Close to a month of Mustache.

The update. I'm just 2 days away from growing my mustache for 30 days. Yes, Movember is almost over. I've talked to many people about men's health concerns such as prostate cancer and I've grown quite the "classic" mustache. I was going for the "Rollie Fingers" but I know now that I can't grow that in 30 days. 

What I was really attempting to do was get 100 people to donate $5 on my "MoSpace" page, thus reaching a hundred people and raisng $500 for my team, TEAM AUS. As of today 6 people have donated a total of $53. I've got 2 days to reach 94 people. Can you do me a favor and at least go on my MoSpace and "rate" me so I know people are going there? If you feel compelled to donate, I'd appreciate it. Here's the link - http://us.movember.com/mospace/568742/

The money goes to the The Prostate Cancer Foundation (www.pcf.org) and LIVESTRONG (WWW.LIVESTRONG.ORG).

Happy Monday all.

Black Friday... Did you find your bargains?

Shot from Kyle's Flea Market... where you don't have to wait until Black Friday to get bargains.

Turkey's fighting hunger

Two turkies fighting hunger
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

This was 2 years ago... but they still have the same mission. The Hays County Food Bank helps a lot of people (who normally wouldn't be able to) have a happy Thanksgiving.

http://www.turkeystacklinghunger.org/

They help people all year-round. This photo was taken at my church (Kyle United Methodist) where we have a year-round canned food drive.

May God be with you this Thanksgiving.

Top Gun BBQ Team

Top Gun BBQ Team
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

Mmmm Smoked BBQ.
(From the Kyle Fair and Music Fest)

Concrete-Related Mechanism, full moon
Old Post Road

I want to eat here EVERY Sunday.

Kinetic Art of La Paso

This kinetic sculpture is in front of the Motley Menagerie in Kyle. The artist's name is La Paso, who also is a Kyle Resident. A double Kyle Daily Photo whammo. The Motley also used one of my photos on their Website. Yea.

Chris Halenza, owner of Lone Star Kettle Corn

It's my blog co-contributor's birthday. If I could I'd send her some Kettle Corn from Lone Star Kettle Corn for her special day. Happy Birthday Annie "Hobbledog" Downing! Thanks for playing this "Kyle Daily Photo" game with me.

This photo was taken at the Fall Festival in the Plum Creek neighborhood in Kyle, Texas in October 2010.

Jeff and The Jumptones

Here's a shot of the Austin band Jeff and the Jumptones, the last musical performance of the 2010 Kyle Market Days on November 6, 2010. The next Market Days will be held on April 2, 2011 as is occurs the first Saturday of the month from April - November.

Chalupa Plate at The Palm Cafe III

Friday night the family wen to dinner at The Palm Cafe that recently opened just outside the Plum Creek neighborhood. The food was good Mexican faire, the place was REALLY clean, and we ran into some neighbors. Good times. This is a shot of my 3 year-old's dinner, a chalupa plate. She ate both of them, and asked for chalupas for breakfest this morning. I think she's a fan. I had the fajitas and they were good as well.


The Palm Cafe 3
101 Hall Professional Ctr,
Kyle, Texas 78640

Here's Your Signs. On voting day11/2/10

My Movember Mustache. Taken in my Kyle, TX livingroom.

"In 2010 tragically more than 32,000 men will die as a direct result of prostate cancer."

Have you heard of Movember? I hadn't until this year. It's a worldwide movement to raise awareness of men's issues and funds to  support organizations who are working to eliminate them. The visual way this is being done is by men growing a mustache during the month of November. This photo is me on day 8. It's coming along nicely I must say so myself.

I'm a member of TEAM AUS, the Austin team of individuals participating in this movement.
If you'd like to donate ($5 will go a long way), visit my MoSpace Page - http://us.movember.com/mospace/568742/.

Fall Gardens
Atlantis, Kingdom of Heaven

Daddy's Diaper Duty Tools from Big Hug Gifts

Saw this on Saturday at the final Kyle Market Days of 2010. Pretty great.. it's a fun thing to buy for any expecting father.

What's in it? I looked it up at their Webste - http://www.bighuggifts.com

Daddy's Diaper Duty Tools Apron
Ingredients
4 Pampers Swaddler Diapers size 1-2 (up to 15 lbs)
1 Cotton Bib Tool Apron for Daddy
1 Huggies Baby Wipes 40 pk
1 Yellow Pacifier (3-18 moths)
1 Bottle 5 oz
1 Johnson's Cornstarch Baby Powder (1.5 oz)
1 Desitin Diaper Rash Cream (1/8 oz)
1 First Keys Toy (0+ months)
1 Pair Kitchen Tongs
1 Mask Filter
1 Pair Nitrile Gloves (latex/powder free)
1 Pair Safety Googles
1 Instant Hand Sanitizer (2 oz)
1 Instruction Sheet
1 Daddy's Diaper Duty Tools Poem

It goes for $43.95. 

Saw about 6 bee nests in the awning about this bell.. which is at the square in Kyle (next to the "old" city hall)

My youngest at Chick Fil A today.

I've got to say Chick Fil A is my favorite fast-food restaurant. There are many reasons... but here's my latest. They CATER to the kiddos. This place mat in the photo is available at the restaurant, free. They have sanitizer-wipes available for free. The Cheerios were there at the restaurant.. free.

PLUS...
The playground is behind glass so you can see but not have to hear the kiddos (screaming). They brought the order to the table. The manager came by to ask how we were doing.

How many fast food places can claim ONE of these.. let alone all of them?

Chick-Fil-A in Kyle: 5289 Kyle Center Dr Kyle, TX 78640 - (512) 268-6741

Helen Soja circa 2004 in Kyle

October 3, 2010 marked four years since my Grandma Soja passed away. She was an amazing woman and I have fantastic memories of her. Unfortunately, towards the end of her life she developed dementia, a condition that is very similar to Alzheimer’s.

Tomorrow I walk in her honor in the Hays County Memory Walk in San Marcos, Texas. Hence this photo today.

For another photo of Grandma Soja w/ me.. and perhaps to make a donation to Alzheimer's Research, visit my "page"- http://www.memorywalk.kintera.org/hays10/seanclaes

I share this sunrise with my 3 year old every morning on the way to dropping her at daycare. God is good.

Traffic is a MONSTER.

Traffic is a MONSTER.
Originally uploaded by seanclaes

Was pulling out of HEB PLUS! the other day and I saw this Tire Spinning,Gear Grinding,Clutch Burning,Backfiring,Paint Trading,Red Linin,Overheatin Throttle Stomping Truck Driving Man waiting at the traffic light at FM1626.

(Yes.. I used "Phineas and Ferb" lyrics for this post)

Today I voted. Did you?

Happy Halloween (yesterday) from my front porch to your computer.

Tomorrow (10/31) is the last day of the pumpkin patch. EVERYTHING MUST GO.

Come on by and pick yours up. We'll make you a deal you can't refuse.
 How does $5 any size sound? If you find me (Sean Claes) and ask.. that's the deal you get.
Sunday noon-4p
Kyle United Methodist Church
408 W. Lockhart
Kyle, TX
Directions? http://www.kyleumc.com

Heart Opening Link
Burleson Rd.

No Smoking
I35 Frontage Rd. & Center St.

SMILE!

These cute little girls were having their photo taken at the Kyle United Methodist Church Pumpkin Patch.... which is happening now until the 31st in front of the church on 408 W. Lockhart. Their mom let me snap a photo of them.

Here's a shot of the patch itself.. we do a maze every year. It's lots of fun for the kiddos to run through as their parents pick pumpkins out.

I've talked about Milt's Pit BBQ pretty much ever since they opened... but now other people are talking about them too! Tonight Austin Radio Station, 98.1 KVET's David Anderson (and possibly Bob Cole) will be at Milt's about 7:30p to present Milt and Bunnie (the owners) with an award for coming in 4th place in their Central Texas BBQ Countdown.

They deserve it too. Great BBQ each and every time I go... and awesome folks too. They always treat me and my family well.

As a bonus, Ben Danaher will be performing from 7:30 - 10:30 (kitchen closes at 9 / BYOB).

Milt's Pit BBQ
905 N. Old HWY 81
Kyle TX 78640
http://www.miltspitbbq.com/

Autumn
Tobias Elementary, Hwy 150

This is a post and a reminder. For all those who are interested in playing kickball in Kyle, the Kyle Parks and Recreation Department's Adult Kickball League is holding the coaches meeting today at 6:30p. For those teams joining the Winter 2011 season all forms and fees must be turned in by 5p today. The Kyle United Methodist Church team, PRAY BALL, will be participating for the 5th season in a row. I will be coaching this time. We're really looking forward to it.

Below you will see a scene from last years (February 2010) Winter 2010 finals. Below that is the debut of the PRAY BALL logo which will adorn our shirts this season. Woo-Hoo!

The next season of Kyle PARD Adult Kickball is coming!

The Brand New KUMC PRAY BALL Logo Designed by Jennifer Ramirez Johnson.

The Grackles Have Descended

On Saturday Kyle, Texas became home to 663 new orange residents. The KYLE PUMPKIN PATCH at the Kyle United Methodist Church has arrived. Below is a photo of most of the volunteers who pitched in to unload the pumpkins. As of today, the pumpkins are arranged in a maze for the kiddos to run around in... and there's 2 staged areas for pumpkin patch photos.

If you'd like to visit the patch, come on my 408 W. Lockhart Street during operating hours (which are noted on the flier I posted at the end of this blog).

We've got ugly ones, green ones, perfect ones, bumpy ones, tall ones, small ones, short ones, and HUGE ones. Prices are from $1 (tiny ones I call "grenades") to $30 (you need two people to carry these). We've also got gourds, stickers, and various other things.

The Volunteers who helped unload 663 Pumpkins

 

So, this weekend was the Kyle Fair and Music Festival. It's the annual free music festival that also includes a lot of fun things for the whole family. There's a full-on carnival complete with rides and games, a BBQ contest (I heard there were over 50 teams this year), live music (I caught Granger Smith), and lots of craft, food, souvenir, and drink booths. Since I haven't posted since Friday, here's a little photographic run-down of some of the things I saw.

This decorated skull was part of a BBQ Team's Decor

I couldn't find my name.. can you find yours?

HEBuddy - the HEB Mascot finds a friend.

Granger Smith performed.

Paintball was pretty neat.

Bouncing... it's fun.

Here, a Kyle police officer gets dunked in the dunking booth.

The Ferris Wheel

The Zipper

Stuffed Animals at the carnival.

Yes... there is a man behind the smoke.

Thought I'd continue the scarecrows... There were so many good ones. My favorite of these has got to be the first one.. Medusa (who looks  little bit like a rock star). These are all a part of the annual scarecrow making contest in the Plum Creek Neighborhood happened this last Saturday.

You can see them in person in Plum Creek at Negley Elementary.