started at 7 am. I'd drive her to work then drive myself to Target. I didn't mind arriving earlier than my shift began because it allowed me time to reflect and plan for the day. I picked Sara up from Mervyns later that day as soon as my shift ended. I don't remember what we did before going home that fateful day. All I remember is being at the townhouse we shared with Ronnie. Ronnie was out galavanting with newfound friends of hers that I couldn't stand. Sara and I were drinking Miller Genuine Draft and snacking on our usual Doritos chips. At one point, I sat on the papasan chair that had traveled with me from San Antonio and had supported me (pardon the pun) through the other failed and grueling relationship, and Sara laid down on the floor. We were both in front of the fireplace and just talking and laughing, but we were getting tired as the night rolled by so passively and gently. We were talking about relationships when I went to the kitchen to get more beer. I had to step over Sara to get to the kitchen. When I returned to get resituated on the papasan, Sara, still laying down on the floor, turned herself over so that her belly was now touching the floor and her upper body was propped up by her elbows so she could see me as we talked. By chance, I looked down at her, and the light of the ambers cast such light on her, and it literally took my breath away. Her shirt was unbuttoned just enough that I saw her breasts. She had a tendency to lay down in this manner, and this night was not the first time that I had caught a glimpse of her breasts, but this was definitely the first time I really and truly noticed them. This was the first time I saw Sara in a different manner. My palms got sweaty, my heart skipped the ole proverbial beat, had I been standing, my knees would have certainly betrayed me and shed light to the sudden attraction I was fighting off for Sara. I got up again on the pretense of grabbing another bottle of spirits, but this time, on my way back, I stopped at Sara's feet, and she rolled over onto her back to look up at me. That's when I took my shot. I knelt down, my knees cradled her waist, I took her arms with my sweaty, nervous hands and placed them high above her head. I gently kissed her neck, and told her she had been looking for something that's been there this whole time. I then got up and sat back down on my friend, papasan. Sara sat up and questioned my actions. I don't remember verbatim what she asked because I was too busy imagining myself tearing her shirt open so that I could see and caress her beautiful breasts. Till this day, I love her breasts and it doesn't take much to rial me up whenever I see them. But, on that night, I wanted to kiss her breasts and to know the very essence of her sexuality. Something told me she was a sensuous lover, but I wouldn't find out that night. It would take a while for the friendship zone to open wide open for us to become lovers, but on that fateful night, I mentally made love to my voluptuous, beautiful Sara. My heart ached as did my own sexual essence; it all beat a million miles a minute, and I worried that my interest would soak through and exude on my friend, papasan, all my passion and sexual sweat. I wanted so much to just rip off her clothes, to touch her everywhere, to place my lips over her entire body, to caress her every being especially her special spot of decadent pleasure. I wanted to see her in agonizing rapture and to feel and taste her sexual ache. I wanted to kiss and taste her down there and to make her feel endless pleasure unlike she had ever known. I wanted her to be mine and mine alone. I wanted to make love to her until she screamed for me to stop so that I could continue to please her with more passion and deeper thrust. I didn't just want her to be mine, I wanted her special place to be mine. I wanted to feel it dripping wet while she yelled out my name and confirmed that she was mine; that her wet, throbbing sex spot was mine and mine alone.

Book of D: The Two Most Important People in My Life

This picture was taken around Christmas Eve, 1997.  Pictured are my current spouse, Sara, and my niece, Alex, who was a mere three years old.