Team Korea Shows Pride

In 2006, professional baseball started a new world wide tournament called World Baseball Classic. Team Japan beat out everyone to win the Championship.

In 2008 Team Korea won the Gold Medal in the Summer Games.

The Asian baseball world is proving it is among the best.

Two years ago I would have caredless, but now that I have a Korean son, having visited Seoul, and doing all I can to make sure the Korean culture is a part of our family life, I spent hours over the last 3 weeks watching Team Korea as they weaved their way into the World Baseball Classic Final against Japan Monday night at Dodger Stadium in LA.

They lost 5-3, in a 10 inning battle that proved to be one of the most exciting baseball games I have ever watched. For 4 hours nearly 40,000 Korean fans stood, chanted, whistled, clapped, cheered and loved on their boys from Seoul.

Though all of the players in this tournament are paid professionals in their home country, none make the 100s of millions most of the Team USA players do. I was cheering for Team USA too, but it was special to see "the love for the game" and "the love for my country" be the motivating factor in the eyes of both of these asian teams.

Koreans are a special, special people. There is much we could learn from them, even the way the play one of the games most of us love.

A Letter to President Obama

I am so frustrated by what this new President is doing I have decided to write him a letter. Here is a copy of it. I know he will never see nor read this, but at least I can feel better knowing I said my piece. This guy is destroying our country a little bit every single day!

http://conservativelight.blogspot.com/2009/03/letter-to-president-obama.html

Paul Always Told the Rest of the Story

I remember many, many times being in the car with dad as Paul Harvey would be telling yet another set of interesting stories. Only as I got older did I realize how great they were.

Sadly, Paul Harvey died this week and he will be missed. Some have asked me who he was which I find interesting. I am already getting so old that there are things in my life that have been there for years that others have no idea what they are.

Paul Harvey was a great AM radio commentator that shared short stories each day that had interesting twists and turns. Most would come to some "wow" ending and he would end it by saying, "And, that's the rest of the story".

Too bad he is gone. His story though will live on.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Being a licensed insurance agents means every 2-3 years I have to spend about 30 hours in "continuing education". I elected to do mine online and decided I would hit two birds with one stone and do so at my alma mater, Howard Payne University, in Brownwood, Texas. I try to get down there once a year or so at Homecoming or another time, so I thought this would make for the perfect "escape". Plus, I had two tests to take at the end of my online courses and it has been awhile since I have done that. Maybe HPU could bring back some old studying habits...

Brownwood is located just a few miles from the dead center of Texas. Or, as I like to say it, "in the middle of nowhere." Other than that, HPU and Underwoods BBQ there really isn't much special about the city. Being a big city boy myself (Houston/Dallas), Brownwood gives me a taste of the "other way" people live. Needless to say, I did it from 1991-1993, but I have no desire to do so again.

While I was there, I did get to visit a few places I cherish like Achmed and Bosa, the Regency Suspension Bridge, Purina Tower, the Spillway and Lake Brownwood, the old Club J building, my first ChickFiLa at the Heartland "Hall" and the dead center of Texas near the town of Brady, of all things.Life there is slow and the places dies down to nothing after 8pm and I do mean nothing - no car noises, no planes...nada.

A day or so later I was back in the Metroplex enjoying the city thinking about the old days and looking forward to tomorrow.

Yes, I did pass my exams and my hours are done....at least until 2011.

Family Enjoys Korean Meal

In celebration of Julie's birthday and Korean New Years, we met up with some co-adoptive friends, Tim and Margie and their kids, Ryan and Mary for a traditional Korean BBQ meal in Dallas. It was an incredible time of cooking and fun. What an experience and the meat was incredible.

We are doing all we can to create an arranged marriage between little Mary and our Quinny! She is just so cute and a little fireball at that!

BTW - Quinn LOVED the Korean food. He ate like there was no tomorrow...

Happy Korean New Years 2009!

Korean New Year (Seollal) starts today and runs the next three days! This is our first time celebrating this annual tradition with our son Quinn! We are excited and plan to honor this time, along with Julie's birthday this week by enjoying some Korean BBQ in Dallas!

This is the Year of the Ox!

Read what people in Seoul are doing this year to celebrate.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/01/24/200901240030.asp

For more read here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_New_Year

Big Girls Beds Rule the Day

Start with a little bit of pink paint, add a dash of leopard spots, some new sheets, 2 twin beds, and a twist in the arrangement of the furniture and you have a new phase.

Transition from toddler beds to big girls beds complete.

Our girls are no longer babies. Sniff, sniff.

This weekend marked the end of a phase and the start of a new one as we spent the weekend transforming their room into the "pinkvilla" it now is. They will always be daddy's babies, but in reality, my babies are now little girls sleeping their own "grown up" beds tonight.

Where is the pause button?

History Has Been Made - Change is Coming

Today history will be made.

No matter how you voted in 2008, today America takes a big step by inaugurating Barack Obama as the first African-American as President.

At 12:00 pm EST America will begin to change.

The problem is, the change coming does not look good. Look for an increase in taxes, spending, weaker defense, more acceptance of homosexuality, less moral accountability, rampant liberal agendas, liberal Judges, corrupt government officials and certainly more abortions. Sunday was "Sanctity of Life" day, yet starting today it is likely this administration will allow even more than the 1.3 million that already occur each year in this nation.

Tonight there will be a party in the streets of Washington that will make MTV look tame. Maybe Brooke and Wild On E! will show up...

In the 3 months since he became President-elect we have heard nothing but controversy already. Everyone he knows seems to have some kind of track record - corruption, fraud, socialistic ties, non-tax payers, immorality, strong liberal agendas, terrorists, racist pastors, you name it. Everyone this man seems tied to is questionable.

If he were a conservative candidate, he would have been run out of town for having even just a few of these connections. But he wasn't. Obama is lovable, gives good speeches, says all the right things, spent nearly 1 billion for adds, promises the world, and stands for nothing but everything so all people will like him. And people have emotionally fallen for it hook-line-and-sinker.

He has the celebrities, most of the media and even support from over 40% of those that call themselves Christians.

I am not trying to be a doomsayer. God is still in control even of Obama. But truth is God may very well allow us to lie in the bed we made by voting this man into office. Sometimes God does just that.

Heaven help us.

It is time we strive that conservative, Christian values are not lost forever. We must watch this administration like a hawk, prepare now for 2012 and pray like never before..

http://conservativelight.blogspot.com/

If You Did Not See This...HOLY COW!!!!!

You thought Evil Knievil was crazy.....you haven't seen nothin' yet.

If you have been to Vegas and seen the "Paris" hotel, you will recognize what this daredevil cyclist does in this out-of-your-mind stunt. He uses a small ramp to propel his way to the small top of the Arc de Triomphe replica and then free-fall drops off of it onto an even smaller landing ramp!!!! You gotta see this.

Open Arms for Another New Year

Welcome to 2009. It's a new year. All things start over, right?

For us a new tradition might have been born as we ventured out with the three children and watched the New Years Day Parade in downtown Dallas this afternoon. It was a great way to have some fun family time to start the new year off!

Some say 2008 was a year we want to put behind us and for the many I certainly understand why. For us it was one of the best years ever. We adopted a son, paid off some debts, got a few new cars, found a new church home, made some new friends and my business really did well.

I can only hope and pray 2009 is even better. We have our goals set and as usual they are many. Let's hope we can achieve a few at least.

Cheers to 2009 being the best year yet!

New Years In NYC

Four years ago this week my wife and I made a trip with my sister and brother-in-law to do New Years Eve the right way, by rocking it in at Times Square. We were one of about 750,000 other morons who decided to stand for 6 hours without bathroom breaks waiting for the ball to drop.

Luckily, we learned a little secret and snaked our way into a Applebees right on the main street and waited it out. It was one of the most fun things we had ever done!

Happy New Years everyone! (By the way, that was BEFORE kids....this year we are spending it in front of the TV and in bed by 11pm CST).

I Am a Sick Fan...

In all of my years of watching Cowboys football, I have never been more humiliated as a fan because of the last two horrible efforts put on the field coached by Wade Phillips. Unreal! You blow the final game at the beloved Texas Stadium and then you get a second chance at life and need a win over Philly and you lay a 44-6 egg!!!??

I know it is "just a game", but for those of us die-hards who pay big money to rely on competition to serve as a break from the reality of life, the gutless efforts put on display by these overpaid coaches and multi-millon dollar players just makes me wanna barf.

Can someone over there take control, get a little ticked and realize that us fans are their employers!? There is too much ego, no intensity, no discipline and no focus. Talent does not win games, heart and determination does. The Cowboys showed none this entire year.

Sure there is always "next year" but this gang of thugs don't deserve the attention.

Go Lions!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night!

From our family to yours! Happy Holidays - Merry Christmas! We received our best Christmas present ever back in April with Quinn joining our family. For more, read his story here. http://www.luvfromasia.blogspot.com/

Hope yours is wonderful!

Turn Out the Lights...

For 37 years Texas Stadium has stood in the crosspaths of the metroplex as a beacan of sports hope. Ever year Cowboy fans have gathered around her 8-10 times a year to step away from reality for a day with high expectations our Boys might find their way to another SuperBowl run.

I too have spent my share of time at Texas Stadium. My dad took me to my first game against the St. Louis Cardinals in the 80s. I worked at the Stadium in 1990 helping people find their seats while earning $25 a game, my company was fortunate to rent a suite for 3 years and now I have season tickets on the lower level.

The Cowboys are my drug. They are my escape from it all and Texas Stadium has been my dealer and last night she gave it one final bow as we turned out the lights on an era chopped full of incredible memories.

Here are some of the moments I can remember the most in my days at the Stadium:

1. The first game I worked at the stadium in 1990.

2. The loss to Pittsburgh when Vinny Testaverde fumbled away the ball in 2004.

3. The Donovan McNabb 18 second pass play to TO.

4. The first time Equal Health rented a suite.

5. The first Speers Thanksgiving in the suite in 2005.

6. Tony Romo's 5 touchdown game in Thanksgiving in 2006.

7. Baltimore's 4th quarter back-to-back 70+ yard touchdown runs in the final game at Texas Stadium.

8. The horrible 10-9 Cowboys vs. Redskins game in 2001.

9. Promise Keepers in 1994.

10. The U2 concert in 1992.

11. The free Carman concert in 1994 with 72,000 in attendence.

12. The Cowboys victory over the Giants in 2008.

13. The burned up Aston Martin car next to us in the parking lot in 2008.

I could go on forever. Texas Stadium was special. And the new Texas Stadium being built in Arlington will be neat as well. But it still won't be the same.

My dad joined me for the final game. It was coldest time I can remember there and it was a bitter loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Yet the game itself will be ranked up there as one of the craziest ending games I have seen at the Stadium.

The closing ceremony was nice with over 100 former players and coaches in attendence. In the end the banners were lowered. Then, Dandy Don was shown singing "turn out the lights the party is over" as the scoreboards went dark and the lights were turned off.

Thanks for all the memories Texas Stadium. An era is complete.

Kids Visit Santa

For the last 3 years the girls have kept their distance from Santa. This year was no different adn Quinn joined in the fun as he decided he too did not like the guy in the big white beard.

They sure sing songs about how they love him. But when it comes to sitting in his lap they will have none of it! They did like Mrs. Claus better...

Trip of a Lifetime

I have been a Corvette enthusiast for years now. I bought my first one in 2003, a yellow C5 convertible. Then in 2005 I bumped up to a new C6 Yellow coupe. My dream Vette is the Z06 hardtop however as they were introduced to us in 2006.

After having three kids and tail-spinning down into a minivan I had no idea just a few years later I would end up being fortunate enough to get back into a Vette and my dream car at that!

Right now you can almost steal cars from dealers so I had to at least look into the possibility of getting a Vette again. I quickly learned if there ever was a time, NOW was the time. I found a used 2006 Z06 at a dealership in Cleveland and decided to go for it. These cars were selling for over $72,000 two years ago. I would be ashamed to even share what I stole this one for with only 9,000 miles on it!

On top of buying the car, I took advantage of my love for road trips and decided to drive the car back to Texas myself. I flew Southwest to Cleveland on Monday and drove this sweet baby all the way back to her home here in Texas!

I completed my longest alone road trip ever! I saw Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus, Louisville, Nashville, Memphis and Little Rock along they way. Plus, I got to visit the NFL Hall of Fame which was great and spent 3 hours in Bowling Green, KY where they made my Z06 at the GM factory there. I even got to tour the factory. It was unreal. The Corvette Museum was really cool too. Despite the bad weather for the entire trip (snow, ice, rain, fog) I really had fun. I stopped in Louisville and Little Rock on the way. It was a 1300 mile trip that took me from Monday until Wednesday.

Some observations from my trip:

1. Cracker Barrels have to be the number one restaurant in the midwest!

2. Every major city between here and there is a copycat of the other in many ways - same retail centers, same looking malls, hotels, gas stations - pretty bland if you ask me.

3. Memphis is one dirty place.

4. Cincinnati was way cool.

5. The Corvette Museum and GM Factory Tour are musts!

6. People in the North drive like maniacs in snowy weather!

7. The OJ Simpson bust in he NFL Hall of Fame is eerie.

8. Marriott has it down when it comes to hotels!

Thankfully we are not just a minivan fam any longer!

Julie Completes White Rock Half Marathon

Julie did something few ever do. She ran the Dallas White Rock Half-Marathon last Sunday morning. That's 13 miles my friends.

She ran it with her dad and they completed the popular race in 2.5hours!

Equal Health Christmas Gala 2008 Best Ever

Every year my company sponsors a fun Christmas party for the staff and each year it is fun but different. Parties in the past have been held at both owners homes, the Wyndom Hotel in Arlington, the Texas Star Golf Club, and even at our own office. Special guests in the past have included Buddy Pilgrim and Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright.


But this year just might have topped them all as the annual party was held at the Gaylord Texan Resort in Grapevine with special speaker and current EHL sales consultant Jim Tressler. The atmosphere was amazing, the service and food was great and the fun everyone had together was exceptional. In a time when most companies are cutting jobs and many are not even having Christmas parties, Equal Health is fortunate to be one that is growing, hiring and setting an example that the Free Enterprise system of America still works!

It was incredible to see my staff rewarded for such a great year in such a tough time.

Girls Sing Jingle Bells

Here is their own version of this great classic...

Oak Island, Galveston Still Needs Help

I visited the Galveston area earlier this week. I had hoped to get down there much earlier in order to view the area and help lend a hand.

My company, equalhealth.com, had decided to make the Oak Island Community our charity drive for November. This community of about 300 families is located about 20 miles east of Galveston and was just ravaged by Hurricane Ike in September. The pastor of the baptist church there is running center point for a community that has basically nothing left. Only two homes remain liveable. People are living in tents. They need everything. My company had donated enough funds to buy about 50 portable heater so we loaded them up and I drove them down there Sunday.

I was amazed at how much damage there was and how much was still left to be done. Clean up will take years. Rebuilding will take a long time as well.

Galveston was under repair and was cleaned up quite a bit though the west side was still ravaged. Words to describe the entire area would be: ravaged, devastated, shredded, thrashed, and leveled. So many businesses and historical things are gone forever. Places I grew up seeing and knowing. Though the Island is recovering, it is sad to know it will never be the same.

Oak Island however is in need of help and if anyone wants to do so, please contact me and I will put you in contact with the pastor. They need clean up and work grews bad and all of the media is now gone.

Photos are here: http://www.thefamilypost.com/Speersfamily/albums.php

Here are some videos of the area I shot: