Click here to see video of Brian Curtis trying on the LZR Racer swimsuit.
This is the same suit Michael Phelps and other Olympic swimmers wear in competition.
August 12, 2008
I’m In Beijing
There’s a reason you won’t find anything new on my blog… I’m in Beijing covering the Olympics.
You can keep up with me through my Photo Diary.
Check it out here: Brian Curtis: A Photo Diary
I’ll be back to blogging when I return from the Olympics!
July 17, 2008
It’s Coming Right Along…
Insert kitchen here.
Some of you have asked about the kitchen renovation.
Well, as you can see, it’s “coming right along.” (At least, that’s what I keep telling myself.) I took this picture this morning.
Six weeks into the project and it’s still a gaping hole in the house. Only now it’s a hole without a floor. Those guys are standing on bare earth.
Thinking about renovating?
Here’s a suggestion: Do your patriotic duty and help us out of the economic slump.
Go buy a new house.
July 16, 2008
The Cats Are Winning
By now you’ve probably concluded that the Factory is closed. I can’t blame you.
In the not-too-distant past, I blogged about how getting ready to cover the Olympics is like herding cats. The cats are winning.
All this week we’ve been chasing after the Luis Yanez story. He’s the Duncanville boxer who’s now been reinstated to the U.S. Olympic team.
As I write this, Randy McIlwain is at DFW Airport, taking part in a media scrum trying to catch Luis as he boards the plane to Colorado Springs.
You’ve seen Randy. He’s a big dude. We coudn’t have anyone better jockeying for position. Tune in tonight to see what he gets.
I need to run. I think I just saw another cat run under my desk.
July 9, 2008
Stop the Parade!
Block Island firefighters scramble.
One of the highlights of spending the Fourth of July on Block Island is the parade. The Tournament of Roses this is not. The Tournament of Beach Roses perhaps…
Oh, there are the requisite flags and marching bands. But the parade is renowned from one end of Rhode Island to the other for things like:
Girls in bikinis dancing in the back of a truck.
Cardboard floats.
Rock bands on flatbed trailers.
Cars.
Kids.
Dogs.
Whatever…
It’s an anything-goes display of genuine patriotism.
So there we were perched in our usual spot on the hill next to the fire station (that’s my uncle in the red hat). The fire trucks were parked in the field across the street so the space in the garage could be used as a seating area for the steak fry that follows the parade.
Suddenly, a guy comes running through the crowd yelling for everyone to get out of the way. He literally jumped over my nephew.
At first, we all thought it was part of some wacky parade stunt — or maybe someone who’d had beer for breakfast.
Then we realized it was an actual fire call.
The parade stopped in its tracks. The bands fell silent, giving way to sirens. The trucks raced off towards town. But then, as they say, the show must go on. So it did.
I heard the incident was minor. (Being on vacation, I didn’t feel compelled to dig for the rest of the story.)
Hats off to the Block Island Volunteer Fire Department. Sorry you missed the parade. It was a good one — and especially memorable thanks to your quick action.
Next year, you deserve to sit on the hill.
July 7, 2008
Rocking the Boat
Bow damage to M.V. Block Island
So I was on vacation for a few days last week, and I was hoping to escape anything having to do with the news…
No such luck.
I arrived at the ferry landing at Pt. Judith, Rhode Island (en route to Block Island) only to find a fleet of TV live trucks. Ever the journalist, I asked the woman at the ticket window what was happening. She replied: “I’m not allowed to say anything.”
Translation: This is big.
Turns out one of the ferries that plies the 12-mile run had collided in the fog with another vessel — which happened to be a Coast Guard cutter!
Thankfully, no one had to swim for it. Especially since the water is still a little nippy up there. (Actually, a little nippy is as good as it gets. A lot nippy is the norm.)
The M.V. Block Island was able to make port just fine. But as you can see, she has a pretty good ding above the waterline.
Certainly, I thought, I wouldn’t encounter any other excitement during my 3-day stay. Oh, yeah? Come back to the Factory tomorrow.
My next brush with news was even better.
June 30, 2008
A Shocking Phone Call
Earlier this afternoon I received a shocking phone call. It was from a confidante of Luis Yanez, our Olympic boxer from Duncanville.
It appears that Luis has been kicked off the team.
Luis apparently missed a deadline to rejoin his teammates, who are now training in Argentina. As a result, he has been removed from the team that will represent the U.S. in Beijing.
We’ll see what boxing’s governing body has to say in the coming days.
There are certainly plenty of questions left to be answered. My first question is: What exactly did Luis do that was so egregious that justifies his removal from the Olympic team? I need more…
The Olympics are always full of strange twists and turns. Some are exhilerating. Some are heartbreaking. This is one of the latter.
It might not be over for Luis. Tonight he told us he thinks there’s still a possibility that he could be re-instated. More twists and turns guaranteed to come.
We’ll follow ‘em and keep you posted.
June 27, 2008
Window Into My World
First, an apology.
Sorry the sausage has been a bit sporadic lately. It’s all the cat herding (see earlier post).
It’s been awhile since I updated you on the kitchen renovation. That’s because the whole thing’s been on hold for various reasons. Mostly travel.
But today was window removal/installation day.
I’m glad I was there when the guys got to work. I was in the front of the house when the pounding started. Something in my gut told me I’d better go take a peek. Always listen to your gut.
They were getting ready to remove the windows — in the wrong room!
Once I got the guys back in the kitchen, I headed to the station. As I pulled away, there was a giant hole in the side of the house.
I’m writing this at my desk, so I haven’t seen the end result. Wish me luck! I’ll let you know what happens on Monday.
Have a great weekend.
June 25, 2008
Catching Up With Carly
I had a chance to catch up with Carly Patterson last night. You remember Carly… our golden girl from the Athens Olympics.
Carly is a singer now, so we went to the Absolute Rehearsal Studios in Dallas to listen to her practice with her band.
I’ll be honest. I had no idea what to expect. And I’ll be honest about this: Carly is good. Really. I promise I’d tell you otherwise.
My photographer and I agreed that Carly definitely has a second act. She has a talented new band, catchy songs, and perhaps most important… new people around her to help her get noticed in a very tough biz.
Carly has also been accepted into a Disney “incubator” program that will help develop her talent and promote her music. Disney doesn’t take just anyone.
She has an event coming up in Houston:
http://www.houstontx.gov/specialevents/cfot/kidszone.html
And as we get closer to the Beijing Olympics, we’ll be sharing Carly’s story. In the meantime, if you want to see what she’s up to, check out her website:
June 24, 2008
Herding Olympic Cats
44 days until Beijing, and I’m going for the gold in cat herding.
You see, before I head to China, I’m putting together stories on our local athletes. But that’s a lot harder than it might seem.
Athletes might be from here, but that doesn’t mean they live or train here.
If they do, they’re busy. This is the most intense training period of their lives.
Then there are the other characters in the story. Parents, coaches, husbands, wives… They have lives, too.
Some teams have yet to be selected. When they are, there won’t be much time left before we all get on the plane.
Multiply all this by the number of North Texas athletes (it could be in the double digits) and you see why I’m feeling like a world-class cat herder.
Here kitty, kitty… Get ready for your closeup!
