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What is Wrong With Texas Tech Red Raiders Basketball? Nothing

2012-01-28T20:25:00.004-06:00

The Texas Tech Red Raiders basketball team is suffering through a horrible Big 12 season. They are currently in last place with no wins and little hope of getting much better anytime soon. This is Billy Gillispie's first season at the helm of the Red Raiders' program. Was it a mistake hiring him?Did he make a mistake coming to Lubbock? My answer is a resounding NO!

Last year was supposed to be Tech's best season in a long while as a senior laden team led by Pat Knight had high expectations but came out flat. The decision was made to fire Knight and bring in Gillispie. The fan base was fired up and everybody started talking about Tech becoming a force to reckon with in the Big 12. So, what happened?

Nothing happened. Gillispie was given the daunting task of building a team from nothing and then play in one of the toughest basketball conferences in the nation. I, for one, think that he is doing about as well as can be expected given the fact that his team had very little experience coming into the year.

I watched the Red Raiders play at the nation's number 2 rated Missouri Tigers arena today and was somewhat impressed. The talent gene pool between Texas Tech and Missouri was very much in Missouri's favor. I am doubtful Tech could beat Missouri 1 out of 10 times if they played their best game and Missouri played poorly, but Tech played the game exactly the way they had to in order to have any chance of winning the game, which they lost 63-50.

The effort by the young players and following the only game plan that could be used was evident and that shows that the Tech program is on schedule to do exactly what Gillispie was hired to do and that is win and eventually get back to the NCAA Tournament. Gillispie turned the UTEP and Texas A&M basketball programs from pitiful to NCAA tourney teams. Gillispie was only 6-24 during his first year at UTEP and went 24-8 the very next year. Can he do the same turnaround here at Tech? I think he can.

Texas Tech is a young team and they will get better. Gillispie is known to be a master recruiter. We will see that in action once the first season of his Red Raider leadership ends. I think that better days are ahead and I, for one, am very excited.

Chipotle Lubbock's Big Game Deal - Feb. 5th

2012-01-27T20:21:00.002-06:00

The “Big Game” is 11 days away and unless fans spent an arm and a leg on a ticket, chances are they’re probably watching at home. For those hosting watching parties, Chipotle Mexican Grill’s “Party In a Box” ordering option makes it even easier (not to mention affordable) to invite friends over for the big event. Here’s the deal in a nutshell:

Anyone who asks for Chipotle's Burritos by the Box ordering option and places an order of 6 or more burritos for Feb. 5 will get 1/2 their order for free. That's half price for gourmet, sustainable ingredients like naturally raised meats, locally-sourced produce and rBGH-free cheese and sour cream. (Click on photo and go to bottom for details)

Dentistry From the Heart is Coming to Lubbock Once Again on January 21, 2012 at Abbeville Dentistry

2011-12-25T15:20:00.007-06:00

Dentistry From the Heart provided free dental care last January to a great many people who would, otherwise, be unable to pay for it. It is going to do it again on January 21, 2012. Abbeville Dentistry, at 5255 79th Street, just across the street from Irons Middle School, will once again provide free dentistry for Lubbock. The dentistry will be either an extraction or a filling and patients are served on a first come first served basis. People line up early so plan on arriving around 7:00 AM to ensure getting treatment. Make sure to dress appropriately as the weather could be cold. Bring a chair, blankets, water, snacks as you will be waiting outside until you are seen.

Dr. Britt Bostick and other volunteers provide this service for the first 100 patients who come to the event. You must be 18+ years of age too.

You can find out more information by going to AbbevilleDentistry.Com or calling 806-794-7171.

The Roof in Lubbock on Raider Park

2011-12-14T21:18:00.006-06:00

I got an email the other day from a business in Lubbock that I did not know existed. It is called The Roof and it is a local bar that is on top of Raider Park parking garage which is across the highway from Jones AT&T Stadium, Texas Tech Red Raider's football stadium.

They are reopening December 17th with an new enclosure that has cozy heaters and plenty of drink specials. They will also be celebrating New Year's Eve on the Roof and are even available for holiday parties.

The Roof has a nice looking website. You can find it here or you can check out their Facebook page here.

Finally, The Roof is hosting a "Tacky Christmas Sweater Contest" this week on their Facebook page and really want readers to participate. In fact, the winner will receive a $50 Visa gift card. View the Tacky Sweater Tab on their Facebook page for more details.

This is a really cool looking place. I love the view from up there. Go check them out if you have a chance.

Texas Tech Fires Assistant Football Coaches

2011-12-12T23:30:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech changes up its coaching staff - Big 12 Blog - ESPN

Latest Update on the Texas Tech Baseball Stadium Renovation

2011-12-04T22:18:00.004-06:00

A few out of towners have emailed me asking me to give updates on the Texas Tech Baseball Stadium renovation. Here is a couple of photos I took just about a week ago. The metal work is going up and what looks like the elevator is about halfway up.

This huge renovation is apparently been paid for mostly by an anonymous person who we will find out who it is when the stadium opens this spring.

Texas Tech football hit hard times this year and the basketball team is very young and improving but this could be a very good year for the baseball team. People who follow

the baseball team know that this could be the turnaround year that we have all been waiting for. What will make it even better is that we now have a stadium that stands out among the best of the Big 12.

I will continue to post photos of the renovation as it continues. Check back.

Texas Tech Football - Is It Tuberville's Fault?

2011-11-27T09:03:00.002-06:00

Texas Tech was rated 19th in the nation after beating Oklahoma. They never won another game after that. What happened? Why the meltdown? Was it the result of bad coaching? Was it injuries? Was it just a fluke that Tech beat Oklahoma anyway? Was it youth? I think the answer is probably a combination of a few, but not all, of these factors.

The Red Raiders were definitely a young team. It was noted by Tuberville after the victory over the Sooners that he had all under classmen playing defense that day. Young teams make mistakes and can go into a spiral will things go bad, as they did from the Iowa State game forward.

It was noted during the Baylor game that Texas Tech had as many as 18 injuries that had impacted the team. That would have an adverse effect on any team, but a young team with a lack of depth will just magnify the losses. One important note to make here is that injuries are more common among teams that are bad than in teams that are contending. That could be the result of a lack of strength and conditioning or because players on teams that have little to play for let up and that is when injuries can occur.

Many people who loved Mike Leach claim that Coach Tuberville is the cause of this season gone bad. Leach never had a season like this. Nobody was as upset as I was when Kent Hance and his henchmen robbed Leach of his job, but I really must disagree with those who say this season never would have happened to Leach. Sure, Leach was head and shoulders a better offensive coach than anyone on this staff will ever dream of being, but Leach could neverbrag of bringing the recruiting class that Tuberville and his staff brought in last year. Only time will tell just how good this young crop of players will be.

That is precisely the reason that Texas Tech fans need to calm down and let this current staff prepare for a better season next year. If we see the same results next year, a change could be in order, but a change after only two years would be foolish.

We will see better days. Guns Up Red Raiders!

Chipotle Mexican Grill of Lubbock Has The best Black Friday Deal I Have Seen

2011-11-21T23:36:00.001-06:00

There are a lot of great Black Friday deals to be had out there, but I have to say that this one is the tastiest one I have seen. Check it out. You can order a box of burritos of 10 more and get half of your order for free on Black Friday. That's a good deal if you have a lot of people to feed, or even if you like to eat and freeze a bunch of burritos.

Here is the flyer that tells about this great deal. By the way, I am not compensated in any way for this post. The communications manager for Chipotle Mexican Grill knows that this blog gets a lot of traffic from people looking for a good place to eat and she sends me updates often. I would do the same for any Lubbock business but not many take me up on the offer. It is free so what do you business owners have to lose?

Santa Land of Lubbock is Being Built

2011-11-17T12:04:00.000-06:00

Santa Land, in Mackenzie Park of Lubbock, is being constructed so that a new generation of kids will be able to enjoy all it offers. Santa Land is a magical place where kids can meet Santa Claus and his wonderful wife, Mrs. Claus. There is a 60 foot tree in the middle of Santa's Village surrounded by lots of animated displays and Christmas favorite caricatures for the kids to enjoy. You can grab a nice cup of hot coffee or other concessions.

Come early if you want your picture with Santa because the line is long and it moves slow. You can take your own picture or they will make one for you for a small price. There is entertainment almost every night.

The date of opening has not been announced at the time of this post but it will be posted here as soon as I find out the date. Usually, the village opens around the 10th of December and stays open for 14 days. It is a great place to visit on the really cold days as huge bonfires are burned in the middle of the village. Don't worry though. It is safe and well protected.

Golden Chick is Now Open in Lubbock

2011-11-17T11:46:00.000-06:00

Golden Chick of Lubbock

Golden Chick opened this week in Lubbock. It is right next door to Chipotle Mexican Grill on Glenna Goodacre Avenue just east of Texas Tech University. Here is a link to the Golden Chick menu. It looks really delicious and I cannot wait to go give them a try.

Golden Chick was opened in 1982 in Central Texas but became Golden Chick in 1993. Today, there are over 100 restaurants mostly in Texas and Oklahoma.

If any of you have a chance to try it out before I do, please leave me a comment and tell me what you think.

The Billy Gillispie Era Is About to Begin - YES!

2011-11-02T19:00:00.001-05:00

The time is finally here. Basketball season officially begins on Friday, November 11th at home against Troy but first we can all go out and catch the Red Raiders in a couple of exhibition games and the best part is that the games are free. Yes, free! Way to go Texas Tech. Nice move and a great way to generate enthusiasm for the new basketball season. The first free exhibition game is Thursday, November 3rd against Southwest Oklahoma at 7 PM and the next one is against Our Lady of the Lakes on Saturday at a time to be determined later.

I hope fans don't go into the year with unrealistic expectations. Last year's team finished with a 13-19 record and only returns 3 lettermen from that team, Robert Lewandowski, Javarez Willis, and Jaye Crockett. Gillispie has brought in 13 new recruits and 12 of them are first year freshmen. It could be a tough year but the future looks really bright. Gillispie has a proven track record and I believe that he is the man to take the Red Raider program to the next level.

Good luck Coach Gillispie and the whole team. Guns Up!

Tommy Tuberville Mania

2011-10-24T21:08:00.001-05:00

Prior to Texas Tech's monstrous win over Oklahoma last weekend, there were rumblings from some of Tech's fans that maybe Tommy Tuberville was not the man to take the Red Raiders to the next level. I thought those people were being a little hasty in that judgement. Sure, Tech had lost back to back games to ranked teams at home and they had chances to win both of them. In fact, they just plain out shot themselves in the foot against Kansas State, giving up special teams touchdowns and an interception returned for a touchdown.

I do not think that the majority of the people who were grumbling about Tuberville and his staff completely understood the rebuilding of the program that was going on. This team is very young. They did not even take a senior to Oklahoma to play defense. That means that this entire defense will be back next year, so they will get better. There really was no reason to jump the gun and get rid of a coach who has only been here for 1 1/2 years when they had recruited the best class in the history of the school.

Now, Texas Tech beats the number 1, or 3, team depending on the poll you believe in and people suddenly have Tommy Tuberville mania. I was listening to talk radio on my way to work this morning and the host was saying that Texas Tech's administration should give Tuberville a long term contract and make sure to pay him enough to keep him here. He couldn't even finish reading an email he received from one listener who said that Tuberville is the man to take us to the top of the most elite teams. He choked up as he praised the staff.

I am going to say the same thing about this sudden and effusive praise and the suggestion that the administration should throw open their checkbooks to keep Tuberville from bolting to a top echelon team. I think it is too early to jump the gun. Let's all stay calm and see how things turn out the rest of the year and next year before we make a mistake by acting to hastily.

Here is why I feel this way. Sure, the Red Raiders beat Oklahoma in Norman and that has not been done since 2005, but was the victory more because Tech has improved that much or was it because Oklahoma was completely unprepared and unenthused to play this game? I really believe that Oklahoma thought all they had to do was show up and win and it caught them off guard when Texas Tech showed that they could play with them.

Tech had a 31-7 lead in the 3rd quarter and Oklahoma still seemed to be lethargic. I think Oklahoma did start playing up to their potential but it was a bit late. They outscored Tech 31-10 the rest of the way and almost came back from a 17 point deficit with about 4 minutes left in the game. Anybody who thinks that Tech could beat them even one more time if they played them five more times is kidding themselves.

Let's wait and see how the Red Raiders play against Oklahoma State, Missouri, Baylor, Texas, and Iowa State. I say if this young team can beat three of those five teams then we should be thinking about opening up the checkbook to keep Tuberville. Win four or five of them and watch out, Tech will be the team to beat in the Big 12 next year.

I do think Texas Tech will be a top Big 12 team next year but will they be able to compete with Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and new foe TCU year after year? If we can, we have a top tier team and Tuberville will probably leave anyway. The good thing is that if he does leave, he will have left a program that will get the attention of a top level coach.

One win can propel a team to greatness. Let's wait and see if it does. What if we throw huge money at Tuberville and then finish the season with losses to four of the next five teams? We would all be wishing we had waited until next year when this young team is expected to compete with the big boys.

Do you agree? Disagree? Let me know.

Red Raiders Rated 19th in AP Poll - Guns Up!

2011-10-23T19:20:00.000-05:00

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have been rated #19 in the AP poll after its major 41-38 upset of the Oklahoma Sooners. The Red Raiders were reeling after consecutive home losses to Texas A&M and Kansas State. In order to avoid losing 3 in a row for the first time since 1998 they needed to beat a team that had not lost a home game since 2005. No problem. Tech's upset victory puts them in the poll for the first time this year but more importantly it gives credence to Tommy Tuberville's statement that this young team has exceptional potential. It looks like the future is bright for Texas Tech football. Guns up!

Is Joyland Closed for the Year and When Does it Open Again

2011-10-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

Many people have been wondering when Joyland closes and, if it is closed, when will it open again. The picture tells it all. Joyland's last day of business for 2011 was October 2nd and it will open again in May 2012. When they post the actual opening day, I will run a special post announcing it.

Update - Texas Tech Business College and Baseball Stadium

2011-10-04T22:40:00.000-05:00

A few Tech Alumni may be wondering about the progress of the huge business building and the baseball stadium. Here are 2 pictures I took yesterday while riding my bicycle through the campus. The two locations sit right next to each other. It looks like the business building is all but finished but the baseball stadium is just barely starting. As you can see, the first of the metal work is going up on the first base side of the stadium over the ramp that takes you up to the bleachers. I will continue to post updates as more progress is made.

Texas Tech in Top 25 of Most Attractive Females on College Campuses

2011-09-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

I heard that Texas tech made a list of the top 25 of Most Attractive Females on College Campuses. That really surprises no one in Lubbock. The girls on campus are very nice looking and they do a great job of showing it too. The reason for this post is not to talk about Tech's girls. It is to take that list one step farther.

I believe that the females of Lubbock, Texas are probably among the most attractive in all of the United States. It does not matter if they are girls or 30+ and older. Lubbock women are attractive. Maybe it is the fresh air and nice weather we have that makes females across the city so nice looking or maybe it is the dust storms that keep their skin so smooth by sand blasting them.

It always amazes me how beautiful the women in Lubbock are and, of course, I feel that my wife is among the most attractive. So, kudos to the people who made the list. They got it right, but those attractive college coeds had to come from a genetic pool of attractive women and so many of their mom's are just plain gorgeous.

Chipotle Mexican Grill Gives Free Food to Texas Tech Students

2011-08-29T23:36:00.000-05:00

I received an email from the communications director for Chipotle Mexican Grill today asking if I would make the following announcement. Here it is: Enjoy:

On August 30 and 31, 2011, Chipotle Mexican Grill (both Lubbock locations) will welcome all Texas Tech students back to school with a FREE food offer. Starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow (August 30), students who bring their fall textbook receipts for $200 or more to Chipotle will receive a burrito, order of tacos, salad or burrito bowl for FREE. Absolutely no strings attached.

Old Books Gather Dust - You Can Make a Difference by Getting Rid of Them - Plus a Theater for the Disabled in Lubbock

2011-08-16T22:29:00.002-05:00

Nic and I practiced wearing our suits
in preparing for Brandon's wedding.
Brandon is Nic's older brother.

I hope you will take the time to read this post. It is the most important post I have ever written because it is about my son's future. My son, Nicholas, is 14 years old. He has Down syndrome and Autism. To say that he is a special kid is a huge understatement. Nicholas has always been in special classes and the achievement gap between him and his non-disabled peers is pretty large. The gap is not there because of his school programs. It is because his developmental delays will always be pretty significant. In fact, the LISD programs he is enrolled in have done a great job with him but once he leaves school, his future will be uncertain.

Nicholas has some really strong qualities that will carry him pretty far in life. I can tell that Nicholas wants to be a productive member of society. He loves to clean and he especially loves to organize. It is even better when he realizes that he has pleased someone.

For most people like Nic, they graduate from school and will either stay at home and do very little or they enter into a state supported day habilitation program. I have observed many of these programs and I know that, if Nic enters one of these programs, he will sit at a table with dozens of others and tear, or shred, paper. Many of the people who enter those programs lose their wonderful spirit. It is no different than when you find a job that is unfulfilling and demeaning and you find your spirit being crushed. The difference is that most of these people do not have enough personal ownership to do anything about it. When I observed these people in some of the day hab programs, I was heartbroken.

Where am I going with this? I want to do something about it. I have a plan but I cannot do it alone. I need the help of the people of Lubbock. I hope you will continue to read because I think you will like what I am proposing. Here is what I am doing and what I hope happens as a result. It will start with Nicholas but it will grow to others and will give them a chance to have their spirits restored.

Because Nic is so good at cleaning and organizing, I am in the process of gathering books of all kinds and, when I get 15,000 to 20,000 of them, I plan on opening a used bookstore. I am going to call it Nic's Book Emporium. It will be a trade-in and buy bookstore. Nic will thrive in this store and as it grows, other people with developmental delays will be offered a chance to come work in it too. I have already been approached by a couple of teachers who said they would love to include their vocational students in a setting like this so that they could gain useful experience. I envision putting on puppet shows for kids and having theme days that will include people with disabilities performing or participating. We could have special book club meetings for people with disabilities, or even better, one for both non-disabled and disabled to share. There is so much that can be done to promote the spirit of inclusion in Nic's Book Emporium.

As you can imagine, gathering 20,000 books is quite costly. Additionally, I will have to obtain a retail site which will result in a monthly rent. I do think the store will be able to self sustain, but the gathering of that many books is where I am having the problem.

Before I go much farther into this, let me tell you what the additional plans are. Once the bookstore is able to become a self sustaining enterprise, I would like to begin the final piece of the plan. I have always dreamed of having a theater for people with disabilities. That is why I mentioned the puppet shows at the bookstore. Disabled people are seldom offered a chance to perform but this is an area where they can excel. Can you imagine how important people with disabilities will feel by participating in a community theater that promotes their inclusion? I can envision Texas Tech students, who are studying the theater arts, working with this group to produce and direct plays that place disabled and non-disabled people together. The opportunities to work on stage and back stage are numerous and hundreds of people with disabilities could have their world's open up in ways they never dreamed of.

The bookstore will be the driving force behind creating the revenue for the theater. It will be no different than a thrift store that generates revenue for the blind. Of course, we could charge a nominal admission fee and even could have a concession area to help generate more revenue. Yes, this is a huge undertaking and it will take a few years to make it come true. I hope some of you will be able to help, whether it be in a small way or in a really big way. One of the very first ways that this plan could use is the donation of books. If you have some old books laying around gathering dust, I would love to come by and haul them away for you.

I currently have over 1,000 books but need many more. I buy lots of books and go to garage sales and buy some rather cheaply. Every once in a while, I find a book that has some real value online and I sell it. Here is Nic's Book Emporium's storefront online. That profit makes it possible to buy more. Even before opening a real bookstore, I plan on taking many of the books I gather to flea markets and selling them there. I do whatever I can to bring all of this to reality.

I am currently a teacher and am in my 31st year. I doubt I will last much longer in that position and the timing will be perfect to run the bookstore and create the theater when I retire. I cannot imagine doing anything better in life than helping to make Nicholas' and other disabled people's lives more productive. Remember, disability does not mean inability. Please email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com or call me at 241-9973. I may not answer my phone if I am in class but I will get back to you. One of the best ways of communicating with me is to text me at the number.

I hope you will promote this post and get it out to as many eyes as possible. You never know when someone will have a huge number of books, a retail site that is empty, are able to help put together a non-profit organization for us, or any number of other ways to help. I hope to hear from you soon.

Texas Tech Baseball Stadium Renovation Has Begun

2011-08-06T22:59:00.007-05:00

The $5 million renovation to the Texas Tech baseball stadium has begun as evidenced in this picture that was taken on August 5, 2011. An anonymous donor has given the huge amount of money and will apparently no longer be anonymous when finished as the stadium will be named after the donor. This renovation will bring the Tech baseball stadium up to par with other Big 12 teams and may make it possible for them to host a regional tournament. That would be really cool.

The bottom photo is a representation of what the new stadium is going to look like according to the sign placed by the construction site.

Texas Tech Baseball Stadium Renovation

Slide Road Construction Begins

2011-08-02T11:31:00.002-05:00

Slide Road, from the South Loop to 98th, begins Tuesday and will continue for about 3 weeks. Let's hope it is all completed by the time school starts, which just happens to be in 3 weeks. Any bets on them finishing after school starts?

Slide Road construction begins Tuesday

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Dixie Dog in Wolfforth is Really Good

2011-07-29T07:15:00.002-05:00

I saw that KCBD ran a story about the Dixie Dog in Wolfforth and how it is now run by a second generation owner. The piece talked about the great burgers and chili fries but I feel that I must mention that Dixie Dog also makes one of the very best steak sandwiches you will ever eat. If you like old fashioned burgers and more, you really need to give Dixie Dog a try.

A tasty side of Wolfforth: Dixie Dogs

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Golden Chick Building is Coming Along in Lubbock

2011-07-22T00:26:00.000-05:00

Golden Chick is building a new restaurant in Lubbock very near the Texas Tech campus. It is going up right next door to Chipotle on the corner of Glenna Goodacre and Avenue X. You can see by the picture taken just a couple of days ago that it is very near Raising Canes, another chicken establishment.

Golden Chick started out in the 1960's as Golden Fried Chicken but evolved into Golden Chick by the 1990's. They claim to have the very best chicken tenders available because they use the whole chicken tenderloin.

Let's hope that Golden Chick is another success story in Lubbock. Here is a link to their menu.

Couple Who Feed the Homeless Are Told to Stop

2011-07-18T23:20:00.001-05:00

This story really bothers me. The city needs to work with this couple so they can continue to feed the homeless every Monday just as they have done for the past many months. Come on Lubbock. You can fix this. Don't be so hard and heartless on the homeless.

Lubbock permit rule stops couple's effort to feed homeless

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Sun Harvest is Now Sprouts

2011-07-18T22:56:00.001-05:00

Sun Harvest just got a new name and is under new ownership. The Lubbock Sun Harvest is the first store in Texas to become a Sprouts. Henry's are also changing into Sprouts. California Sun Harvest stores will change after the Texas stores go through their change.

Lubbock Online Mobile Edition

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More Building in Overton Park Near Texas Tech Campus

2011-07-16T00:05:00.001-05:00

Construction underway on new Texas Tech housing complex

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4th on Broadway Street Fair One More Reason Lubbock is a Great Place to Live

2011-07-05T10:36:00.001-05:00

This article from Lubbock Online describes the fun of the state's largest free street fair. This is just one more reason that Lubbock is a great place to live. Lubbock is one of the 100 largest cities in America but it still has that small town atmosphere. Read the article to see what I am talking about.

Music, food, Aqua Slide make Street Fair a hit | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

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In Search of Lubbock's Best Chicken Fried Steak - Texas Roadhouse

2011-06-29T08:53:00.005-05:00

In Search of Lubbock's Best
Chicken Fried Steak - Texas Roadhouse

I have made no secret of the fact that I love hamburgers and chicken fried steak. Finding the best chicken fried steak in Lubbock has been a bit frustrating for me. I have found some good ones but they are usually a bit too small. I have always thought chicken fried steak should be large and tender and covered with just the right amount of gravy. I have finally found a chicken fried steak that fits that criteria. It is at Texas Roadhouse.

As you can see by the picture of my chicken fried steak, it is huge. In fact, it is so large that it comes on a plate by itself. The sides come on a separate plate. The best thing about this chicken fried steak is that it was tender enough to cut it with a fork. I never needed a knife to cut it. The gravy was wonderful and there was just the right amount. This was a very tasty chicken fried steak and the mashed potatoes that came with it were wonderful. I got 2 sides with the steak and it was plenty filling. The cost of the dinner was around $11.

I also like Henry D's chicken fried steak. Henry D's is a restaurant inside the United Grocery Store on the corner of Avenue Q and 50th Street. It is really good and the sides are fantastic but it is not quite as good as Texas Roadhouse's. The chicken fried steak at Henry D's is a little less than the one at Texas Roadhouse.

What do you think? Do you have a favorite chicken fried steak? Tell me where it is so I can go get one and write my own review.

Raising Canes Building a Second Restaurant in Lubbock

2011-06-28T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is no real surprise. It was announced a few months ago that Raising Cane Chicken Fingers is opening a second restaurant in Lubbock. It is currently under construction right next door to The Olive Garden in the parking lot of the South Plains Mall on Slide Road.

Raising Canes already has a restaurant in Lubbock on University just across the street from the Texas Tech campus just next to Dion's. Raising Canes is a chicken finger restaurant that first appeared near Louisiana State University in 1996. The owner, Todd Graves, was told in college that his business plan for a chicken finger restaurant would never succeed. I guess he has the last laugh. There are now more than 100 locations in 13 states.

The photo above is of the site that is just now being constructed. Let's all hope that Raising Canes is another success at the second site here in Lubbock.

Texas Tech Baseball Stadium Getting a Facelift

2011-06-28T13:51:00.000-05:00

Texas Tech has an up and coming baseball team. It could be a team to be reckoned with in the Big 12 and in the national arena. The baseball stadium at Tech is nice but it really is not nice enough to host a regional tourney. Now, the stadium is about to undergo a facelift that will make it worthy of being a top Big 12 program and a possible host to the regional tourney.

Here is what Rick Gilbert of 99.5 The Bear says about the facelift:

The current suites and press box, which can be described as metal sheds, will be removed and 10 new luxury suites , each sitting 12, will be added. Those will go along with a new club level with outdoor seating for 75 fans, and a new press box will be added with complete radio and T.V. areas. I hope they don’t forget the air conditioning, because in the hot West Texas sun, those areas are like sweat boxes. Plus there have been times when the wind really blows and you could feel that old press box just rock back and forth.

Speaking of the hot sun, a new shading structure will cover the center portion of the grandstand. It will cover the 1,154 individual chair-back seats being installed.

Fans are going to be closer to the action. Five additional rows will be added right behind home plate and fans will be sitting just 30 inches from the field. Currently they are seven feet above the playing surface.

Now, here’s what I like. A new state of the art tensioned back-stop netting system will be installed. Being the p.a. announcer, I, along with fans, had to tilt our heads to see around the poles in the current backstop. I would like to be the first to pull the current back stop down.

The fans are going to love it and it will be great for recruiting. A place all Red Raider baseball fans will be proud of.The entrance to Dan Law Field will feature new iron gates, and a seating area with a brick inlaid Double T.

The photos above are the before and the depiction of the after. I will post update photos during the summer.

LISD Saving Money?

2011-06-22T11:40:00.000-05:00

Guadalupe Elementary School in Lubbock, Texas

I try to be positive in my blog. I have stated numerous times that I will not bash a company or person if I do not like them. Instead, I will just leave them out of the blog. I see no reason to hurt a business or a person with my blog. I do not believe in that policy when it comes to a governmental entity such as the Lubbock Independent School District.

Many of you are very aware that the Texas Legislature is in special session right now due to their inability to determine how to pass along $4 billion worth of cuts to our schools. The LISD administration has done an admirable job of preparing for up to $10 million in cuts to the local budget. You have to hand it to LISD in the fact that no teachers have lost their jobs yet. LISD cut administrative and support jobs as well as consolidating some schools in order to keep as many teachers in those schools as possible. I have even posted in the past that I am supportive of what LISD has done to prepare for one of the worst periods in education in the state of Texas.

That does not eliminate LISD from being called out when they do something that is not smart. It may seem trivial compared to the mess our legislature has passed on to the school districts across the state, but I am calling out LISD for wastefulness. Sure, the amount of dollars wasted due to this incident is just a drop in the bucket compared to the $10 million dollar shortfall it faces, but the appearances this incident makes is not good. Here is what I am talking about.

Sprinklers are on and water is running down the street

I was riding my bicycle across Lubbock last week when I passed by Guadalupe Elementary School. It was around 8:00 PM and the water sprinklers were on. That is completely within the guidelines set forth by the city of Lubbock, but what I observed does not fit the guidelines of being careful with resources. I took the following pictures of the water rushing down the street as the lawn had reached over saturation. One of the photos show the water crossing the street and heading down a few blocks. That is a lot of water that is being wasted. Again, it might not be much in terms of dollars, but when our school district tells its residents that it is working hard to save as much money as it can without harming education any more than it has to do, this picture of wastefulness does not sit pretty with some.

The water running across the street and down the block.

How about it LISD? Let's see if you listen to the people and do something about this. I am wondering how much of this wastefulness goes on at other campuses and what you are going to do about it. Now is the time to do everything you can to save the district money and letting money and resources wash down the street is not a pretty picture.

In Search of Lubbock's Best Hamburger - Five Guys Burgers and Fries

2011-06-22T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ask a dozen people who makes the best hamburger in Lubbock and you will probably get close to a dozen replies. I personally love Buns Over Texas hamburgers but my wife swears by Fuddrucker's hamburgers. I really like Fuddrucker's burgers but it is not my favorite. With that in mind, remember that I am only reviewing places that I have heard other people rave about as the best hamburger in Lubbock. That brings me to Five Guys Burgers and Fries, which is on 4th Street and Quaker.

I also work as a teacher In Idalou. My assistant goes on and on about how much she likes Five Guys Burgers and Fries anytime the subject of great hamburgers in Lubbock comes up. She is the reason that I went to check out Five Guys. I must say that Five Guys makes a really great hamburger. Most of the burgers they sell are double patty so don't be deceived when you get one. It may look small but it is big. Many of the reveiws I have read regarding Five Guys talks about the fact that the burgers are a little pricey, but so are Fuddrucker's and many people continue eating there too. A regular burger, fries and a drink will set you back about $10 to $12. The fries are really good too. They come with the skin cooked on them and I like that. Also, there are peanuts to eat and you can just throw the shell on the floor. Don't let that fool you though. Five Guys Burgers and Fries is an extremely clean place.

I will return to Five Guys again. Is it the best burger in Lubbock? Personally, I don't think so, but it is very good. For a national chain, it is much better than McDonald's but I believe that there are local options that beat it. What do you think? I would like to know.

Gown Town Bridal and Formal Shop of Lubbock Is the Place to Go For Your Special Event

2011-06-22T08:18:00.001-05:00

A great many of my Facebook friends are the places I write about in my Lubbock, Texas Blog. This post is no different. Gown Town Bridal and Formal Shop is a great place to find the special clothing you need for all of those special events you might be participating in.

Gown Town Bridal and Formal Shop is in the shopping center on the corner of the South Loop and University, very close to the Breakfast House. Their summer hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 12 to 6 but you can arrange special hours by going to their website and looking under the frequently asked questions for contact numbers.

Gown Town used to sell new and used gowns but now only carries new items. Their bridal consultants are considered by many people to be the best and the friendliest in Lubbock. You can check out some of their special offers by going to this site. Some of the services you can find at Gown Town are:

WEDDING GOWNS
BRIDESMAIDS
PROM GOWNS
QUINCE and SWEET 16 GOWNS
DAMAS DRESSES
PLUS SIZE GOWNS
COCKTAIL DRESSES
FLOWER GIRL
MOTHERS DRESSES
TUXEDO and SUIT RENTALS
VEILS and HEADPIECES
PETTICOATS and BRAS
SHOES
JEWELRY SETS

If you have a special event coming up and you need some sweet clothing, you really need to check out Gown Town Bridal and Formal Shop.

Self Serve Frozen Yogurt in Lubbock is Huge

2011-06-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

Last year, I happened across a place that sells self serve frozen yogurt here in Lubbock. It is Spoonful and I fell in love with the place. You can sample all of the flavors before deciding which one you want and the toppings are fantastic. The yogurt and toppings cost around 37 cents per ounce and it is really delicious. Since going to Spoonful last summer, the amount of frozen yogurt places has boomed.

Today, there are self serve frozen yogurt places all across Lubbock. Spoonful is just across from the east side of Jones AT&T Stadium in the little shopping center that has Firehouse Subs and Ruby Tequila's. Over in the shopping center where the new Target resides is another great frozen yogurt place called A Cup of Yo. I have only been there once but it is very similar to Spoonful. My favorite self serve frozen yogurt place is Red Mango. It is probably the healthiest of all of the frozen yogurts in Lubbock and tastes just a bit different than the others, but the reason I love it is that the staff is so friendly there. Red Mango is on Quaker and 82nd Street just behind the Starbucks.

A new self serve yogurt place is Nikki's Swirl Shoppe. There are two of these. One is on 4th Street just a couple of doors down from Five Guys Burgers and Fries and the other one is in the shopping center between Rudy's Barbecue, Hooters, and Freebirds. I have not tried Nikki's yet but will be doing so soon. The photo in this article is the Nikki's on 4th Street. I have heard there may be another self serve yogurt place called Yo Fresh but have not checked it out yet. Please let me know if you have.

So there you have it Lubbock. If you love self serve frozen yogurt, you have plenty of choices. Let me know if I left a self serve frozen yogurt business out of the article.

Kimberly Vardeman of Lubbock Wins Callebaut Chocolate National Recipe Contest

2011-06-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Kimberly Vardeman's Double Chocolate Raspberry
Tart is the Callebaut Chocolate Recipe Contest Winner

Hey Lubbock! We have a national championship recipe winner and she won an all-expense trip for two to the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Factory in Belgium. In addition to visiting the Callebaut Factory, she will attend a pastry class at the Barry Callebaut Chocolate Academy in the Chocolate Capital of the World in Brussels. Her winning recipe is the Double Chocolate Raspberry Tart which is pictured to the left. Her name is Kimberly Vardeman and the contest she won is the Callebaut Chocolate Recipe Contest.

The Callebaut contest is designed to give amateur chefs from across the country a chance to put their culinary skills to the test by submitting their favorite recipe that involves the use of Callebaut Belgian Chocolate.

Callebaut chocolate is the world's leading manufacturer of high quality cocoa and chocolate products. Callebaut chocolate was once only available to professional chefs but it is now available to non-professionals food enthusiasts through specialty food markets and fine grocers throughout the United States.

The winning Double Chocolate Raspberry Tart features a homemade chocolate crust filled with a rich combination of semi-sweet and bittersweet Callebaut chocolate. The dessert is then finished with fresh raspberries and whipped cream. All of the entries were judged on sensory appeal, creativity, presentation, and clarity of recipe. Below is the actual recipe:

Kimberly Vardeman’s Double Chocolate Raspberry Tart

Ingredients:

1 extra-large egg yolk

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 1/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Callebaut cocoa powder

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, diced

6 oz. semi-sweet Callebaut chocolate

6 oz. bittersweet Callebaut chocolate

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon table salt

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons raspberry liqueur

Instructions:

Crust: Combine cream and egg yolk in a small bowl. Place flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in bowl of food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Scatter pieces of butter over flour mixture. Process in one-second pulses until butter is incorporated. While processor is running, pour egg mixture through feed tube. Process until moistened, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough into a 9 1/2-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Gently press dough into an even layer against the bottom and sides of pan. Spray a piece of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray and set inside pan, against the crust. Freeze for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Place tart pan on baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until crust is set. Allow to cool.

Filling: Chop the chocolate. Place chocolate, butter, and salt in a large, heatproof mixing bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour heavy cream over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes to melt chocolate. Add raspberry liqueur. Gently stir until combined. Pour mixture into cooled tart crust and smooth top with an offset spatula. Chill tart in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Before serving, allow tart to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Serve with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

For more information about Callebaut^® chocolate and mouth-watering recipes, home chefs and chocolate artisans alike can visit www.callebautrecipes.com.

Consider It Done Texas in Lubbock - Professional Organizers

2011-06-18T13:02:00.001-05:00

I found this company through a Facebook link and found it to be very interesting. I figure there are many people in Lubbock who could use some professional help with organization in their homes or office. Check out the link below and remember Consider It Done when you need help organizing your space.

http://consideritdonetexas.com/

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Is Jack in the Box Building Two More Restaurants in Lubbock?

2011-06-16T11:16:00.000-05:00

Jack in the Box on University in Lubbock

There are a couple of new buildings going up in Lubbock and I was asked by a couple of people if I knew what they are. I went to the sites and asked around and was a little surprised that the workers were closed lipped about what they were building. Maybe I was asking the wrong people. I went to the nearby merchants and asked them what the buildings were and they told me that both of them are Jack in the Box restaurants. Wow! If that is true, Lubbock will have gone from zero Jack in the Box restaurants to four in less than a year.

Jack in the Box on 4th Street

We already have a Jack in the Box restaurant at 50th and Quaker and at 98th and Slide so it would make sense to build one by the University and on 4th Street near the new Bodyworks and in the old Wal-Mart parking lot. The pictures accompanying the article are of each location and were taken on June 15th. The one on University is ahead of the one on 4th Street. You can see the shape of a Jack in the Box in the one that is on University.

If any of you have heard something else, let me know. By the way, thanks to those of you who have emailed me and thanks for the compliments too.

Texas Tech Football Making Progress in Recruiting

2011-06-15T00:45:00.001-05:00

I could not say it any better than this article that describes the beginning of Tech football becoming a team to reckon with regarding recruiting, especially on the defensive side of the field. I was a great admirer of Mike Leach and I feel he was unfairly cheated out of his $800,000 bonus but I am still a Red Raiders fan and hope Tommy T. can make some magic happen in the next few years. Go Tech!

Michael Starts: A Shift in Power in the Landscape for Texas Recruiting? | Bleacher Report

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Lubbock's Chipotle Mexican Grill # 2 is Opening June 14th at 11:00

2011-06-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

Maybe you wanted to eat at Chipotle Mexican Grill when it opened 7 months ago, but you figured that it would always be full of college kids. After all, it sits only one block from the Texas Tech campus. Well now you don't have an excuse to not go eat at Chipotle's. The second Chipotle Mexican Grill in Lubbock will be opening on June 14th at 11:00 AM and it sits in a very central location. It is at 8201 82nd Street which is in the same shopping center with Malouf's and Sun Harvest Market. In fact, it is at the extreme Northeast building of the shopping center, facing 82nd Street. You really need to eat at Chipotle Mexican Grill if you have not so far. It is crazy good.

Regular hours of operation are Monday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lubbock's Cardinal Sports Center Opening Very Soon

2011-06-06T18:39:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of great sports stores in Lubbock and Cardinal Sports center has always been one of the best, but the new bigger and better Cardinal Sports Center is preparing to open soon. I took this picture on the morning of June 6, 2011. Just a week ago, the front of the store still looked very much like the Albertson's Grocery Store that it used to be but now it looks like a shiny new sports store.

A visit to the old Cardinal Sports Center on 50th Street gave me the information that makes me excited. It appears that the 50th Street store will close this Thursday and the new store will open on June 15th. I know I can't wait to go check out the new store. This new building is in a great location as it sits on the southwest corner of Slide and the Loop just across the street from On the Border Mexican Grill and Cantina and it shares a parking lot with Mamarita's Border Cafe.

If you like sporting goods stores as much as I do, I bet you will be out there on the day it opens too. See you there!

The Changing Landscape Around Texas Tech

2011-05-31T09:33:00.000-05:00

I have a nephew who used to go to Texas Tech. He has been away for a few years but he loves Lubbock and Tech and is always keeping up with the changes around the campus. This post is for Mark and for all the other people who have not been in Lubbock lately. The landscape around and on campus is rapidly changing and these photos are evidence of the changes.

Luxury suites at Jones AT&T Stadium

First, the most looked up item among exes of Tech is the new luxury suites on the east side of Jones AT&T Stadium. It was finished prior to last season and is really nice. This picture is a look at it from the west side of the stadium.

Parking garage and new apartment complex
just north of stadium

One of the most noticeable changes on the landscape near the Tech campus is the parking garage and the new apartment complex. For those of you who have not been in Lubbock for awhile, these two structures sit north of the football stadium across the Marsha Sharp freeway where there was once a shopping center. The last building in that shopping center was Hastings. It was all cleared away and these two huge buildings were built and recently finished. In fact, the apartment complex is still be worked on as of the date of this post.

Rawl's Business Administration Building
just east of baseball stadium

The new Rawl's Business Administration building is nearing completion. It is just east of the baseball stadium and it is huge. The construction started a couple of years ago and it looks like it might be completed fairly soon. Maybe it will be open for the next school year.

New residence hall at corner of
Boston and 19th.

There is a new residence hall being built on the corner of Boston and 19th street and it looks like it will be a really nice addition to Texas Tech. The total cost of the construction of the building is $45 million. Tech students have plenty of options for residency with all of the great places in Overton and now with the new residence hall. Ground has been broke and building is about to begin.

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Kylito's Salsa is Just Like Restaurant Salsa and It Is Made in Lubbock

2011-05-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

I started noticing posts on Facebook a couple of months ago about a salsa company here in Lubbock called Kylito's Salsa Company. I love supporting local businesses and I really love salsa, but I have a big problem with store bought salsa. It is real difficult to find a store bought salsa that is as good as salsa you get when you eat out in a restaurant. In fact, I have never found a salsa that is as good as most of the restaurant salsa out there. That is why I am writing this post.

I never write posts for anything in Lubbock that I do not like. It goes back to what my mom taught me. It is better to say nothing than to say something that could be hurtful to someone else. I also never receive pay of any kind for any review I make here on my Lubbock Blog. I never even receive samples. I think it makes for better and more honest reviews that way.

With that in mind, I have to say that I have a new favorite store bought salsa and it is Kylito's Salsa. The fact that is from Lubbock just makes it that much better. This is the only salsa I have found that tastes like it is being served with a meal at a favorite Mexican food restaurant. It turns out the people who make Kylito's have a unique cooking process that allows it to maintain the same taste and authenticity that it did when it was served in the restaurant in Slaton where it originated from. The restaurant no longer exists but thankfully the salsa does.

Kylito's was not easy to find at first. I bought my first jar at Thriftway in Idalou. Now, it is about to be carried at United Supermarkets. Yea! You can also find it at these locations. This information comes from the Kylito's website as of 5/20/2011:

Lubbock:
Lowe's Supermarket on 19th, 26th, 82nd
The Spot on 34th Street
La Diosa Cellars on 17th Street
Hollyhock's - 34th Street

Slaton:
Staton Bakery
Klemke's
Wayne's on Slaton Highway

Thriftway's/La Tienda's:
Idalou, Denver City, Carlsbad, Tahoka, Pecos, and Andrews

Lowe's Supermarkets:
Lubbock, Seagraves, Abernathy, Crosbyton, Petersburg

Wichita Falls:
Davenport Grocery on Farris

Lawton, Oklahoma:
Discount Foods on Lee
Taft Grocery on Taft

Decatur, Tx:
IGA Market Place

Leonard's Grocery Store in Lubbock is Nearing Completion

2011-05-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

The picture you see here of Leonard's Grocery Store in Lubbock was taken a couple of weeks ago. You can see that great progress has been made on the store. According to the Leonard's press site, they will be opening this Leonard's around the end of June.

Leonard's is a grocery store that is built with Texas Tech's students in mind. It is very near the campus. Its location is at 9th Street and Avenue X which is about a 5 iron shot away from Chipotle's. In addition to being close to the campus, it is located in Overton Park, which has a huge number of students living in the housing there.

The owner of the store is Kent Moore. He says that the store is merchandised with niche products designed especially for the lifestyle of college students such as grab and go foods, coffee, breakfast burritos, hot sandwiches and a tremendous selection of beer.

The store is much smaller than grocery stores like United or Wal-Mart but it does not have to reach all demographic groups like those stores do. This store has the one group to reach and will have a food service area with hot meals and ready to prepare foods also. The food service area will have a large seating area and also include a smoothie bar and coffee bar along with Wi-Fi and televisions.

Let's hope that Leonard's is a success and that it really makes life at Tech just a little better for the students.

Family Friendly Parks in Lubbock - Wagner Park

2011-05-06T22:39:00.002-05:00

The play area at Wagner Park is padded and safe.

Wagner Park in Lubbock is one of the more family friendly parks around. It sits in the Tech Terrace area between 26th and 28th Streets and Elgin and Flint. Go to Wagner Park just about anytime and you will see families of all kinds and ages enjoying the atmosphere. There is a little bit of everything to do in the park which you can see in these pictures.

The play area is padded underneath and is safe. This area is one of the more popular places in the park and it has some benches where parents can sit and watch.

Just to the east of the playground area is a large sandy area with swings, some great rotating chairs, and the always popular climbing rock. Just be careful on the rock kids. I would hate to see anyone fall off of it. That is my son up on top of it.

You Gotta Love the Climbing Rock

The party area of Wagner Park

One of the busiest areas in the park is the party area. You can see the building behind the blow up jumper. I have seldom been to the park when there is not a party of some sort going on over at the party place. In the summer, there are a few concerts in the park at this area and people bring their lawn chairs to enjoy the great music.

Basketball courts, tennis courts
and so much more.

Finally, there is a huge area of open park that includes a basketball court, tennis courts, covered benches and picnic areas, as well as just a huge expanse of grass. In the summer, the Tech Terrace Neighborhood Unit puts on movies in the park and it is just so much fun. Take a blanket, chairs, or whatever you have and enjoy a movie under the stars and it is always free. I see church groups, soccer groups, groups playing football, and even a medieval group of some sort. If anyone knows anything about them, let me know as I would love to run a story about them.

If you are looking for a safe park where lots of nice families go, Wagner Park is your choice. Give it a try if you have not so far.

Ann's Arts & Designs Doing a Fundraiser at Chili's in Lubbock on May 4th

2011-05-02T00:09:00.000-05:00

Ann Jones is a very talented artist. She has one of the most remarkable backgrounds I have ever heard. In fact, I am putting together an article about her background that will amaze everyone who reads it. Ann is going to be at Chili's on Slide Road on May 4th from 5 PM to ? using her talents to raise money for a young lady who needs a very expensive surgery. This young lady is a mother and is facing a very dangerous illness. If you can help, please go to Chili's on may 4th and let Ann paint your face or donate in another way.

Ann has been through more in her lifetime than most people could take, yet she still carries her Christian badge with honor and will do whatever she can to help others. After you read her story, you will see why I want to promote anything and everything she is involved in. Most people who have endured the hardships she has faced since birth would be angry with God and want nothing to do with him, yet Ann lives the Christian life of service to others. You really need to get out to Chili's and meet her while helping a special young lady.

By the way, Ann would love to use her talent to help you drum up business. She has a mobile face painting business that would really help with any promotion you might be having. Her phone number is 806-549-4162 and it is on the photo above.

Lubbock's Breakfast House & Grill

2011-04-29T23:13:00.000-05:00

Lubbock's Breakfast House & Grill is one of those places that the locals know about and swarm to but the out-of-towners may not know about. It sits in the shopping center on the inside of the Loop on the corner of the University and the Loop and it makes good food all the time.

A woman from Oceanside, California left a review of the Breakfast House on a review site and said that it is a good place to eat breakfast. She said that the service is great and the menu is perfect for a breakfast place. She likes the prices and stated that you get a lot of food for the price. Her dad lives in Lubbock and it is his favorite breakfast place in town.

I have taken my son to the Breakfast House for lunch a few times and I must say that the burgers are great and his chicken strips and fries is his favorite in town. I also like the chicken fried steak. You get a lot of food for the price and the service is friendly and attentive.

One of the remarks you will see on a lot of the review sites is how much people would rather eat at Lubbock's Breakfast House & Grill than IHOP or Denny's. Of course, I like both of those places too, but the service at the Breakfast House is much better than either one of those places. The other remark you will see over and over is that the eggs are always cooked perfectly to order. I will attest to that remark.

Lubbock's Breakfast House & Grill is much more than a breakfast place. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The hours are 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Give it a try. You will love it.

Training Ground's Zumba Fundraiser for Relay for Life

2011-04-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Saturday, April 30th at Training Ground there will be a great fundraiser for the Relay for Life. Go out and enjoy the fitness craze Zumba. The event starts at 10:30 AM and continues until 1:30 PM. All that is required is a minimum $5 donation and all the proceeds go to the local American Cancer Society to benefit the Relay for Life organization.

Training Ground is at 8502 Valencia, Unit F. The contact person for the event is Tiffani Findley Allamon. Here is the Facebook page invite.

Starbucks on 82nd and Quaker in Lubbock Opens Today, April 29th

2011-04-29T00:05:00.001-05:00

I am posting this just after midnight on the morning of April 29th so that I can remind you that Starbucks on the corner of 82nd and Quaker here in Lubbock has their grand opening today. The building has been rebuilt and it is ready to go. This was one of the most popular locations of Starbucks in the city and many people have missed it but it is back and you need to go if you love Starbucks.

You probably remember that the roof of this Starbucks collapsed under the weight of the rain that Lubbock had back in July of 2010. What a distant reminder the thought of rain is in Lubbock, huh? After Starbucks collapsed, a great deal of their customers started going to Daybreak Coffee that is across the street in Kingsgate Center. Let's hope that Daybreak can keep some of those customers and that there are enough customers to go around for both coffee places.

I took this picture just tonight on the way home from Bodyworks. I bet it will be packed in just a few short hours. Enjoy!

U-Stor is Now Metro Self Storage - 50th Street

2011-04-25T08:57:00.000-05:00

I often take pictures of places or changes in places when I am out riding my bicycle or in my car. I ran my car through the Quick Quack Car Wash and as I was leaving the wash, I noticed that U-Stor had changed their name. The self storage place is at the dead end of the street next to Quick Quack which is on 50th Street. W.D. Wilkins is on the other side of it. It changed its name this past week to Metro Self Storage.

Metro Self Storage's office hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Saturday from 8"00 AM to 4:00 PM. Access is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Here is what their site says is their features:

FREE 24 Hour Access, 365 days a year

Friendly & Professional Staff

Drive Up Access

Ground Level Units

Individually Alarmed Units

Major Credit Cards Accepted

Month to Month Rentals

No Deposits

Online Bill Payment

We Sell Boxes, Locks & Moving Supplies

Tenant Insurance Available

Wide Driveways

You might want to give them a try if you need storage.

Baskin Robbins Lubbock - 31 Cent Scoop Night

2011-04-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

This Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, both Baskin Robbins locations in Lubbock will be having 31 Cent Scoop Night. This is their annual night that benefits the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

The locations are at 6301 82nd Street which is next to the Wal-Mart on the corner of 82nd and Milwaukee. The other one is at 1003 University just across the street from Texas Tech University.

The Baskin Robbins Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF). The United States Congress created the NFFF to lead a nationwide effort to remember America's fallen firefighters. It has existed since 1992 and the national office is in Emmitsburg, Maryland. One of the great things that the NFFF does is to award scholarships to spouses, children, and stepchildren of fallen firefighters.

Makes sure to get out to Baskin Robbins this Wednesday and support this fine organization.

Tech Terrace Neighborhood Meeting is Thursday, April 28th

2011-04-24T21:37:00.000-05:00

Just in case you live in the Tech Terrace neighborhood and have not seen the flyers posted, there is a neighborhood meeting this Thursday, April 28th, 2011. It is held at Hutchinson Middle School Cafeteria at 6:00 PM. As you can see on the sign, these meetings are held on the fourth Thursday of October, January, and April.

Tech Terrace has a very active neighborhood group. On the January meeting, fifty two residents attended. They explained that recently approved bylaws divided the neighborhood into quadrants and discussed representation.

One of the topics is the concern of absentee landlords/Tech student parents. It was noted that Tech students were in the neighborhood to stay and the committee discussed safety, friendliness, and community.

One of the interesting items discussed was that one member knew of three homeless individuals who had taken up residence in Wagner Park and used the early morning sprinklers as showers.

A sign of a great group of people is that they delivered the leftover pizzas they had for the meeting to the Salvation Army. They have a blog too. It is called Tech Terrace - UNIT News

W.D. Wilkins Furniture in Lubbock

2011-04-22T23:20:00.000-05:00

When I was a kid in the 1960's, we would travel to Lubbock from Hobbs, New Mexico. Back then, the downtown area was a vibrant place and the place to go to shop. There was a huge Sears and it was fun to go to for a couple of kids like my brother and me. We always found a way to get lost from our parents and just have a blast, but nothing was as fun as W.D. Wilkins. It seemed like we always ended up at W.D. Wilkins every trip.

W.D. Wilkins was a big place. I remember my brother and I playing hide and go seek. The furniture was packed in and it was just a great place for kids to get lost in. Of course, the employees probably hated us but we had fun nonetheless.

At some point, W.D. Wilkins burned and it ended up moving to 50th Street. I have not been back in W.D. Wilkins since those days back in the 60's. Recently, my wife talked me into going to W.D. Wilkins to shop for a new mattress. The store looks so old that I figured it was not much to see inside either, but was pleasantly surprised when we walked in. The furniture sets are really nice looking and the building inside is attractive.

The one thing that struck me as different from some of the other furniture stores I have been in is the sales staff. Our salesman was a nice guy named Davis Craddick. At no time did I feel like I was being pressured like I have at a few of the other stores around. He was very helpful and, above everything else, was extremely knowledgeable about the furniture.

We purchased a great Simmons Comfortpedic mattress and received free delivery the next day. The deal was great and the whole experience was fantastic. I am not being paid in any way for this. I don't work that way. I only post about places that I want to report on and I really liked W.D. Wilkins. If you have not been in there lately, you might want to go give it a try. It is on 50th Street between University and Indiana, between Quick Quack Car Wash and Gary Avenue.

40 HANDLES + BEERPONG MANIA

2011-04-20T23:24:00.000-05:00

On Friday, April 22nd starting at 10:00 PM and ending around 2:00 AM on the 23rd, there will be a huge party for the Texas Tech college crowd. The organizers of the event claim that this will be the biggest party since the Block Party that brought out 4,000 people.

If you want to attend, you need to give the organizers your phone number on Facebook and they will text you the address. As of right now, almost 1,000 people are saying they will definitely attend.

If you have some major skills in beer pong, this is the party for you. There will be many tables with flip cup and beer pong going on at the same time. The organizers claim that the football and basketball teams will be there. I don't know if that will make the coaches happy, but I am just reporting what the organizers say.

The creators are Monica Ruiz, Priscilla Villareal, and Jessica Parker.

Here is what the organizers claim will be at the party:

10 + tables of beer pong
5 kegs worth of beer
vodka
patron
grey goose
popsicles
fruit punch
100 huges bags of bags of doritos ;P(the bag, why not)
professional photography ( to catch those high quality snaps of us in action)
video recording for youtube

Every please feel free to BYOB, and get ready for a never ending night of fun filled beer pong baby.

Guys $5 cover
Ladies FREE before 11/ $2 after

Here is the Facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160961293960956

My Acupuncture Update - China Acupuncture Clinic

2011-04-19T21:35:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post about the China Acupuncture Clinic when I decided to start receiving acupuncture a few weeks ago. I was supposed to have a knee replacement this summer and the pain in the knee had become so bad that I decided to undergo acupuncture just to get to the summer. My pain was so bad that I had given thought to going ahead and undergoing the surgery. I wanted to wait until summer because I am a teacher and I would have the summer to go through the rehabilitation I needed.

I have now completed nine treatments. The acupuncturist says that I only need to undergo ten. My pain has completely disappeared. My knee is still messed up. Nothing can ever repair it other than a knee replacement but I no longer have the horrible pain that I had just a few weeks ago.

I had a standing appointment with my knee doctor to "start the ball rolling" toward my knee replacement. He asked me how I was doing and I told him how the acupuncture has totally reduced my pain. He told me that he has tried everything possible non-surgically to get me out of pain and that nothing worked. That is why I was slated for surgery. He told me that the acupuncture has done something nothing else had done and since I am out of pain, he suggested we postpone the knee surgery. He is hopeful that this has bought me a year or more before I have to undergo it.

When I returned to the acupuncture clinic, I talked to her about what he said. She told me that acupuncture is not temporary. She said it is permanent and that my pain will be gone unless it starts somewhere else due to structural problems that might arise.

I was a road bicyclist up until November of 2010. That was when it became too painful to continue riding. Just 3 weeks prior to that, I rode in a 60 mile road ride in Hobbs, New Mexico. At the time, I did not realize that would be my final event ride for a long time. I figured I would not be able to ride again until 6 to 8 weeks after the surgery. Now, I am riding again. I am out of shape, but I am already up to 15 mile rides and it continues to be pain free. I am excited to get back into shape and riding in the Hotter N Hell Hundred in Wichita Falls in August once again.

I am also being treated for high blood pressure and no longer need medicine to control it. I am thrilled with the results and felt that, since the China Acupuncture Clinic is here in Lubbock, I should report on it. Maybe someone else out there might be in the same position I was in. Does acupuncture work for everyone? I am not sure but I do know that it has worked for me.

2011 Burkhart Autism Awareness Walk at Jones AT&T Stadium a Success

2011-04-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

The Burkhart Autism Awareness Walk at Texas Tech's Jones AT&T Stadium attracted a few thousand people. The new Masked Rider was available up on top of the stadium and then down on the playing field and was busy granting picture requests from hundreds of people. As we walked down to the stadium floor, I saw a huge number of groups all clad in shirts letting everyone know they were with "Team Jake" or "Team Isiah" or some other team celebrating a person, or persons, with Autism.

My son enjoyed the many different jumpy castles, slides, and obstacle course while I noticed a great many 10 to 13 year old kids taking in the excitement of being on the Red Raider playing field. The festivities started after hearing from former Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers and present A.D. Kirby Hocutt, as well as new basketball coach Billy Gillispie.

The Masked Rider lead the walk and the hundreds of people who were there to bring awareness to Autism walked around the stadium floor while others continued to play on the jumpy castles or play games on the North end of the field.

I think it is great to see Lubbock turn out in such huge numbers to bring awareness to Autism. Let's hope this event continues to grow in the years to come.

Mike Epps Standup Comedy Show at the Lubbock Cactus Courtyard April 29th

2011-04-12T09:08:00.002-05:00

Mike Epps became famous from the Def Comedy Jam and by performing in the Movies Next Friday, The Hangover, Welcome Home Roscoe Dash, and All About the Benjamins. Now, you get a chance to see his standup comedy act right here in Lubbock on Friday, April 29th at 8:00 PM at the Cactus Courtyard. Tickets are going for $49, $75, and $99 and can be bought at the Firehouse Grill and Bar at 18th and Buddy Holly.

The Cactus Courtyard is an open air venue located at 1801 Buddy Holly Avenue in the heart of Lubbock's Depot Entertainment District. The Cactus Courtyard is over 9,000 square feet with a large concessions/bar area and a beautiful fountain.

This event is probably going to be sold out so get your tickets now. Enjoy the event and come back here and tell everyone just how much fun you had.

Is Lubbock ISD Doing All it Can to Meet the Budget Shortfall?

2011-04-11T08:04:00.002-05:00

Superintendent Karen Garza
of Lubbock ISD

There is a huge travesty brewing in Austin and it affects every school district in the state. Texas is billions of dollars in the red and are trying to write a new budget for the next two years. Cuts are pretty much going to be shared across the board, including schools. The House and the Senate are working to create budgets but they are both a mile apart. If the House budget goes through, LISD will be about $20 Million short and if the Senate budget goes through, they will be about $10 Million light.

Superintendent Karen Garza recently made the observation that the district had been preparing to try to meet the $10 Million shortfall by cutting a number of administrative and administrative support staff positions, consolidating a few schools, and cutting some operational costs. This would meet the shortfall without cutting any teacher positions. It is great to see that the leadership of LISD understands that all teachers should keep their jobs in order to better meet the demands that society places on our students. Not all districts have set out to do the same. Lubbock is lucky to have a leadership team that sees this.

Garza has said that if the budget ends up more like the House version then "all bets are off." Cutting $10 million out of the budget was difficult. Consolidating schools will not be an easy task and not everyone is for it but it had to be done to find some room to keep all teacher positions intact. Of course, some teachers are retiring or leaving the district for other reasons and those positions are unlikely to be replaced but it could be much worse. Dallas schools has reportedly stated that 3,000 staff members may lose their jobs. Estimates are that state wide, somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 teachers and support staff will lose their jobs as a result of the Legislature's actions.

So, has the LISD administrative team done everything it can do in light of the fact that the shortfall may be lower than originally estimated? I do believe that Garza and her team has been proactive and has done about everything they can to keep from harming the students of the district by cutting teacher positions. Cutting those positions would create large class sizes and that would make it even more difficult to prepare students for their futures. If the final budget comes in worse than the $10 million that LISD had prepared for, there will be some very difficult decisions to make. By doing what the district has already planned for, I am sure that Garza and her team will make the best decisions they can to keep the damage as light as it can possibly be.

If you would like to help, make sure to contact your state legislator and make your position known. There is a rainy day fund of almost $10 million that would help lighten the damage but only part of it might be used. As the cost of oil rises, that rainy day fund will grow exponentially. There is no reason that the state could not dip into it to curtail the damage that the schools are going to feel if they ignore it.

Newsboys Bringing Christian Concert to Lubbock

2011-04-09T11:56:00.001-05:00

Mark this date on your calendar if you love Christian music. Newsboys will be the headline act on May 3rd at the City Bank Coliseum on the Texas Tech Campus at 7PM. Tickets for this event are very fairly priced so expect a large crowd. Warm up acts are Kutless, Disciple, Carlos Whittaker, and Bob Lenz is speaking.

Tickets are on sale at the Select-A-Seat outlets at Amigo’s Supermarket, Dollar Western Wear, Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, Market Street, Ralph’s Records, Texas Tech Student Union’s ticket booth and United Supermarkets.

Lubbock Hosting National Diving Competition

2011-04-09T10:10:00.000-05:00

Hundreds of divers from the Western part of the United States have amassed in Lubbock to take part in a diving competition at Pete Ragus Aquatic Center. The competition will continue through Sunday, April 10th with events starting each day at 9:00 AM. Get out there to see some of the best divers in the country.

The event is called the USA Diving Spring Junior West National Championships. The event is free for spectators. The competitors come from as far away as Minnesota, Louisiana, and Oregon. There are 11 and under up to 16-18 age groups and they compete in 1 and 3 meter springboard with synchronized diving too.

The event should bring an economic boost to Lubbock of around $500,000 and could put Lubbock on the map as hosting Olympic style sports. This is considered the premiere event for USA junior diving and Lubbock is lucky to have it so get out there and support it.

What to Do In Lubbock - April 2011 - Miranda Lambert

2011-04-08T21:02:00.000-05:00

What? There is never anything to do in Lubbock? How about attending the Miranda Lambert Revolution 2011 Tour which will be at the Lubbock City Bank Coliseum on April 29th. Did you know that Miranda Lambert became popular while competing on Nashville Star? She has since proven to be a force to be reckoned with in the country genre of music. She has earned Female Vocalist of the Year two years in a row by the Academy of Country Music. Her special guests for the show are Justin Moore and Josh Kelley. If you are a country music fan, how can you possibly pass this concert up. Check out the link below to find tickets for Lambert's show.

Mother's Day Expo 2011 at the Lubbock Holiday Inn Plaza Atrium - May 7th

2011-04-08T09:12:00.001-05:00

Here is a nice little event you might want to take your mom to. It's the Mother's Day Expo and it is being held at the Lubbock Holiday Inn Plaza Grand Atrium on Saturday, May 7th from 9:00 AM to 5: PM. There will be over 50 vendors on site offering such mom favorites as handmade jewelry, candles, local art, home decor and more. One of the best things you can do for mom is to treat her to a massage by Elaine. Some of the better known vendors coming to the expo are Scentsy, Boho Betty Accessories, Scrappin' Hearts, Cuddle Bugs Bowtique, Massage by Elaine, and Pure Romance. You don't want to forget that they will be giving away door prizes all day too. If you really want to treat mom to something she was never expecting, you might want to mark the Mother's Day Expo 2011. She will love it.

22nd Annual Ragin Cajun in Lubbock on April 9th

2011-04-07T23:15:00.000-05:00

If you like to have fun while helping out a very worthy cause then you need to come out on Saturday, April 9th for the 22nd Annual Ragin Cajun that benefits the South Plains Area Special Olympics. The Ragin Cajun features live entertainment by local bands and musicians and they are usually great, but don't forget about the great auctions, souvenirs to buy, and the plentiful amount of Louisiana style food to eat. What kind of food do they have? Try this out: crawfish, crab, shrimp and sausage mixed with new potatoes, corn and onions in a blend of spicy Cajun spices. Yum Yum!

There are live and silent auctions throughout the evening with such items as sports memorabilia, trips, gift certificates to lots of local restaurants, jewelry and more.

The Ragin Cajun will be on Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Lubbock City Bank Coliseum on the Texas Tech campus at 2720 Drive of Champions just behind Jones AT&T Football Stadium. Tickets are $35 per person if bought before the day of the event and $40 per person if purchased at the door.

This is a major event for the Special Olympics so come on out and support a top event for some top notch individuals.

Lamar University Hires Pat Knight

2011-04-07T10:05:00.001-05:00

Once again, this is not a news flash. By now, most people in Lubbock know that Lamar University has hired Pat Knight as their head basketball coach. I want to take a small space of the Internet to take the chance to wish Coach Knight the best of luck and to let him know that I will now be a fan of Lamar University (except when they play Texas Tech). I have always felt that Pat Knight has a fantastic work ethic and will someday be a success in the college coaching ranks. Maybe a Big 12 team was too much too early for him to guide to success but I will also argue that he was one big man from making the Red Raider basketball team an NCAA contender.

Anyone who watched Red Raider basketball with any interest knows that Knight has high expectations of his players and gets a great effort out of all of his players. I do believe that he will make Lamar a very good mid-major program and may get back to the major college basketball stage again someday. I just hope it is not at another Big 12 program.

Good luck Pat Knight. I will have your team on my list of teams to receive texts every time you finish a game. I hope most of those texts tell a story of success, but I will be pulling against you if you ever come back to Lubbock and play our Red Raiders.

Ed Irons Middle School - Lubbock's Newest Middle School

2011-04-06T21:50:00.000-05:00

Lubbock's newest middle school was opened in 1989. It is Ed Irons Middle School and is named after former superintendent Ed Irons, who served in that position from 1970 to 1983. Irons Middle School is located at 5214 79th Street which is very near Slide Road. The school serves grades 6 - 8 and has received a rating of 9 out of 10 from GreatSchools.com and a community rating of 5 stars(out of 5).

I like to look at what other people say in ratings on sites such as greatschools.com but I also like to give my own review if I know anything about the school. In this case, I will do both. In a review from March of this year, one student stated that Irons is the best school around and that it has excellent teachers and staff. The young person leaving this review said that there are no bullies or dangerous people and that it has a great band, orchestra, choir, and top notch core classes. A parent stated that her children were in private schools for years but moved to Irons and are doing great.

Here is where I get to have my say. My son has Down syndrome and Autism. Needless to say, he requires an education that is more life skills based than most. He definitely requires more special classes than others too. We handpicked his elementary school because our home school did not have a program for him. He did great at that school. This year, he started middle school at our home school. I am not going to say what that school is because I have a negative view of it and I would rather not say which one it was. We received daily reports that were about 10 to 1 negative. It was obvious to us early on that he was not wanted at the school. Finally, when he got kicked in the groin area while in the restroom, we started discussing moving him to a less dangerous school.

We tried working with the school, but the negatives just kept coming and I sensed that the aides who worked with him really did not want to work with him. When I would drop him off each morning, he would beg me to take him home. He really did not like school anymore. That was a shame because he had always been excited about going to school. Usually, he would run to the school doors because he could not wait to go to school. He never ran to this schools doors.

In October, we decided, with the help of our ARD committee to move him to Irons Middle School. The change was evident immediately. I have never been to a school that was as welcoming as Irons. I get a feeling that the teachers at the school feel like a team and not a bunch of individuals. My son's teachers are fantastic and always welcome him with enthusiasm. His aides are great and he talks about them often. The positives that are reported about him are about 10 positive to 1 negative. I feel, as a parent, that he is valued and cared for. We did not get that feeling at the other school. The best thing about Irons is that my son usually gets out of the car and runs to the door again. He loves school, he is comfortable, and he is safe. Needless to say, I am a fan of Ed Irons Middle School.

How Much Are Suites at The United Spirit Arena?

2011-04-03T11:22:00.000-05:00

Have you ever gone to a Texas Tech basketball game and wondered how much people pay for the suites? I have, so I set out to do a little research. According to the Texas Tech athletic ticket site, the cost of one of the suites at the USA is $30,000 per year. It allows up to 12 people per suite per game for all men's and women's basketball games as well as the many concerts that come to the Spirit Arena. It also includes two parking passes for all games.

Here is really neat bonus if you have that kind of money to buy a suite. If you buy one prior to April 15th, you will enjoy a private dinner with the new athletic director, Kirby Hocutt and both men's and women's basketball coaches. That would be pretty cool, but I do not have the kind of money lying around to purchase a suite.

Texas Tech's private caterer, Ovations, is available to cater at your suite. If you are interested in purchasing a suite, the phone number is 806-742-1196. Oh yeah, do not forget where you heard about this. I think it would only be fair to invite me to one of the games. You can contact me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com. Thank you very much.

April is Autism Awareness Month in Lubbock

2011-04-02T23:51:00.000-05:00

I have told readers of the LubbockTexasLubbockTexas Blog about my son, Nicholas. He has Down syndrome and Autism. October is the month when the National Down Syndrome Society sponsors the Buddy Walk to bring awareness and education regarding individuals with Down syndrome. We have a Buddy Walk here in Lubbock and it is always fun to attend.

April is another month that is important to us. It is Autism Awareness Month in Lubbock and there are many different activities to participate in. It is generally sponsored by the Texas Tech Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research. The Burkhart Center has three primary focuses: helping prepare future regular and special education teachers to instruct children with autism, provide direct service to families affected by autism, and conducting research in the area of autism.

It is really important to change our attitudes toward people with autism and other disabilities. We should see a person with a disability as a person first. It would be nice if people referred to Nicholas as Nicholas, who has Down syndrome and autism instead of the Downs boy or the autistic kid.

1. Wednesday, April 6th is a big event for parents and teachers. Jed Baker, Ph.D, is the director of the Social Skills Training Project, which is a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems. he also works with the Millburn Public Schools in New Jersey as he directs social skills training. he also writes and lectures across the country. He will be in Lubbock for a lecture entitled, "No More Meltdowns: Handling Challenging Behaviors & Teaching Social Skills. The lecture will be held April 6th from 7 PM to 8:30 PM at the Allen Theatre - Student Union Building on the Texas Tech campus.

2. Sunday, April 10th is Autism Awareness Day for Texas Tech Baseball. The game is at 1:00 PM against Texas A&M. Special ticket price of $9 gets admission to the game, soda, hot dog, and popcorn. That is a great price as the ticket and items would normally cost about $20. Tickets must be bought in advance.

3. The Burkhart Center is sponsoring the Walk for Autism Awareness from 2 to 4 PM on April 17th at Jones AT&T Stadium. This is a free event and a fun one for all people.

4. June 15th and June 16th is the always well attended Autism Conference that is held at the Lubbock Civic Center.

If you know of other events for the awareness of autism, please email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com so that I can add them. Thanks to all of you for your help and awareness of autism, as well as other disabilities.

A New Chick-fil-A For Lubbock

2011-03-29T00:11:00.000-05:00

Ask anyone in Lubbock who makes the best chicken sandwich in town and you will usually hear the name Chick-fil-A brought up. I heard someone say, the other day, that the Lubbock Chick-fil-A on 69th and Slide is the busiest one in the Nation. I don't know if that is true, but I can believe it. Have you ever gone through their drive-thru? It is possibly the best run drive-thru I have ever seen. Talk about efficient.

The new Chick-fil-A is going to be at 82nd and Milwaukee. The building has already started and, according to its Facebook page, it will be open in early to mid-summer. I know all you people over on the west side of town are going to be looking forward to this new building.

I have to say that my son will almost always pick Chick-fil-A when given a choice of where he wants to eat. That is really saying a lot when you figure that he could go to McDonald's, Burger King, or some other fast food restaurant. I don't feel so bad about him eating the food here too. It is not greasy like so many other restaurants. Did you know that Chick-fil-A even has a meal calculator online. You can get to it by clicking on this link: http://www.chick-fil-a.com/Food/Meal

Many people on Facebook left positive comments but a few of them said they wish that there was a store on the Northeast side of Lubbock. The response from Chick-fil-A was that they hope to open stores in all areas of town someday. Let's hope they are able to fulfill that dream.

Lubbock's New Animal Shelter Is Opening April 27th

2011-03-28T22:25:00.000-05:00

By now, you probably know that Lubbock's new animal shelter will open on April 27th. The shelter is located on South Loop 289 between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Southeast Dr. This is hopefully a great day for lost animals.

I don't know how many of you have gone to the animal shelter before or how many of you have actually rescued a dog from the shelter, but I find it truly heart breaking to visit the shelter. I see dogs in there who look at you with hope in their eyes that you might be the one to save them from a certain death, and I also see dogs who have totally given up and just hang their heads in despair.

I am truly hoping that this new state of the art facility will bring people out to it to search for a dog that they might otherwise not look for. Maybe we will see fewer dogs euthanized each year. It really is up to all of us.

I recently rescued a dog and I love him so much. Wally is my little Border Terrier and I knew he would be mine as soon as I saw him. This is our second rescue dog. It would have been easy to go get a pedigreed dog, but I can guarantee you that little Wally is the most appreciative dog I have ever owned.

If you simply do not like visiting the old shelter, I hope you will give the new shelter a chance on April 27th. Make sure to tell your friends too.

Texas Tech Baseball - Good Entertainment at a Cheap Price

2011-03-27T14:26:00.000-05:00

There are always things to do in Lubbock. You can go to the movies, check out a concert occasionally, see bands at a number of venues on the weekends, watch a play, participate in a number of recreational pursuits, or go to an athletic event. I doubt you will see any that are as fun to watch, as professionally packaged, and as cheap as Texas Tech baseball.

I took my family to see Texas tech play Nebraska on Saturday and could not believe how much fun it was. Texas Tech is a first rate college baseball program and competes against some of the very best programs in the nation. On this day, Tech won the game 10-8 and if you like baseball, you would have loved this one. It had everything. It had good pitching, bad pitching, good hitting, bad hitting, tremendous base running, home runs,k strategy, everything.

What makes Texas Tech baseball even better is that it really is inexpensive to attend. My wife, son, and I paid $25 total to get into the gate. Adults cost $9 and students are $7. There are not many places that you can get this high level sports entertainment at such a low cost.

There were about 3500 fans at the game and that is good. Could it get better? I think it will as Coach Spencer continues to build a team that will someday compete for the Big 12 Championship and possibly an NCAA crown. If you like fun, Texas Tech Baseball is where it's at.

The Billy Gillispie Era Begins at Texas Tech

2011-03-20T19:46:00.001-05:00

The news everyone expected has finally come true. Billy Gillispie has been hired to take over the basketball program at Texas Tech. People were talking about Gillispie being hired even before Pat Knight was fired. He will be the 14th head coach in the history of Texas Tech Basketball.

I am not writing this to bring news to you. Everyone who cares about Tech basketball already knows about it. I am writing this to give my opinion. I really liked Pat Knight. I do believe he will be a very good coach someday, but things just did not work out here in Lubbock. I think Pat Knight has a work ethic as good as anybody's but it takes more than that to succeed in college basketball.

Gillispie is a proven winner. Many people questioned Tech's leaders when they decided to hire Bobby Knight's son to take over a D-1 basketball program when he had absolutely no experience as a head coach on any level. Gillispie, on the other hand, has proven that he can take a down program and turn it into a winner. He hasn't down it once. He did it at UTEP and again at Texas A&M. The experiment of seeing if a legend's son can produce a winner did not work. Tech had to go with a proven winner this time and I believe they have found the right man for the right job.

Gillispie was an assistant coach at South Plains College in Levelland so he knows the area and the people. It is not like he has never been in Lubbock. Additionally, he turned a weak Texas A&M program into a winner. That means he knows what it takes to win in the Big 12 Conference. If you look at this job as trying to fit a piece into the puzzle, it looks like Gillispie is a perfect fit for what Tech needs.

Let's face it. This was a senior laden team, so next year could be a lean year for Tech, but give Gillispie a chance to go out a recruit and I think brighter days are ahead for Texas Tech Basketball. Who knows though. Gillispie has shown in the past that he turn a program into a winner quickly. Guns Up!

China Acupuncture Clinic Lubbock

2011-03-18T21:16:00.000-05:00

I once went to an acupuncturist for high blood pressure and had some amazing results. That was 30 years ago. Now, I have a few new ailments that western medicine has not been able to help me with. That is why I have once again turned to acupuncture. The place I decided to use is the China Acupuncture Clinic here in Lubbock, which is at 2315 50th Street, Suite D.

The practitioner of this acupuncture clinic is Ning Qian, a small, quiet woman who has practiced in the United States for 17 years. She practiced in China for 16 years prior to that and is a graduate of Nanjing Traditional Medical University in China and is Texas Board of Medical Examiners certified.

I told Ning what I was concerned about and she told me that she could help me with. I went into the treatment room and she explained to me that she uses disposable needles and that she places the needles in acupoints that allow the blood and energy to flow through the channels where the needles are. She told me the body has 360 acupoints and 14 channels. She also said that acupuncture can treat around 200 conditions.

Once she had the needles in place, she hooked up an electric current to the needles. Apparently, this enhances the effectiveness of the treatment. None of the placement of the needles hurt and the electric charge just felt like a small prick that went on and off. Once the electric charge was started, I was asked to lay there for 25 minutes. It was very relaxing. I think I fell asleep during the treatment. All in all, the treatment was easy. It took a total amount of about one hour from start to finish.

I will need to return at least twice per week for two or three weeks and then once a week until I have received at least ten treatments to get the full effect. Ning also believes in Chinese herbs to further enhance treatment. I am hoping to lessen the need on the high amount of medicine I currently take. I do believe in acupuncture and I know that Ning will be able to help me. I will report at the end of treatment to let you know how it all turned out. If you are interested in the China Acupuncture Clinic, you can call at 806-796-2969.

The Verdict is In on Red Mango Lubbock and It Is Delicious and Healthy

2011-03-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

This might sound crazy, but now you can eat a delicious treat and not worry about it being unhealthy. That's right! Red Mango is the place to go for a healthy and delicious dessert. I visited Red Mango in Lubbock today and had a cup of frozen yogurt. The best compliment I can give them is to say that I will definitely return for more.

Let me tell you a little about the yogurt at Red Mango before I tell you about my visit. Red Mango is the first yogurt retailer in the United States to receive the Live & Active Cultures seal from the non-profit organization that represents yogurt manufacturers. That organization is the National Yogurt Association. It only awards the seal to yogurt that contains enough live and active cultures to be considered healthy.

Why do we need live and active cultures in our yogurt? These cultures, also known as probiotics, are friendly bacteria similar to those that naturally exist in our digestive system to keep us healthy. The probiotcs that Red Mano's frozen yogurt delivers are L. bulgaricus, S. thermophilus, L. acidophilus, and L. lactis. Red Mango is also the first and only retailer to incorporate GanedenBC30 which is a probiotic culture with the very best health benefits. In other words, Red Mango yogurt promotes digestive health and supports a healthy immune system. That is fantastic but it becomes even better when you taste it and realize that something that tastes good can also be so good for you.

Now back to my visit. Red Mango is in the Village Shopping Center on the corner of Quaker and 82nd Street. It actually faces Quaker and is just two doors down from the Mud Room and right next to the Starbucks that is being rebuilt. The store is very clean and one wall is full of self serve frozen yogurt machines. You can taste a few samples and then serve your own pick. After dispensing the yogurt into your cup, there is a fixings bar where you can top your dessert with just about anything you can think of.

The staff was among the friendliest staff I have ever dealt with. My son was with me and they made him feel right at home and that is no small feat. He has autism and is not good in social situations. The cost of the yogurt is figured per ounce. We had our yogurt weighed and paid for it, then went outside to enjoy it. There is ample seating inside as well.

Oh yeah, one more thing. Red Mango also has smoothies made with real fruit and with Stevia instead of high fructose corn syrup.. I will be back soon and I cannot wait to try a smoothie.

You really need to give Red Mango a try. Your body will love it and your taste buds will be happy. What more could you want?

Good-Bye Pat Knight and Good Luck!

2011-03-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it was bound to happen after a poor total record over three years of only 50-61 and a Big 12 record of 16-43, Pat Knight was fired. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one side, I can completely understand why the administration fired Knight. Here it is, 3 1/2 years after taking over the head job and Coach Knight could not get the team to where even he thought it should be this year and that is the NCAA tourney. On the other side, Pat Knight is a hard worker who put his heart and soul into his job. He ran a clean program and his players graduate. For that reason, I hate to see him go.

I always enjoyed watching the Texas Tech basketball team play under Pat Knight. You knew he expected the best out of all of his players. It was not uncommon to see a player take a seat on the bench if they did not have their head into the game, even if that player was the star of the team. Not all college coaches will do that. Pat was also very entertaining. I will never forget the time that he rushed the court to go after an official only to get kicked out of the game. On his way to the locker room, he rushed the floor again only to be restrained by an assistant. Of course, he used the time to coach a little more before he left the court.

I want to wish Coach Knight the best of luck wherever he goes. A lot of people are not aware that when a head coach is fired, most or all of his assistants go too. That is a shame because there is some great talent on the coaching staff. I wish all of the assistants luck too.

It will be interesting to see who Texas Tech brings in to take over the basketball program. I will support whoever it is and I hope that this coach can get us to the next level. I firmly believe that Pat Knight will be a better coach somewhere else after going through what he went through here at Tech. Let's all hope he lands on his feet and continues on toward success as a basketball coach.

Daybreak HCS - What is it?

2011-02-18T15:57:00.000-06:00

I have a son with a disability. He has Down syndrome and Autism. He is a great kid but he will always need supports to help him as he grows into adulthood. Because of the issues that revolve around his life, we signed him up for the Home and Community Based Services Program (HCS). The HCS program has a long waiting list. We signed him up when he was 10 and he will probably not be entered into it until he is around 20 or 21. That is fine with us because that is when he will need it most.

So, what is HCS? The Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services website says that " HCS provides individualized services and supports to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are living with their family, in their own home or in other community settings, such as small group homes."

Services include:

Case management
Adaptive aids
Minor home modifications
Counseling and therapies (includes audiology; speech/language pathology, occupational or physical therapy; dietary services; social work; and psychology)
Dental treatment
Nursing
Residential assistance
Supported home living
Foster/companion care
Supervised living
Residential support
Respite
Day habilitation
Supported employment
Other Eligibilty Requirements are:

No age limit.

Must not be enrolled in another Medicaid waiver program.
Must have had a determination of mental retardation made in accordance with state law or have been diagnosed by a physician as having a related condition.
Must meet specific requirements for intelligence quotient (IQ).
Must have chosen the HCS Program over the Intermediate Care Facilities for Persons with Mental Retardation Program.
Have an individual plan of care that does not exceed a specific annual cost limit.

We will probably use Daybreak HCS when the time comes for our son to enter the HCS program. Daybreak has programs all across the state but it has a large reach here in Lubbock. You may not be aware of this but there are many group homes right here in many of Lubbock's neighborhoods offering people with disabilities the chance to live, work, and play in as normal a way as possible. These homes are staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week. The clients who live in the homes have jobs or attend day habilitation services, but this is not all that Daybreak offers. Look at this list of all that Daybreak offers here in Lubbock:

ICF-MR services
Residential Support
Foster Care or Companion Living
Supported Home Living
Day Services such as Day Hab, Work Training Centers, Supported Employment
Support Management
Nursing
Respite in home, out of home and in crisis situations
Psychological Services
Dietary Services
Environmental Modification
Adaptive Equipment
Audiology
Speech Therapy
Occupational Therapy
Physical Therapy
Social Work Services

We are appreciative to have such a great program right here in Lubbock. There are others and I would love to feature them but I know about Daybreak and they are impressive. If you need more information about HCS in Lubbock go to daybreak-hcs.com

Lubbock's New Animal Rescue Shelter Nearing Completion

2011-02-18T14:30:00.000-06:00

Lubbock had a great deal of trouble trying to find a place to build the new animal shelter. The location it is being built on still disappointed some people, but at least it is being built. This must be a very well built center because it has been being constructed for a few months now. I pass by the center every day on my way to work and there are always many people working on it. Here are a couple of pictures I took about 2 weeks ago. The animal shelter is farther along toward completion than these pictures show, but this shows you what it will look like.

The Lubbock Animal Shelter is being built out on the Loop on the southeast corner. It is next to one of the big domes that the city has. You can see it in the background. It looks like most people will be able to get to it by turning off Southeast Dr. and driving down the frontage road.

I sincerely wish that no animal ever had to go to the shelter, but we all know that will never happen. At least they will have a state of the art place and maybe more people will visit it and rescue these great dogs.

Wally is my rescue dog and I love him so much.

Red Mango Yogurt & Smoothies - Lubbock, Texas

2011-01-31T21:05:00.000-06:00

I love yogurt and smoothies so I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to see Red Mango Yogurt & Smoothies open up here in Lubbock. Red Mango is a chain of over 100 locations in 25 states that features all natural frozen yogurt, fresh fruit smoothies, yogurt parfaits, and probiotic iced teas.

Red Mango was first opened in Los Angeles in 2007 and has grown to over 100 stores in just three years. According to its website, Red Mango gets its name because “the mango, distinctly delicious and high in nutrition, becomes red at its optimal stage of ripeness. This symbolizes our ongoing commitment to provide the healthiest, tastiest and most innovative treats, snacks and meal replacements for our active and health-conscious consumers.”

Red Mango uses 100% all natural, nonfat and lowfat, kosher, and gluten-free frozen yogurt fortified with probiotics. They were the first frozen yogurt store to be certified by the National Yogurt Association with the Live & Active Cultures seal, which indicates the use of real yogurt. Mango also has a variety of fresh and nutritious toppings to finish off your yogurt. Yum Yum!

Red Mango in Lubbock will be in The Village Shopping Center which is on the corner of 82nd Street and Quaker Avenue. I have heard that they are going to try to open before Valentines Day but I have not confirmed that.

I know I can't wait. I will definitely follow up this post with a review after my first visit. I am sure it will be a good one.

Free Dentistry in Lubbock - January 29, 2011 at Abbeville Dentistry

2011-01-21T22:13:00.002-06:00

There are people all over Lubbock who need basic dental services but have no hope of ever being able to afford it. On January 29th between 8:00 and 2:00, Abbeville Dentistry of Lubbock is going to do something about it. Dr. Britt Bostick, Dr. Khater, Dr. Hawkins, Dr. Kharrat, Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Stephenson, Dr. Burden and the staff at Abbeville Dentistry are going to provide free extractions and fillings for the first 100 people who show up to their 79th Street Office.

This is part of a national movement that started 10 years ago called Dentistry From the Heart. This non-profit organization is dedicated to providing free dental care to people who are in need of it. Every year, individual dentists and practices across the country donate their time and resources to host their own Dentistry From the Heart events. Abbeville Dentistry decided they they wanted to give back to their community by creating this event for those people in Lubbock who need it the most.

The founder of Dentistry From the Heart is Vincent Monticciolo from New Port Richey, Florida. He decided, in 2001, to offer a full day of free dental care. The movement took hold when the second host joined the movement in 2005 and 900 people were served. Within three years, over 5,000 patients were served in over 60 events in 29 states. Here it is ten years later and Dentistry From the Heart is forecasted to serve over 30,000 patients and provide $6 million of free dental care in 250 events in 48 states and Canada this year.

You must be 18 years of age or older and it is highly recommended to arrive early as there will only be time to serve approximately 100 patients. The services will be basic dental care such as extractions and fillings. The location of the Lubbock Dentistry From the Heart is at the Abbeville Dentistry office at 5255 79th Street which is very near Ed Irons Middle School. If you have any questions, you can call Abbeville Dentistry during office hours at 806-794-7171.

It is always great to see how the people of Lubbock reach out to those in need. There are many people who are living in pain and who have health problems that can be directly attributed to their dental problems. Kudos go to Dr. Bostick, Dr. Khater, Dr. Hawkins, Dr. Kharrat, Dr. Wilkins, Dr. Stephenson, Dr. Burden and the staff at Abbeville Dentistry for this wonderful service. If you know anyone who may be in a position to need this service, please get the word out to them. Go to Abbeville Dentistry's Facebook page or this blog's Facebook page and "like" them. By doing so, the word will be sent out to more people and those in need may have a better chance of finding out about the event.

Here is a Youtube video that tells a little about the event. As I watched it and heard Dr. Monticciolo say that it was his way of giving back to his community, I realize that we all could do a better job of that, so I want to congratulate the wonderful dentists of Abbeville Dentistry right here in the great city of Lubbock, Texas for setting an example that the rest of us need to follow.

Children under the age of 18 can get care at Give Kids a Smile which can be found at http://www.gkas.org

The Next Major Concerts Set For Lubbock, Texas - Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, Sugartown, and Little Big Town

2011-01-16T11:59:00.005-06:00

We know that George Strait and Reba McEntire are coming to the United Spirit Arena on March 26, 2011 but now there is news that a couple of other big time concerts are coming. Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top is coming on May 11th and Sugarland and Little Big Town will be here on May 26th.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd/ZZ Top and Little Big Town/Sugarland concerts are apparently not finalized but the bands are already announcing them.

Sounds like some fun is coming to Lubbock, Texas.

Check the links on the page to find a Select-A-Seat Ticket Office for Tickets. Select-A-Seat is the best option for finding tickets.

Zio's Italian Kitchen Coming to Lubbock in Old Zookini's Building

2011-01-15T23:20:00.004-06:00

Update on April 25th: Zio's Italian Kitchen Facebook site claims that they are opening on May 4th.

Zookini's in Lubbock closed just a few weeks ago and now a new restaurant is being built in the building. Zio's Italian Kitchen is coming to Lubbock. I was driving down 82nd Street today on the way to Bodywork's when I noticed that there was some activity going on in the old Zookini's building. I didn't stop until later and by then the doors were closed and locked and the builders were gone.

I took a picture of the door which is announcing the new Zio's Italian Kitchen and then I took a picture of the inside of the building. As you can see, the entire inside of the building has been demolished, so I think we can say that the new restaurant will not be open for a while. I will try to contact the owners and see what information they can give me. In the meantime, here is what I have have found about Zio's Italian Kitchen:

Zio's has 15 restaurants throughout Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. They call themeselves a kitchen because of the emphasis on their fresh food that is cooked to order and from scratch. The dining area is going to be large and roomy so that large groups can be handled. Apparently the kitchen is designed so that you can see the food being prepared. I know I am looking forward to trying out Zio's Italian Kitchen.

Here are the categories of food on the Zio's menu:

Appetizers, Homemade soups, Zio's Classic Pastas, Zio's House Specialties, Baked Pastas, Calzones and Sandwiches, Brick Oven Pizzas, Signature Drinks, Wine List, Desserts, Kid's Menu, Pronto Luches

I will cover the opening of Zio's Italian Kitchen in more detail when it opens. If any of you find out when it is going to open, please e-mail me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com so that I can tell others.

A Rant About Ticket Prices for Texas Tech Basketball

2011-01-11T22:11:00.000-06:00

I decided that I would go to the Texas Tech vs. Texas basketball game tonight at the United Spirit Arena. I was absolutely shocked when I walked up to the ticket booth and saw the sign that said that all tickets were $30. I am not cheap. I like good entertainment and am willing to pay for what I think is worth it and that is why I turned around and walked away. By the way, I wasn't the only one who turned and walked away. I hung around for awhile to see if someone had an extra ticket that they might want to sell for a discount. During that wait, I saw a few dozen people walk up to the ticket office and turn and walk away.

Texas Tech is a very mediocre basketball team. I think we can safely assume that Pat Knight is probably coaching his last few games at Tech. I hate to see him go. I really like him and I think he is a good coach, but this team had high expectations and have come up sorely short of those expectations. At the first of the season, Knight stated that this was a make or break year and knew that his team's performance would be the reason he is rehired or fired next year. The team has a poor record that will do nothing but get a lot worse as they have not played some of the top teams in the conference yet.

Here is my gripe. If this Red Raider team was in the midst of a great year and were playing like a NCAA Tournament bound team, $30 to see a pivotal game against Texas would be more than worth it. Instead, Texas Tech basketball is losing its fan base quickly. I can remember a few years ago having a hard time getting a ticket to the Texas vs Texas Tech game because Tech was competitive. I really think Tech should be doing whatever it can to get as many people in the seats as they can. Prices like these will not do it.

I sincerely hope that future home games will cost about half of what this game did. I also hope that the Red Raiders can turn the season around and Pat Knight can save his job. For some reason, I doubt any of that will happen.

Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock - Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Great Times

2011-01-11T21:03:00.000-06:00

I really love Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant in Lubbock. It has a fantastic atmosphere. In fact, it is set in a traditional Mexican courtyard type setting. In the summertime, there is actually an outdoor courtyard and bar where you can eat and listen to some great Local talent sing and play. What could be better than that?

When I first came to Lubbock, I thought Abuelo's was a locally owned restaurant, but I then found out that it has over 40 restaurants in 15 states. I never knew until I did some research that the Abuelo's in Lubbock is the original. Maybe that is why it consistently gets good reviews. Abuelo's is the type of place you want to go to when you are looking for a calm and serene atmosphere with superb service and great tasting traditional Mexican food. It is big enough to handle large groups and cozy enough for a couple, but you may want to call ahead in case you have a group because, even though it is a large building, it gets really busy around 6 PM.

Here is the Lubbock menu. It is a pdf file. Abuelo's is located at 4401 82nd Street and is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 AM to 10 PM and Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 11 PM.

Where to Go For Tires or Oil Changes and More in Lubbock - How About McWhorter's

2011-01-06T18:44:00.001-06:00

I live about 1/2 mile from McWhorter's Tires on 50th Street and Boston in Lubbock. Anytime I need to get a tire flat fixed, I always go to McWhorter's They are usually fairly fast, they are very nice, they have good prices and they do a great job. I also like their waiting area because it usually has a game on while I'm waiting.

The other day, I had a slow leak in one of my truck tires and needed to get it fixed. While the truck was in there, I also decided to get my tires rotated and get an oil change and lube. I left the truck and walked home and got a call about an hour later that it was ready. I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised that the final cost for all of that was about $40. Good work, pleasant people, and good prices. That makes it a business I will go back to again when I need them.

I have bought tires there before and I liked that they gave me the options of what was available and did not try to pressure me to pay for something I really did not need. I had that happen to me at another tire place a few years back and I will never trade with them again.

One of the things that bothers me most is the constant upsells that most oil and lube places try for when you take your car in for an oil change. They bring your air filter in or your interior compartment filter in and tell you they need to change it. They then tell you they need to do a transmission service. You go in for a $20 to $30 oil change and they try to get you up to $120 or $130. McWhorter's has never done that to me.

McWhorter's has been in business since 1942 when Ross McWhorter. Virgil Rickel bought it in 1979 and eventually opened a 3rd, 4th, and 5th location in addition to the main location and truck center. The latest place that opened is on Spur 327 and Frankford next to the Valero Service Station and across the street from Frank Brown Auto. It is a tire and lube center and is a state of the art business.

Here are the Lubbock locations and their phone numbers. If you need tires or oil changes, give McWhorter's a try:

Main Store [Downtown] 1008 Texas Avenue
(10th & Texas) 79401-- Lubbock, Texas

1-806-762-0231
Toll -Free 1-800-288-9073

Retail Store [Southside] 2702 50th Street
(50th & Boston) 79413 -- Lubbock, Texas

1-806-792-5161

Truck Center [Clovis Hwy]
213 North Avenue U -- Lubbock Texas
1-806-763-8208
Toll Free 1-800-441-5259

Tire Center and Fast Lube Shop [S.W Lubbock, Spur 327 and Frankford]
5807 Frankford Ave. -- Lubbock Texas 79424

1-806-785-9666

Free Advertising for Lubbock Businesses, Events, People Right Here

2011-01-03T22:37:00.002-06:00

LubbockTexasLubbockTexas is a blog I created in July 2009 to feature the people, places, events, and businesses of Lubbock, Texas. I like to think of it as a place where people can come to learn the inside story of what makes Lubbock the great place it is.

I have created over 100 posts since I started the blog. You will notice that I never create negative reviews of any of the businesses. If I am not impressed with a place, I find it better to not say anything because I would never want to hurt any business here in Lubbock. My belief about a place may be totally opposite of another person's opinion so there is no reason to attack a business.

I have never asked for money, merchandise, or favors from any of the businesses, events, places, or people I feature. I make my money from the affiliations I have with advertising companies. That means that every business I feature is getting 100% free advertising. The traffic that comes to the blog is very laser targeted so it means any business you may get as a result of someone coming to the blog and reading a detailed article that brings your business to life is a bargain. All it will cost you is the time for me to come to your business and interview you, take some pictures, and find out what makes your business so unique.

Let me give you an example of the type of laser targeted traffic I get. I have had a number of people come to the blog by doing a search for "best hamburger in Lubbock." Two of the top 5 links on page 1 of Google for that search are for two restaurants I reviewed.(search as of Monday, January 3, 2011). A person is very likely going to visit a place that has the reviews I made because I tell details and provide pictures. Again, this is free to you. All you invest is your time and that is a small amount of time too.

When I started this blog, it was really just a hobby. I have been a teacher for 30 years and I am still employed so I just spent time on the blog when I had time to focus on it. My revenue has increased with more posts and I have decided it is time to make a real business out of my blog. I want LubbockTexasLubbockTexas to be the premiere site to come to when people want to know more detail about some of the businesses, events, places, and people who make up our great city of Lubbock, Texas.

I want to feature businesses. I would love to find out what drove you to open the business and how it has progressed to become the business it is. I want to let people see the personality of your business and why it is a place they should spend money at.

I want to feature any events that may be coming up. People search for events that associate with a cause because Lubbockites are giving people. Let's get into the real detail of what your cause is and why people should support it.

I want to feature churches, schools, day cares, hospitals, and anything else that have given Lubbock its character. Let's tell people why they should come to your church. I do searches all of the time for churches and try to find out what kind of music they play but it is next to impossible to find that out. I can put a spotlight on your church that will open your doors easier.

I would love to focus on people. There are stories out there that people of Lubbock would love to hear. I want to focus on people who make a difference, people who are struggling and could use some help, people who have overcome an obstacle and how it changed their life, and people who do unusual or typical jobs. By focusing on the people, readers will see why Lubbock is one of the best places to live. You cannot believe how many people come to the blog from towns all across the country looking for information about Lubbock. I wonder if they are looking for a place to visit or live. This blog could give them a glimpse into Lubbock and they will see why it might fit them like a glove.

If you are interested in being featured or know someone who should be featured, call me at 241-9973. If I do not answer, I am in the middle of a lesson at school. Just leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com.

I will never post my story about your business, place, event, etc. until you have read it first and approved it. I hope you will help me take this blog to a level that will ensure your success and mine. Thank you for your time.

Bruce Bussell
806-241-9973
bruce@bruzzbuzz.com

Lubbock's Christmas Tree Recycling Program

2010-12-26T22:19:00.000-06:00

This news about where to drop off Christmas Trees is from the City of Lubbock.

Beginning Sunday, December 26th, 2010, residents can drop-off their fresh-cut Christmas trees at the two permanent drop-off locations:

Northside, 208 Municipal Drive
Southside, 1631 84th Street

Please remove plastic coverings, all decorations, and bases or tree stands from the fresh-cut trees before taking them to the drop-off location.

From December 26th through January 15th, residents can place trees in roll-off containers located outside of the gates at the drop-off location.

After January 15th through the rest of the month, the roll-off containers will be inside the gates, and residents can drop off trees between 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Must Sees in Lubbock, Texas

2010-12-26T20:47:00.000-06:00

People visiting Lubbock often ask what there is to do. There are plenty of places to see and things to do in Lubbock and here are 2 of the more interesting ones.

Buddy Holly Center - 1801 Crickets Avenue
Closed Mondays - Open Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM & Sunday 1PM to 5 PM
The Buddy Holly Center is a permanent exhibition of memorabilia dedicated to showcasing Buddy Holly's unique but short life. The Center also house the Texas Musicians Hall of Fame and the Lubbock Fine Arts Gallery.
Admission is:
Buddy Holly Gallery

General Admission: $5
Senior Citizens (60+): $3
Children 7 - 17: $2
Students (with college ID): $2
Children 6 and under: Free
Members: Free
Active Duty Military (in uniform): Free

Silent Wings Museum - 6202 N. I-27

Closed on Mondays - Open Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM & Sunday 1PM to 5PM

The Silent Wings Museum, a public institution, preserves and promotes the history of the World War II military glider program by creating an environment for collecting, documenting, interpreting and exhibiting artifacts and information for public education and enjoyment.

The Silent Wings Museum will take you back to World War II and tell you the story of the mainstay of the United States Glider Force that flew in every major invasion of the war.

There are exhibits, a library, reading room, research center and more.

Admission is:

General Admission $5.00

Senior Citizens(60+) $3.00

Children 7 - 17 $2.00

Students (with college ID) $2.00

Children 6 and under FREE

Museum Members FREE

Active Duty Military (in uniform) FREE

What About Applebee's in Lubbock? Is It Any Good?

2010-12-24T00:16:00.000-06:00

It's funny how big chain restaurants often get the harshest criticisms from sites like Urbanspoon and Tripadvisor. You would think with the wealth of experience available to the franchisees that they would offer the best customer service and most delicious food, yet when you do a search of Applebee's in Lubbock you are not going to be impressed with the reviews.

It seems that more people have left bad reviews than good reviews for Applebee's in Lubbock on the food review sites. The number one complaint is regarding the waiter or waitress. The second criticism is leveled at the food preparation. I have a theory about food reviews. I think people who got bad service or bad food are way more likely to go online and leave a bad review than those people who went to a restaurant and got good service and good food. For that very reason, I do not usually put much stock into online reviews. I go eat at the restaurant and make my own review. Here is what I think of Applebee's in Lubbock.

There are 2 Applebee's in Lubbock. One is at 6501 4th Street and the other one is 4025 South Loop which is on the restaurant row which includes iHop, Jason's Deli, Cheddar's, and Outback. The one on the Loop is the one I prefer mainly because it is closer to my house.

I have always been happy with the hostess sitting us and with the wait staff. I do understand that Applebee's is one of the busiest restaurants in town and I understand that the wait staff have more people than me to serve so I do not get upset if they get sidetracked a little. I just do not want to be ignored and I have never been ignored at Applebee's.

I am one of those guys who loves Cheeseburgers and Chicken Fried Steak and that is what I usually stick to in a restaurant like Applebee's. I am always very happy with the amount of food, the freshness of it, and the taste. The hamburgers are plenty filling and I love the fries. The chicken fried steak is not the best in town but it is very good and the sides are fantastic.

Once my wife and I decided to get the 2 for $20 deal. It comes with one appetizer and 2 entrees. We picked the Queso Blanco and I had the Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs with Fettuccine and my wife had the Oriental Chicken Salad. I do think that this deal is one of the best values at any restaurant in Lubbock. As usual, it was served quickly and was delicious.

I have posted many reviews for some of the lesser known restaurants out there, but I notice that many people come here looking for some of the bigger chain restaurants so I want to make sure that I talk about more choices in Lubbock. Let me know if you have any comments about any of the places I have reviewed. Make sure to subscribe so that you can receive my new posts in your Inbox.

A Review of Chipotle Mexican Grill in Lubbock, Texas

2010-12-21T21:44:00.001-06:00

Lubbockites had waited for years for Chipotle Mexican Grill to come to Lubbock and they have been rewarded with a restaurant in an almost perfect location, just East of the Texas Tech campus on Glenna Goodacre Drive right behind the Starbucks which is on the corner of Glenna Goodacre and University. To the left is a picture I took of Chipotle's just tonight. There is ample parking and it is very well lit. Between the seating inside and the big patio, you will have enough room to sit just about anytime of the day.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is considerate of our fragile environment. They prefer to use organic produce as much as possible and utilize local family owned farms. They are even sensitive to the environment in building their restaurants. This restaurant uses Agriboard for its building shell and roof panels. Agriboard is a building material that uses compressed wheat straw for insulation, and engineered wood product for faces and frames.

Now, for the food. I was not sure what to expect when I went to Chipotle's for the first time. What I found out was that you get a lot of food and you get it pretty much the way you want. It is fresh and it is great too. The tortillas they use to make their burritos are huge. They need to be to hold an ample amount of chicken, shredded pork, steak, or other meat, rice, beans, salsa, corn, and whatever else you choose to add to your burrito. The burrito is wrapped tightly and I promise it will fill you up. To the right is a photo of the burrito I bought. It had shredded beef, rice, pinto beans, pico de gallo, and cheese. I opened it up so you can see the ingredients. My wife could not even eat all of her burrito. I guarantee it will fill you up. The cost for my burrito was $6.25. Not bad for good fresh food. If you do not want a burrito, you can get a bowl, a taco, or a salad. Either way, it is a lot food.

I personally give Chipotle's Mexican Grill in Lubbock a 2 Guns Up Review. Give them a try. You will love it!

One Jack in the Box is Open in Lubbock. What About the Other One?

2010-12-20T23:25:00.000-06:00

Jack in the Box on the corner of 50th and Quaker has been open for a couple of weeks and it is busy. It does not seem to matter when you go to that Jack in the Box, the line for the drive thru is all the way back around the corner and the parking lot for people eating inside is packed. I get a lot of search queries from people wondering if the Jack in the Box on the corner of Slide and 98th is open. The answer is No, as of today, December 20, 2010 it is still being built. Here is a picture that I took today.

It looks like this Jack in the Box will not be open until sometime in January as the inside of the restaurant is pretty much empty. Of course, these building go up pretty fast from this stage, but they will have to train the employees too. I have asked the corporate office when they are opening the second one but I never get a response. I am hoping some of you readers of this blog have heard when it is opening and can pass on the information. Either leave it in the comments or email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com.

In Search of Lubbock's Best Hamburger - Christakis Burgers

2010-12-18T23:39:00.000-06:00

I have been on a search lately for Lubbock's best hamburger. My search led me to a small restaurant on 34th Street and Avenue K in East Lubbock. I never know what to expect when going into a restaurant that I have never been in, so imagine my surprise when I walk in to an older building and find an extremely clean and neat dining area and kitchen. You can see by the picture of the dining area that this is one of the cleanest restaurants you will visit in Lubbock. I counted 7 "Top Performing Restaurants" Certificates on the wall and I can understand why Christakis is often recognized as a clean place.

I visited Christakis around 3:00 in the afternoon which is not a busy time for any restaurant, but Christakis' drive thru had a steady stream of customers and were greeted by a pleasant woman taking their order. The same woman took my order and was positively delightful. You can tell that she loves her job and loves preparing and serving top notch food.

I do not have a photo of the menu but I noticed that burgers was not the only meal they served. They served Chicken Fried Steak, sandwiches, Mexican Food and more. Of course, my visit was in search of the best hamburger in Lubbock, so I ordered a Jumbo Cheeseburger, Fries, and a Diet Coke. The meal cost me $7.50 which is a little more than I am used to paying for a similar meal, but the size of the burger and the amount of fries I received made it worthwhile.

I have included a photo of the cheeseburger and fries. The cheeseburger was made with 100% fresh beef and the vegetables were among the freshest I have ever seen on a burger. The fries were outstanding. They were crispy, yet they had a lot of "meat" in them. I love thick fries but it is a bonus when those old fashioned fires come to you hot and crisp too.

I enjoyed the burger, but is it the best in Lubbock? If it is not the best it is close. Add the cleanliness of the restaurant and you cannot go wrong eating at Christakis Burgers.

I do want to add that I am not reimbursed for any of my reviews. In fact, the staff never even know who I am because I never let anyone there know who I am and what I am doing. The reason all of my reviews are positive is that I will not write a negative review. if I visit a place and do not like it, I simply will not write a review for it.

I hope you will either bookmark this blog or sign up for email alerts when I post a new article. Thanks for all of you Lubbockites for following the blog. My traffic has grown over double the amount it used to receive and I hope it grows even more as I post more information about the great place of Lubbock, Texas.

Tommy's Burgers #2 - Great Hamburgers in Lubbock

2010-12-14T22:24:00.000-06:00

Tommy's Burgers #2 is out on the Idalou Highway. Look at the pictures on this post and you can see that the Tommy's Burgers building has seen better days, but if you like old fashion hamburgers, Tommy's Burgers #2 is the place to go.

Tommy's Burgers #2 sits out on the east side of Lubbock amongst empty buildings and vast expanse of nothing. This side of town has had much better days, but at least, Tommy's is still there. That is the point I want to make here. Just about every business out on the Idalou Highway near Tommy's is gone and has been gone for years, so for Tommy's Burgers to still be there and be so successful tells you that they must have good food at a good value.

I love old fashion hamburgers. To me, an old fashion hamburger has just enough grease on it to have that great taste that takes you back a few years. It is made exactly the way you want it and it is cooked while you wait and is hot enough to give your hand just a bit of a burn when picking it up. The fries have to be old fashion too, and the coke needs that good crushed ice we all remember from mom and pop hamburger stands of yesteryear. Tommy fits the bill on all categories mentioned above.

I took a picture of the menu. You might need to click on it to make it enlarge to see it. My jumbo cheeseburger, fries and coke cost me less than $6. You can't beat that. Give Tommy's Burgers a try. You will love it.

Mar y Tierra Mexican Food Restaurant - Lubbock's Best?

2010-12-11T00:04:00.002-06:00

Mar y Tierra is my favorite Mexican Food Restaurant in Lubbock, Texas. No, it is not on the main beaten path of Lubbock and it does not portray itself as a hot spot. Most people probably drive right by it daily and have never even noticed that it is there. That is a shame too, because this is authentic Mexican food at its best.

Mar y Tierra is at 2722 50th Street which is right across the street from the old Furr's Cafeteria in the Monterrey Center.

I love the salsa although it is probably not like most salsas you will get anywhere else. When I try out a Mexican food restaurant to include in my blog, I usually get the combination plate because it gives the best snapshot of just how good the food is. I have talked to other people who have mentioned great dishes such as camarones ala ola verde (shrimp with green sauce) and the snapper ala pancha. I doubt you will get dishes like that at most places in Lubbock.

The food at Mar y Tierra does not taste like so many of the other Mexican food restaurants out there because it simply is not Tex-Mex and I like that. There is absolutely nothing fancy about Mar y Tierra but that doesn't matter if you like Mexican food. It has always been clean and the waitresses have been very attentive.

Look at this fantastic review from a patron who tells it like it is:
Authentic Mexican fare to write home to Madre about! You absolutely can't go wrong if you like "the original" Old Mexico style Mexican food. Of course they have Menudo. Why would you even ask? But that's only the beginning of their soups. The favored soup by patrons is the "7 seas" and the Caldo de Res (beef stew). Now my favorites are numerous, but I'll take time to mention three: The Botana de Ceviche is exquisite. This is a tostada spread with cold lemon cooked fish and pico de gallo... Perfection. My second dish is the Cheese Enchiladas. Mar Y Tierra does not use processed cheeses here. You can savor the natural sharp cheddar and Mexican White cheeses blend in a harmony of culinary Halleluja Chorus!! I'm telling you folks these are the best. This third dish is not for those set in the fish stick world of sea food. I'm talking Pescado Entero Talapia. The cooks take whole Talapia scaled, and sautee in a secret recipe then deep fry the fish, garnish and serve. Oh, Baby. This Talapia is the best I've had. I watched a 9 yr old boy devour this fish from one frito (crunchy fried) end to the other. I've eaten at every Tex Mex in town including the National chains. ?Que es to Papa? (Who's your daddy?) Toall of the other restaurants Mar Y Tierra is YOUR DADDY!

Give Mar y Tierra a try and then come back and tell me what you think, or you can email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com

Texas Tech Red Raiders Going to Ticket City Bowl in Dallas, Texas

2010-12-05T23:08:00.001-06:00

Texas Tech's Red Raider Football team will be playing in the Ticket City Bowl in the Cotton Bowl on January 1st. This is a new bowl game that was given to the Cotton Bowl when the Cotton Bowl game was permanently moved to the new Dallas Cowboy Stadium.

Tech will be playing Northwestern University which is out of the Big 10. In fact, this game will pit the Big 10's number 7 team against the Big 12's number 8. Both teams enter the game at 7-5 and both teams have had its share of ups and downs during the season.

The game will be the first game of 2011 as kickoff is scheduled for 11:00 AM. The game will be telecast on ESPNU. This will be the first time the two teams have met. Northwestern has lost 7 straight bowl games while Tech won their bowl game last year vs. Michigan State in the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

What Do You Think of The Lubbock Avalanche Journal Newspaper Sales at Major Intersections?

2010-12-05T20:23:00.002-06:00

You see them every Sunday at just about every major intersection around Lubbock. They are holding up signs stating that they are selling the Saturday and Sunday editions of the Lubbock Avalanche Journal for $2.00. They are the Sunday newspaper salesman. I talked to one of them a few weeks ago and asked him a few questions. I am not going to use his name or the intersection he was working at for fear of possibly getting him in trouble. I want to make sure that you know that the picture I have on this page is not the man I talked to. It is just a picture I took while at an intersection today.

The man I talked to is a friendly man but he looked like he might be either homeless or down on his luck, as most of these men and women look. I asked him if he enjoyed selling the papers and he responded that it was hard work but it beat not making any money at all. He told me that he gets 75 cents for every paper that he sells and that he averages about $140 each Sunday including much appreciated tips that some people give them. He works from sun-up to sundown and even longer, but insists that the $140 he makes weekly is enough to live on. He doesn't work anywhere else during the week.

The man did say that he is glad that the Avalanche Journal has this program because he might starve without it. I applaud the Journal for putting these men and women to work, but I am wondering what you think. I have heard some people are very critical of the newspaper sales. I think it beats having people on every corner begging for money. At least this is productive.

Please leave your comments or email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com and do not forget to subscribe to this feed as articles about Lubbock are updated regularly.

Jack in the Box Opens Wednesday, December 8th

2010-12-05T14:19:00.003-06:00

I was driving down 50th Street today and noticed the parking lot of Jack in the Box was full. I pulled up and asked if they were open. It turns out they were training their employees. The person I talked to said they will open on Wednesday, December 8th at 9AM. I am so excited. Oh yeah, they gave me a Jack Head antenna topped and a Smoothie.

Will This Be Pat Knight's Last Year as Texas Tech's Basketball Coach?

2010-12-04T09:01:00.005-06:00

I have watched Pat Knight's Red Raiders basketball team the past few years with great anticipation for this year. Who wouldn't? Coach Knight had a way of getting his young players to play with some very good opposition and even beat them some times. Remember Washington and Kansas the past 2 years?

Last year there was speculation that Coach Knight would be fired because his team did not make it to the NCAA tourney. I think the administration did the right thing in keeping Knight since he was returning a senior laden team that he had assembled with this year set as the year for a tournament berth.

Before the season began Patrick Knight was asked if he had to make a tournament berth to keep his job. He pretty much acknowledged that his Red Raiders needed to produce and he knows his time could be short as head coach if this team does not do better in the Big 12.

Last year, Tech got off to a great start and was even ranked. I knew that the team was headed for trouble when it started Big 12 play and that bore itself out as the season progressed. This season, with the same team back, most people expected the same quick start and a better showing in the Big 12. Instead it has been a disappointment.

Tech is currently sitting at 5-3 and goes to play a very good Washington team this Sunday. I can guarantee that the Huskies will be bent on revenge too.

The schedule only gets tougher and the already thin fan base will continue to dwindle as losses mount. This does not bode well for Coach Knight's future.

One positive on Coach Knight's side is his ability to recruit. It has been reported that his recruiting class to replace this senior bunch is as good as anyone could expect, so does that play into the administration's thought process as they look to the future of Red Raiders basketball?

Here is what worries me? Gerald Myers has announced his retirement. Who replaces him could be the major factor in Knight's future. Often, a new A. D. Will have a favorite that they might want to bring with them and that could spell doom for the Pat Knight era.

I am looking forward to a rejuvenated team as they hit the Big 12 schedule. The one thing you can always expect with a Pat Knight team is that he will push them and get the most out of them right up until the last second of the last game of the season. I am personally hoping that this Red Raider team can do the unexpected and become a real force by season's end.

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Uncle's Burgers Lubbock Review

2010-12-02T22:27:00.002-06:00

NOTE: UNCLE'S BURGERS IS NOW CLOSED AND THE ROOFTOP CAFE HAS TAKEN ITS LOCATION BACK.
Uncle's Burgers at 3300 82nd Street is a new restaurant that is in the building that once housed the Rooftop Cafe. I have noticed it a few times driving by but finally decided to give it a try. My son and I stopped in for an early dinner and I decided to give their Uncle's Cheeseburger with Tots. My son had the #1 Combo which is a quarter pounder, fries, and a drink. Here are pictures of our burgers before going to the fixins bar.

I have to tell you. I really enjoyed my cheeseburger. I cannot say it is as good as the burgers from Fuddruckers but it cost a heck of lot less which means something to me. It was definitely fresh and right off the grill. In fact, it tasted like it came right off the backyard grill. My burger was a half pound which is filling and there were plenty of tots and they were nice and crisp, the way Tots should be. The drinks were large and we were able to refill as much as we wanted.

Below is the menu. It is not a great picture but you can make out the prices. Just click on the photo to view it larger. Also pictured is a shot of the interior. The reason there is nobody in the restaurant at the time I took the picture is that we were there at an unusually early time, too late for lunch and too early for dinner. The picture of the exterior was taken at a later time. Give Uncle's Burgers a chance. I think you will like it.

Sharon Dykes Dies: In Remembrance of A coach's wife | Amarillo Globe-News

2010-12-01T21:47:00.001-06:00

Sharon Dykes: A coach's wife | Amarillo Globe-News: "Submitted by Jon Mark Beilue on Wed, 12/01/2010 - 9:46am

Sharon Dykes died Monday at age 70. If that name doesn't immediately connect, maybe this will help. She is the wife of former Texas Tech football coach Spike Dykes.

Sharon died in Lubbock after a lengthy fight against Alzheimer's Disease. Funeral services are set for 2 p.m. Thursday at Lubbock's First United Methodist Church. I would imagine the church will be full.

For decades, Sharon was the ultimate coach's wife. In a vagabond profession, she followed Spike to places like Coahoma, Eastland, San Angelo, Belton, Big Spring, Alice, Midland, Albuquerque and Austin."

Zoo-Kini's Closes

2010-11-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

Zoo-Kini's Restaurant on 82nd Street and Quaker closed its doors on November 30th. It has been placed into bankruptcy. This was a property of Benny Judah who has been convicted and is serving 25 years for his ponzi scheme that took millions of dollars from a great many Lubbockites.

Many people loved this restaurant but as of today, it is gone.

What Makes Lubbock a Nice Place to Live?

2010-11-22T20:34:00.000-06:00

What Makes Lubbock a Nice Place to Live?

What Makes Lubbock a Nice Place to Live? I have people ask me this all the time. I mean, Lubbock is not one of the most beautiful places on earth to live. It is flat as a pancake and the wind and dust blow often. How could you like living in a place like that? If you can look past the lack of beautiful landscape, you will find that Lubbock truly is a beautiful place.

Did you know that Lubbock is the 87th largest city in the United States? Its 225,000 people means that Lubock is large enough that you will probably find everything that you need here but what sets Lubbock apart is that it does not feel like a large city. Lubbock seems like a much smaller place because of the layout which is the simplest city I have ever been able to get around in.

The people of Lubbock are the one ingredient that sets this city apart from any other I have ever lived in. It is the friendliest and most "down home" group of people I have ever met. I have had so many other people tell me the same thing.

Another plus about Lubbock is that you will never find better medical facilities in a city this size. The radius of people that come to Lubbock for medical care is huge. People from all over West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico depend on Lubbock's medical community and it has grown into one of the most well respected medical communities in the nation as a result.

Okay, the wind can be bad but the weather is actually more mild than many other places mainly because of the lack of humidity. A 95 degree day here feels like 95 degrees but go to Dallas and that same 95 degree day will probably feel like 105. We have received over 22 inches of rain this year and we do get some snowfall but not enough to paralyze the city.

These are just a few of the reasons that Lubbock, Texas is such a great place to live. I really would like to hear what you have to say. Please leave comments or email me at bruce@bruzzbuzz.com.

'Tuna Christmas' times, tickets | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

2010-11-19T18:52:00.000-06:00

'Tuna Christmas' times, tickets | Lubbock Online | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: "Submitted by William Kerns on Fri, 2010-11-19 18:28
There is still time to see one of the season's funnier plays.

The 1989 comedy “A Tuna Christmas” — the second in a four-play series of comedies by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard that began with 1981’s “Greater Tuna” — will be staged at 7:30 p.m. today, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, at City Bank Auditorium, 2720 Drive of Champions.

There is no performance on Saturday because the venue's parking lot is needed for Texas Tech football parking."

IBM Invites Lubbock to Apply for Largest Philanthropic Investment Ever - The Smarter Cities Challenge

2010-11-19T18:00:00.001-06:00

I received a letter from IBM today encouraging Lubbock to apply for one of the 100 grants totaling $50 million they are handing out to cities nationwide. The letter stated "It’s designed to help cities around the country target specific local challenges and find technology-based solutions, and Lubbock is a great candidate."

You don't have to say more to me to make a quick post in the hopes that someone in our city government will see this and take action. Let me tell you more about the Smarter Cities Challenge. The grant could help with any number of things, from finding ways to streamline city administration to meeting transportation challenges using innovative technology. The program could, for example, find creative ways to use technology to augment the Citibus networks by building out Lubbock’s transit system. Or it could be put to use for something like the planning of a comprehensive bicycle path system through the city.

Of course, the grant program would help find technology-based solutions for any local projects or problems at all. If any of you out there know Mayor Tom Martin, here is where he can apply for this grant: In order for Lubbock to be eligible for the IBM grant, Mayor Martin would need to apply before December 31^st, and the application is online: https://smartercitieschallenge.org/reg.do.

Hey Lubbock, this sounds good. Anybody out there willing to take this to the city and get us our fair share of this huge amount of money?

Here is a video to tell you more about the Challenge: