I'm officially a "blogger"

Hello? anyone out there? hmmmm...how do I start this blogg'n thing?

Do I tell a little bit about myself? Who I am? What I do? These are all very tough questions! Or do I just start rambling on?

Well here goes…

First my name is Greg Goffinet and I live in Grand Prairie, Tx. I’m halfway to 100 years old with another birthday rapidly approaching – three months from today to be exact.

I have been married to a wonderful woman, Rhonda, for 23 years and we have three children, Amanda, Zachry and Hailey. Oh yeah, I have a son-in-law, Mike McDonough, who married Amanda

Amanda's a pretty good kid, notice I said pretty good, who married a wonderful human being and man of God. Amanda is a librarian for an elementary school way the heck up near Oklahoma state line. Actually, Mike and Amanda live in Frisco, only 48 miles from our house in south Grand Prairie. To Rhonda, that's 48 miles too far!

Seriously Amanda is a fine Christian who always seems to make the right decisions, except for the time while at Baylor she ran over a brown sack in the road thinking it was probably food but instead realized it was glass bottles from adult beverages and ended up with a flat tire. Or the time she..well nevermind, I'm very proud of her and the life she has chosen. She turned out okay.

Hey Amanda, remember that time ya went to get ice cream but you forgot to order yours?

Amanda and Mike – it’s actually Amanda’s – have a blog called http://themclife.blogspot.com/. Amanda is very creative and has a lot of imagination. She did not get that from me.

Amanda, love you love you more! I win! *as usual*

Zachry, well, he’s my son and quite frankly, very similar to me. Need I say more? Seriously I’m proud of Zach, too. He’s got a big heart but he’s not sure yet what he wants out of life. He attended Harding University, a fine Christian school in Searcy, Ar., and is still living in the Ozarks and taking courses at Arkansas State-Beebe. See http://lovemesomegee.blogspot.com/.

Then there's Hailey. She's the baby of the group. She, too, is in Searcy and attending Harding. She's a sophomore and has a boyfriend, Joseph, who is from outside Nashville, Tn. Joseph also attends Harding and I give him five stars for putting up with Hailey! Just kidding sweetie. MORE!

Hailey is a nursing student. You can read about Hailey and her fainting goats on http://opplesandbanonos.blogspot.com/. Opples & what? Some times I wonder about her.

I'm very proud of all three of my kids. And my son-in-law. Even though he didn't take me to the Rangers' spring training in Arizona a couple of years ago!

Last but not least, my lovely wife Rhonda. I had better mention her or else sleep on the couch. And our coach is only comfortable for say, umm, five minutes.

Where do I start about Rhonda. She's the love of my life and well, I can't say enough about her. I have this saying: With her I'm somebody, without her I'm nobody. She has stood by my side in thick and thin and sweetie, I would not be the person I am today without you. There is no telling where I'd be if I had not asked you out on a date on August 4, 1984.

Oh, what? What about me you ask? Well okay.

Just a little bit about me. I was born and raised in Grand Prairie and have lived here all my life. There was those two years in Ft. Smith, Ar., however. When I was 4 my dad, may he rest in peace, accepted a job in Arkansas. He also worked for a company that had access to Razorback football games. I went once and was converted into Razorbackism. Whooooooooo Pig Soooey!

Love the Hogs. Half of my wardrobe is Razorbacks. I am a die-hard Hog, which explains why "hog" is in my blog title.

I am also a sports writer and have been one for 35 years. I won't go into full detail why I became a sports writer but it all started back in the ninth grade at then Adams Junior High. I got my first freelance gig my sophomore year in high school and did a lot of freelance work throughout high school for the Grand Prairie Daily News.

I went to work as the sports editor for the Grand Prairie Urbanite right out of high school and worked for the Mid-Cities Daily News in Hurst, the Grand Prairie Daily News as well as numerous freelance gigs for the Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Arlington Morning News, Waco Tribune, Cleburne Times Review and even Houston Chronicle.

I currently string for the Grand Prairie Today and just closed down my website, http://www.grandprairiesports.com/ because it was taking way too much of my time and not allowing me to spend time with Rhonda. That's why I'm starting a blog so I can still write yet spend more time with my wife and family.

I must mention my regular job. I got out of sports writing full time almost 20 years ago. I got caught up in Belo's first major RIF and have worked for GTE Directories Distribution, Genicom, Cardinal Health and now MPI Label System of Texas here in Grand Prairie. Sports writing is a side gig.

And from 1974-1991 I worked for the Rangers at old Arlington Stadium. I started off as a ticket taker and eventually became the head gate supervisor. My job: supervise 40+ ticket takers, 10 gate supervisors and make sure the crowds got into the stadium as smooth as possible.
That's it, my first official blog. Stay tuned cause there will be more!