Stax Omega Time Machine

going to lunch today with a friend from WAYYYYY back @ Laurens District 55 High School... Looking for a yellow Pinto Station Wagon.... and wonderin if he can solve the mystery of the missing Julie Putnam

week - end - o - rama

so... Went to Heritage park yesterday with Brandy and her daughter, then over to their house for dogs and burgers. I had been to that park before but only once for a winter carnival type thingy and didnt realize just how many thingys for kids were available, as well as ball fields. We have a pretty robust recreation center here in town but except for the amount of ball fields and soccer fields, it was pretty impressive. And the train, while mini Disney like, was pretty fun too...

today was a pretty slow day but we did manage to get that big rock that was blocking part of the creek broken up and now the creek is flowing again correctly. of course, in that process, i ended up falling into the creek and had my Droid in my pocket. But i got up quickly enough that my phone did not even get remotely wet... so problem avoided. We then went and did some soccer skills drills with I-Man and Rylee on the soccer fields and then hit yet ANOTHER playground afterward. Returned to home and the twins hit the creek out back again for some sliderama fun... For those of you who dont know the layout of our home, we have a major creek running thru our backyard that at times actually draws groups of kids to the elevated part where they like to slide down to a pool of sorts that exists. I am not too fond of the skater boy types who like to show up but I have resisted putting up a No Trespassing sign and sitting up in our bedroom and picking off the Goth kids who loiter around ( or at least used too...) with my BB gun... they havent been back for a while. But I anticipate once school lets out, they will return...

Interesting commercial

I think the new Nike commercial with Tiger Woods (and his Dad's voice) is pretty effective if you simply stop and THINK about it... a lot of different levels of conversation there... i guess the only thing that is kinda weird is that his father was actually talking about his wife/tigers mother originally....

weddings are grown folk business....

Its been a long time coming but I promised I would post something about the wedding I took pictures at the other week in Michigan.... It was a long haul to get there ( is that a song?) and it was weird to see that much snow on the ground in Ohio, then see none in Michigan. Ann Arbor is a legit college town... i was amused at seeing actual fraternity/sorority houses and I felt like I was in some sorta movie when we tooled thru campus. We got to see the Big House, albeit with a lot of construction around it. And my Droid and Google Maps got a workout thru out the entire trip. I Think that what I took from the trip were some internal musings that I have been thinking about since that trip.

First, the Officiant asked me during the wedding rehearsal where my kids were and I told him "Weddings are grown folk business..." meaning that I have always felt that weddings are a intimately adult sorta thing. I have no problems with children being at or in weddings. And certainly they can add a certain flair and change of pace to the ceremony and proceedings. But I think that the symbolism and thoughts that go on, especially during the ceremony are of an adult nature, and I always am taken aback by the emotions that are present, both apparent and covert. The joining of two families and the myriad of subtext that goes with that are always interesting. Then you have the feelings of the parents... especially with a Father and his Daughter, juxtaposed with a Mother and her Son.

Next you have the friends and I have always enjoyed seeing the happiness that the Wedding day always brings to them. I saw happiness again with this wedding and it is a good thing. And I felt privileged to get to be a part of this particular wedding because the event was a more private, small affair. They pretty much paid/organized/put on the wedding themselves and decided to move the date forward by several months from the original date due to sickness in the family and a desire to make sure close family would be able to take part. It reminded me in many ways of my own wedding in seeing them dealing with preparations (cake/reception/rehearsal site/etc.) as well as taking time for family and friends and I hope that they got a chance to truly enjoy the experience, because the amount of mental energy dedicated versus the actual time of the event is way out of whack.

As I have mentioned before (and most people reading this know all too well), I am not a very open person and not particularly easy to get to know. I dont open up to people until they have jumped thru a myriad of hoops, tests, Huddle House conversations, Amphitheater talks, Botanical Garden walks and bus ride interrogations. And I tend to be fiercely loyal to a select group of people and I am confident those people know who they are. But I am also starting to ponder my mortality (and role in all of this)thinking that maybe I should be a little more... "friendly" to the general public and my friends in general. It is just very difficult to change something that was ingrained in me so long ago by my Grandmother to always remain under control and view the big picture. But as I gave a hug to my friends and said goodbye to them after their wedding, it felt a little better to give them a hug, and it seems to feel more "natural" as I go along... I know this is a strange concept to a lot if not all of you, but it never has been that I dont love you, its just that instead of jumping up and down in celebration during that long touchdown run, I was taught to look for the flag on the play and it all being called back.

Anyway, I digress... it seems I have been rambling about 3 or 4 different things at the same time...

I learned a lot about photography during this trip and I hope that at least some of the photos came out ok. I did flub a few but I find that the more I take, the more comfortable i become. Snapping in RAW was a revelation and it forced me out of auto settings on the camera and made me think even more about lighting and etc. And I learned a couple of lessons the hard way. But looking back at my work, I think some of it was decent. I hope they are able to grab some usable prints out of it too...

what the hey?

talking about time flying... it is stunning to see my son get a pair of used inline skates from the Jockey Lot and be tooling around on them like an expert in less than 24 hours... and to think i remember when he couldnt even walk... i have a little wariness because he has always seemed to be drawn to that entire skateboard scene...(kinda like the thoughts crossing my mind when i hear Ryles upstairs beating on her electric drum set... shudder)... i am hoping to not see him go that route... but... anyways, he is tooling around EVERYWHERE skating around. A couple of initial falls but... off he goes...

wha?

am i seeing things or did the dogwoods suddenly go full bloom in.. oh... like... say... 1 day?

short week, then a long haul

this is a rather short week because we are leaving at midnight (or so) on Friday morn to go shoot a wedding in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The kids will get to spend the night at the Harwoods, go to school, then see Grandma... then see Nanna and Papa in a weekend of switchoffs for them. of course, they see it as adventurama... fortunately Spring Break is for the kids next week.

i am trying to practice as this shoot is going to be all manual but keep running into the usual "please dont take a picture of me! blah, blah, blah" which is extremely frustrating. so all i ever get to take photos of are rocks, trees, grass, and the occasional sleeping cat. and then people wonder why i dont take photos anymore... kinda a downer when everytime i try to take a picture, everyone shoves their hand in my face... and i mean everyone... do my pictures suck that i take of everyone?

Ipod song o' da day....

All we need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
There'll be swingin', swayin' and records playin'
And dancin' in the streets

Oh, it doesn't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
So come on, every guy grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
There'll be dancin'
They're dancin' in the street

However, someone or something hit out mailbox and destroyed it. I am still pondering if this was accident or on purpose. I am tempted to put it back up, but every night place C4 in it and put a huge "HIT ME if YOU DARE" sign on it and wait... cause.. you KNOW, whoever did this (if on purpose) will come back by... and if it is some punkass highschool kids, they wont be able to resist doing it again. Or.. I might just simply put up my wireless surveillance camera and do the same thing.... or I might just put it up tomorrow and sit in a chair in the yard with my camera and blatantly take a picture of every single car that drives by for 24/48 hours. Cause if/when that person comes back by, that will spook them...

music charms the soul....

"You cant stop my happiness
Cause i like the way i am
And you just can't stop my knife and fork
When i see a christmas ham
so if you don't like the way i look
Well, i just don't give a damn!"

EDNA & ENSEMBLE
"Cause the world keeps spinning
Round and 'round
And my heart's keeping time
To the speed of sound
I was lost til i heard the drums
Then i found my way"

EDNA & COMPANY
'Cause you cant stop the beat!

Life moves forward....

Quarter Three report cards...I-Man, All A's and 1 B... Ryles bounces back with All A's.

i will be measured in my words about Clemson... why? Why do they ( the students, the athletes, the FRAT!) continue to settle for mediocrity? WHy do they continue to talk a big game, but.. when its time to man up.. to be ALL IN... to be for OPP... to Strive For The Highest... why do they settle for... just good enough...no... Not JUST good enough... good enough to be mediocre. Good enough to always look good, but look good losing by two... look good doing just enough to say they do something, but dont STRIVE to be the best..... I will leave this post with a quote by Rocky, to his son... I think this pretty much sums up how I feel...

Rocky Balboa: You ain't gonna believe this, but you used to fit right here.
[taps on the inside of his hand]
Rocky Balboa: I'd hold you up to say to your mother, "this kid's gonna be the best kid in the world. This kid's gonna be somebody better than anybody I ever knew." And you grew up good and wonderful. It was great just watching you, every day was like a privilege. Then the time come for you to be your own man and take on the world, and you did. But somewhere along the line, you changed. You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you're no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame, like a big shadow. Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!

So... I went down to New Orleans last weekend. I had never been there before. Just imagine Charleston on Steroids. DEFINITELY an adult type place and I don't think I want to envision my daughter going there anytime before... oh... say... NEVER. I-Man is, or course, a different story.... I think I might have to put thsat one my docket as a place to arrange a group getaway sometime in the far future when everyone can take a weekend away from their kids...

I think the biggest thing I noticed was that it was entirely different on Bourbon Street. It was party central pretty much 24/7 while 3 blocks away was seedy town. I didnt have an opportunity to see of the hurricane Katrina stuff, as in demolished houses or anything, but I did notice a large amount of trash along the highway and part of me speculated that maybe it was from hurricane Katrina.

So I am over on Campus this morning at the band office... as I left, I stopped at a light and some students went past me, backpacks and all. Here is what I noticed... "these guys look NO OLDER than my son when they walked by". Now... my sone does not look mature at all. Might be a tad tall... but.. these kids look like they are not Freshmen in college... they look even younger.

More on the the Nawlins' trip in a bit...

just wondering...

I have noticed that when I lay down in my bed (especially today when I was not feeling well), it is SOOOO comforting to smell Jessica's perfume, etc. on the pillow. Its like..."ah..."but what got me to thinking is that I KNOW jessica wears perfume all the time, but why dont i really notice it when she is there with me? Is something canceling that out? And no, I dont think she needs to wear MORE perfume... just that it seems to stand out when she is not there....

Camping out tonight with Harwood, Rothgeb and some other Actives and Alumni at Frat Retreat... Coming back into town to see I-Man's first Soccer match of the Spring on Saturday...

I got to speak to another old friend last night. She has gone thru some things on a personal level that I cant even begin to fathom what it must be like. But I was encouraged to hear a positive lilt in her voice as she seems to be moving forward quite nicely.... Looks like we will get to spend some time with her in May...

Throw back jersey

So one of the Actives asked me to bring my "Jersey" to the Retreat this weekend. The official white one with the nickname and number. I think they want to start getting those again or something. It is kinda odd in the NO ONE in the chapter for a few classes has gotten that type of jersey. I always hear the "I cant afford it" claim from these guys while they constantly go out on the weekends and blow cash on things... anyway, I tried it on.. a tad bit tight. It has shrunk, I hope...

... need to calibrate the eye...

..got a wedding coming up... need to start seriously practicing...

Ok... so... Event O-rama and non stop action is on the horizon... I-Man's soccer starts back up this week with practice twice a week and a match every weekend. So first match coming up this weekend and will run thru April. Also have the Frat retreat this weekend and I am curious to see how his goes.. will the kids take it seriously, or will they just want to sit around and play Wii ( although I hear that the Wii has been eliminated). I think the leaders of the chapter have a definite plan and want to achieve things, but will they be willing to pull the rest of the chapter with them?....

Early Candidate for a stocking stuffer...

I-Man will be ALL OVER THIS like white on rice...

they gotta go

charter cable/moxi box went belly up again... this is getting sad... i will get us to satelitte by Fall even if i have to put the dish up myself... interesting that dish network was able to put a dish on our neighbors... looks like i will investigate them... charter is just crappy... will keep their internet, though...

ok.. so...

what do you get when you cross a stream and brook?

wet feet...

But I should just believe what I am told, right?

on facebook the other day, i mentioned that I was skeptical of the Global Warming crap we keep getting rammed down our throats everyday. I was bombarded with links to data, etc. but not assailed with very much response as to why if it looks fishy, and smells fishy... it might just be a fish... well here is just more of that smell test not coming up roses....

happy valentines day...

happy Valentines Day to Jessica and the twins... also a quick shout out and Happy V day to my mother too in case she reads this anytime soon...

workin'

oh.. just found a decent app on my Droid that will allow coherent posts directly from my cell...

this evening was spent at Family Night at the twins school... of course in typical fashion here in South Carolina, it snowed 4 inches... which touched off a lively discussion on Facebook with the Climate people getting all hacked off because every time it snows, people go "what gives?" on their entire argument... as a matter of fact, more and more people are calling them out

Anywho, Family night was amusing. Elvis sang.. plenty of games and prizes in every room and hotdogs and coke for dinner. It is also kinda weird when you see your kids go running up to their friends because, as adults, we see so much more into simple friendship than perhaps we need to...

And we wrapped it up by watching the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics... these things might just be getting a tad too long....

Interesting...

What does the word 'Iran' mean?
It means "Aryan" and is derived from this word. Iran used to be called "Persia" - Land of the Aryans - before 1935 and the Shah changed it to Iran.

don't believe me? look it up... interesting that it is Iran that constantly talks of destroying Israel. Now, I am not some Israeli fanboy.. but.. certainly makes me think....

11 days, 2 hours and 29 minutes will pitchers and catchers report....

why would anybody do the Star Spangled Banner anymore? the Whitney Houston 1991 version still stands as the standard...

Personally, I think this Time Travel thingy with Lost is a copout....

Busy times...

So... My mother had some slight computer issues and we got those resolved over the weekend. SO I went thru good ole Fountain Inn the other day and saw the drug store I used to always go to was closed... ah, the Sgt Rock and Shogun Warrior comics that were 25 cents back then... oh, and Richie Rich and an occasional Batman comic... but the store, now shuttered... then as I left town I passed the same little house where chicken/dog fights STILL go on every Friday and Saturday night. Then I passed by the A frame house that I thought was so odd then, but now is just another A frame house...

I think the thing that strikes me every time I return home now is just how different it is there. So quiet. I mean, you walk outside and you dont hear the cars/trucks and bustle that you hear even in this small suburb/town we live in. Just absolute quiet... maybe off in the distance I can hear that superhighway... an occasional dog barking off in the distance. But...So quiet...and also... it is SO DARK. I look up and its like so many stars....

I find it humorous to hear my son tell Brian "Say Hello to My Little Friend!!!" as he guns him down in Call of Duty. But I i am wary of how much I want to let him play that game as it has a lot of violence and graphic depictions of killing. I am also struck how quickly he adapted to the dual method of controls you have to utilize to play the game. While Brian was pretty much mopping him up, occasionally I-Man would take him out. I-Man was classic in his inexperience... thinking only to look at what is straight ahead of him, and not taking any consideration as to what is behind him, above him, below him or beside him... Kinda reminds me of the current ACTIVES in the Frat... But I think we will guide him back to his Nintendo DS and Penguins games...

Many thanks to Harwoods for letting me use his lift to change the brakes on Jessica's car. And it is also fun to see Ryles and I-Man play with the Harwood kids, more so with his daughter. She obviously enjoys getting to play with the twins. They then came over for Hamburgers on Saturday...
... I cooked a legitimate one pound hamburger on the grill and ate the entire thing. It was quite tasty but it was at teh limit as to what I could pound thru at one setting. It did shrink while on the grill and I was able to get it on an oversize bun. thru some chili and bacon on it and man, it was a handful...

HARVICK WINS THE BUD SHOOTOUT...ok, still pondering a change to the #14 but if the #29 is competitive, I wont change, especially since someone else is already pulling for the #14... but if Stewart can lay off the red in his paint scheme, maybe I can stomach it...

On the record

I am going to go on the record... I am ALL IN for the Braves this year. It is going to be a dogfight (sorry, Michael Vick) but the Braves will make the playoffs, then go deep into the playoffs this year. THEY. WILL. MAKE. THE. PLAYOFFS. Notice I didnt say win the Division. If they do, cool. But it will be at least the wildcard....

How is it that we can spend three hours cleaning Ryles' room and I look up and it looks like I have'nt done a single thing?

On Deck...

February doesn't have much on the official schedule until a Frat Retreat the last weekend of the month. March then starts to heat up with a trip to New Orleans and a trip to Ann Arbor Michigan, as well as a potential Bristol NASCAR race in the middle... This will then start a stretch of things to look forward to in each month until the worst month of the year.. AUGUST!!! (see previous posts about August)

The snow storm of the century!!!!

Quick updates... Got snow/ice/sleet/freezin' rain over the weekend. While the kids seem to think this is a big deal, I just now view it as an inconvenience that disrupts schedules and causes panic. But I do remember the excitement as a kid so its all good for them... The twins continue to seem to do well in school... last Report card has I-Man with all A's while continuing to work on his handwriting, which is just a shade better than horrible. He also continues to to be the more scattered of the two in terms of just who he is, going from a tech oriented whiz with his DS, Lego's, kinetics, dinosaur books and computer games to reading his Kid's bedtime Bible every night before falling asleep.. with random emotional outburst and mood swings mixed in. Perhaps... that IS who he is.... and will be. Meanwhile Ryles latest Report card echos a general direction she has been heading in this year... A's and a B with a little note that the teacher feels she is under achieving. I ponder if she is bored in school... She continues to trend in an Artsy direction, being very interested in making things, drawing and music. But she is more even keeled, calculating and at times downright covert and conniving. At any rate, they BOTH clocked in with perfect attendance and Honor Roll. And to think that we were told that any potential kids we could have would be at a disadvantage. Interesting. Where are those comments now?

Spring is going to bring Soccer again soon for I-Man while Ryles is deep into her gymnastics and Dance/Tap. Oh , and lest I forget I-Man is into his tap too and actually seems to be better at Tap than his sister. The end of the year will see us have to seriously consider where/what to continue and what to drop as I-Man wants to do Scouts (which I think he will excel at) and time constraints will mean a choice for Ryles of one or the other going into the Fall. I want to start this Fall with a less regimented schedule in regards to there having to be SOMETHING everyday.

Frat gig tonight as another class spools up and gets going... this kids keep getting younger and younger looking....

i would say something about the election stuff but my mother just reminded me about not sayng anything if you aint got anything good to say about somebody... or something like that... so i will hold off for the moment. Lets see if things are better in year two. Afterall, it takes time right?

In the mean time, the 60 degree days in January are more like it... but then again, its just Gobal Warming rearing its head again... However, are we so sure about this?

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter". - Martin Luther King, Jr.

i just saw where they are building a new highschool that I-Man and Ryles will attend for 37 million dollars... then I realized that they will be there in 6 years... kinda sobering....

We were fortunate to have Brandy and AJ over to the house on Saturday. I am reminded of how much I miss actual "adult" conversation. Sigh... I love my kids but there are times when I really dont feel like arguing about why I always watch just sports on TV "ALL THE TIME!!!" when i look at my DVR full of Wizards, iCarley, Martha Speaks and Hanna Montana...

a year later...

so a year later, what have we gotten so far? Buyers remorse?

go figure

SO... it is about time for Spring. Seriously...

Went to the Monster Jam with I-Man on Saturday in Atlanta at the Georgia Dome. Before getting there, we hit the Mall of Georgia and found out Restoration Hardware seems to have disappeared... we then cruised into town and stopped by Ikea. I like that store. We ate some fries, chicken fingers and macaroni and cheese at the food place in there. The food was tasty to my surprise... we then headed to the Dome and found out, to my dismay, that along with the 70 thousand expected for Monster Jam, there was an Atlanta Thrasher's hockey match that night as well at Phillips Arena. That means A LOT OF PEOPLE TRYING TO PARK IN THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME. But we did get in with 5 minutes to spare. And I also learned that it pays to always go into EVERY bathroom you see, even if you just went 20 minutes ago... No, there were no accidents and that was because i have figured out that the moment you go sailing past a rest area, your kids will suddenly have to go to the bathroom... NOW! So I eliminate that possibility. Bathroom = Stop. Problem (and nervous waiting) solved. Build in extra travel time and its all good.

I also noticed that suddenly, out of nowhere, is a new penny. No one mentioned this... why wasnt i clued in to this?

Jessica and I also stood as Godparents for Harwood's son's baptism on Sunday. I felt honored to be considered. As i sat in the church pondering if the "wine" was actually Jack Daniels or not, I started formulating future plans for Obi Wan. But seriously, they had communion and they had actual wine and I-Man and Rylee had amusing reactions to it. It was stiff port, according to Jessica. Seemed a little like Jack Daniels and I certainly noticed one of those Deacon types knock back a half a Grail of that "wine" after everyone had their carefully restricted sip... I bet First Sundays are a happy time for those guys, watching football, sipping whiskey, err.. "wine", eating saltines and rooting for the Cowboys...

Suddenly a trip to New Orleans has popped up on my calender. I have never been there so this should be interesting.... March will be very full of stuff...

and I hope taking those guns into "the office" was worth it. What... with your salary you can figure out how to purchase a gun safe, Gilbert?... DUMBASS....

dude... this mouse is "OFF DA CHAIN!!!"

So... who is actually President now?

Interesting..... Click on this and tell me if Obama is the Leader here, or someone else....

ok... new year... lets go...

Resolutions....

currently need to drop some pounds... put a target of 200 pounds by December 31st. Set an alarm in Outlook to remind me to weight myself on Dec31st...

More photography... more pix.... hope my friends wont go into fits every time I pull out a camera...

Get better at Forza 3 and at some point purchase COD MW2.... and continue to clean Harwoods clock as I currently do in Forza

less texting and hopefully more talking, especially to those on Verizon

Shoot some serious baskets with the basketball goal Jessica got me for Christmas. Start off with some serious Jordanesque dunks (it goes up and down from 71/2 feet to 10 feet)...

Game night/Family night one Saturday a month....

lets keep it at that for now....

Happy Holidays pic...

Happy Anniversary!!!

"Bless The Broken Road"

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

[Chorus:]
Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like Northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

[Chorus]

Now I'm just rolling home
Into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you.

It was a birthday BOWLARAMA!!!

although the twins actual birthday isnt until the middle of this coming week, we held a party yesterday at the local bowling joint. Although you might be wondering why not McDonalds or Chuckie Cheese or some place like that.. well..that isnt where they wanted to have their party. Last year it was a swimming party at the YMCA (which is actually pretty sweet in an indoor heated pool) and this year they wanted to bowl for their birthday despite having NEVER bowled before... We were fortunate to have Aunt Ashley make the cakes for Ryles and I-Man this year and they were great and fit their styles perfectly. They had a lot of classmates as well as friends a family attend the little gathering. And the kids, most of whom had never bowled before, seem to have a blast. They used the lighter bowling balls and that made it manageable for them to be able to get them down the lane although it seems that once you get the ball rolling, it will eventually get to the pins anyway.

It seems almost surreal as I can remember their first birthday and it seems only yesterday it happened, not 8 FRAKKIN YEARS ago... now here we are bowling with all these other people and seeing them interact with their friends, most of whom I have no clue about. In many ways I am proud to see them talking to people they spend more time with than me, knowing that they must have some good qualities about them to attract others to them... but them it is also scary because of the unknown...

I guess the fact that their is probably at least one or two of these kids they will still be hanging out with when they are seniors in high school is kinda interesting to me. Their is one girl, Scottie, who I can so see Ryles becoming tight with that Jessica already has issues with. THAT should be interesting. Meanwhile I-Man continues to seem to struggle a little with having "buddies" at school and these types of events at the very least solidifies to him that some of the guys DO like him. I think the change of schools affected him more than we thought and the transition to make new friends is taking him longer.

I must admit that John did bring bring back some memories with his comment the other day. And these type of events also make me remember back to way back and the many meals at his house, all the basketball games i won in his back yard, the traveling to basketball games and keeping score for the highschool teams and the Mazda RX7..oh...and ColecoVision and Zaxxon!!! anyway, it makes me sad too whn I go home and I walk outside the house and see the many paths i used to play down all overgrown with weeds, and trees where there wasnt...and well...nevermind... i got WAYYY off track.

Anyway, the twins had a successful Birthday party... and now...Christmas looms...

what will it be in 20 years...

Earlier I was noting this...

as i am sitting here typing, my son is playing a game on my Droid that blows away anything that could even be thought of when I was his age. He is playing with a device that fits in the palm of his hand that has more computing power than what was on the Apollo missions to the moon. and I think back to when my parents got me a Commodore 64. I thought that it could NEVER possibly get any better than that...

and even more surreal is that he has picked up SpeedForge on my Droid and is doing far better than i have and I have been playing it for a couple of days. In five minutes he is already better than me...

um... yeah....

So the conversation goes like this....

I-Man: Why does Elf on Shelf feel like plastic?

me: thinkin to myself "well..it gets a little cool at night downstairs cause I turn the heat down lest Obama come and demand more taxes from me cause he thinks I am using to much energy while he jets around the word guzzling thousands of gallons a gas a day campaigning for another term"... but I actually say..." He freezes up so he can be super silent and hear everything you guys say"

I-Man: thinking somewhat hard as he drinks his hot chocolate... "he didnt move last night. He is in the exact same spot."

me: thinkin' "DAMMIT!" but I say " Santa is really busy with Parades so he has told his elves to save money (see previous statement about gas) and only report back to him every other day"

I-Man: "his hands and feet are in the same place everyday"

me: crickets chirping...."yeah... he's kinda like me in that he likes to put his hands in his pockets when it gets a tad bit chilly"

I-Man: "but he's wearing gloves"

me: "well... that's a good point" getting a bit nervous here...

me: "wow, isnt this Demi Lovato on the radio?"

I-Man: "Yes it is!!!! Its her new song, and its from blah, blah, blah. Blah blah, blah, blah blah... and it's really cool..."

me: whew....

moving so fast

Last week it was Dora, couple of days ago it was Hanna Montana. Yesterday it was Wizards of Waverly Place... now suddenly today it is.... iCarly.

...just in time, it seems for the WORLD PREMIERE of the "iQuit iCarly" Movie

Cant get this song out of my head...

WHen we headed to Florence the other day for Thanksgiving stuff, I kept hearing this song in my head... and it still keeps popping up...

I found out long ago
It's a long way down the Holiday Road

Holiday Road
Holiday Road

Jack be nible, Jack be quick
Take a ride on a West Coast kick

Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road

I've come back long ago
Long way down the Holiday Road

Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road
Holiday Road

Scalin" Back

With the economy all it that is (or isnt) and stuff, I wonder if everyone is doing like we are and scaling back a notch or two on the overall spending, etc. for gifts and stuff for family and friends. I know I have made a concious effort to not go overboard this year and there are several things that I have put on my "list" to get for people in the future that I could have easily secured today. I was telling someone the other day that it isnt so much that we can't but that there is a level of uncertainty that exists with the economy these days, despite the drivel Washington and the press tries to spew everyday that makes a degree of caution prudent. It is definitely my intent to make the Holidays a tad for meaningful and be about time spent together....

Birthdays loom

...so the twins wanted to have a birthday party at the local bowling alley. Considering the fact that they have NEVER bowled, this should be interesting. Heck, even I consider a bowling ball heavy so the amount of games they actually play might be, um... minimal. But there are video games, etc and I will get my bowl on while they run around like crazy for a couple of hours...

Today is SUPPOSED to be TWO Christmas parades in TWO different towns at the SAME time. not sure how this is going to happen... Throw in my wanting to to a snappy for Holiday cards and today should be, well... Interesting.....

PS.. turnes out the second parade is at 1pm, so we will make it to both....

Santa has learned a wise tactical lesson in the past few years... He used to do scouting trips and would actually put stuff in Ryles and I-Man's stockings way ahead of Christmas day. Well, Jessica alerted him that this might be tempting fate with the twins, and Santa has gone back to waiting till he arrives on Christmas to put whatever he deems necessary into the stockings... I am so glad I have been able to develop a good relationship with Santa. And Santa appreciates the good relationship I have with my employer and what that means to the whole operation...

Headin' full barrel into the Holidays

Ok... Christmas Tree up and rockin"... Stockings hung with care.. Elf showing up every morning to keep an wary eye on the kids... Family and Friends gifts wrapped... Advent Calender spooled up... Birthday, Anniversary and Christmas looming... we have been Blessed for another year. We certainly hope these Holidays bring everyone a little bit of Reflection, a little bit of Relaxation and a whole lot of Joy. Remember... No one is guaranteed tomorrow. So make the best of these times. Happy Holidays... and Merry Christmas!!!

Is it me, or are the days Drastically shorter at this time of year than before? It's like dark here at 4:00pm now... i feel like I am in New Jersey or something.... of course, the world has probably tilted and the same scientist to fudge Global warming data are probably not telling us because they know what is best for us...

time for a change

Looks like I am going to switch Jessica to the HTC Eris and I am going to go for the Droid. I would prefer to go with the Eris as it kicks the Iphones ass all over the place but it doesnt have an actual physical keyboard, and I gotta have that. So once the Droid arrives next week sometime, we will leave the Blackberry world. I may return down the line as I suspect Rim will continue their fight with Apple and start heading more toward the Iphone style platform. The Droid's capabilities are outstanding too. I will have to get used to the more Cyborg looking form factor....

so it seems some scientists have been screwing with the data or just outright not reporting the correct data when it comes to this Global warming stuff? If these scientist have been found out, what of the others who have not been found out? How much of this is just plain AGENDA and made up to try to scare people into doing things?

Thanks

I have been blessed. And I have been fortunate to have many things inexplicably go my way during my lifetime. But I will definitely give thanks on this day for Jessica, our children, our families and my friends. ANd I also want to give thanks for my Volkswagon Jetta TDI, which at 215,000 mile and 55 miles to the gallo, is STILL going strong.

Of course, UGA should be prosecuted

I see where PETA is wanting UGA to stop using an actual white English Bulldog as its mascot, citing its usual litany of crap about animal cruelty. PETA is complaining about how they treat this dog, who NO DOUBT gets treated better than virtually any person on this planet. DOn't these people have anything better to do?

musings

...is it me or does the Mall seem a little bit more menacing than it used to. I was at the Mall today and it just seemed to be a tad bit..."dark"... the atmosphere was just somehow different. Bands of wild looking kids and groups of wildly dressed girls... maybe i'm just getting old... but I didnt feel comfortable during the time I was walking around there alone...

..Fixing an Apple Cider cake for the Turkey Meat festivities over the next couple of days. One for when my mother comes tomorrow and another for when we travel to Florence. It came out good, I think. taste like... apple cider. Interesting.

Looks like nothing's gonna change
Everything still remains the same
I can't do what ten people tell me to do
So I guess I'll remain the same, listen

Sittin' here resting my bones
And this loneliness won't leave me alone, listen
Two thousand miles I roam
Just to make this dock my home, now

I'm just gon' sit at the dock of a bay
Watchin' the tide roll away, ooh
Sittin' on the dock of the bay
Wastin' time - Otis Redding and Steve Cropper

Ok... so V was actually pretty decent last night. Set-up some stuff nicely. I guess it is a little different because I already kinda know the story and theoretically what is going to happen. This is exactly the same as my experience with Battlestar but I expect that once they get to March, things will be a little bit more unpredictable....

I have mentioned before that I dont seem to remember any dreams that I have, except occasionally. I had a dream the other day and the only reason I can tell you this is that I remember that Kristen was in the dream. And I only remember that we were sitting at a table talking. And that is all I remember. I dont remember what we were talking about or anything. Its strange because it almost seems that if anyone I know comes into a dream I am having, I immediately wake up. I know this because its almost as though I only remember that someone I know is suddenly in the dream and my mind shuts down the dream and wakes me up. And I usually wake up and think "that was weird", and then try to remember what the dream was about and I cant recall. It's happened with other friends too. I always wake up as soon as they come into the dream and that is the only time I remember or notice that I have even had a dream. People say that I dream ( or that I have to ) but my experience of sleep (as far as I can recall usually) is that I lay down, close my eyes and within a minute I am asleep and the next thing I know the alarm is going off or I wake up several hours later. Blank space (or darkness) is all i usually recall... Strange. maybe I need to research why this happens. Sure it means something or another...

50 days till Christmas. I am (as well as Santa) pretty much finished with gift shopping. Maybe one more thing for my secret family person I drew the other day, and I will call it a day... But I do hope to start this holiday season with making sure I-Man and Ryles understand the real original reasons behind the Holidays and the religious significance of it. Even though we aren't overtly (or overly) religious, I have always felt that it provides a solid foundation and I dont want Christmas to be only about how much loot we can haul in during their Gift-O-Rama week between their birthdays and Christmas. And for some reason, even though the "Let Start XMAS in August!!!" thingy has been going on for several years now, I have always never thought the "Holidays" started until Turkey Day... but.. for some reason, I walked outside yesterday and it felt like the "Holidays" were already here. Not sure why I felt that way, but I did.

And I as I mentioned before, next year's travel/event sched seems to be setting up to be eventful indeed. Plans are setting up for a return to Bristol, Darlington, and Charlotte for races, as well as maybe fittin in Atlanta in the Fall. Potentially Monster trucks in the ATL in January. Going to try to see a NBA game as well as get to the Braves this summer. Summer will also bring a potential trip with the twins back up north, as well as a cruise with Grandma and another some more sharkfishin'. Another trip for a wedding in September, as well as a couple of Fraternity events have me looking at something in EVERY month thru November. Which is how I like it... I like having something to look forward to and plan mentally for. Gives me "Hope for Change" in the daily doldrums of work....

Buyer's Remorse?

Exactly....

V... tonight!!!

at first, I was a little apprehensive about this V remake. But the reviews are saying that the pilot is outstanding. If this is another Battlestar, it would be great. I remember watching this back in the day, and I remember how STUNNED i was when Diana ate that mouse. This will be a case where no one should be surprised who is watching. I mean, the design of the spaceships give it away...

Halloween and random observations...

Halloween came and went... I-Man as the ever popular (it seems) Snake Eyes and Ryles as a Throwback witch... Originally, I-Man was going to be Storm Shadow but the all white uni was too small.... We also were treated to have several people over Saturday night after Homecoming. That went very well and we missed the rain for the most part until right after midnight... It was an interesting mix of old friends, family, Fraternity and Ryles and I-Man's friends sleeping over but it all seemed to work out for the best...

...the most interesting part came when on Friday, I needed to run to the store real quick and get some firewood in prep for Saturday. I close my trunk to the jetta and, hop in my car and start backing out of our driveway. As I back up, I hear Mocha the BattleCat meow. I stop, get out and look around as sometimes the old feller doesnt seem to move too quick to get out of the way... didnt see him, so I figure he had moved off and was in hot pursuit of some squirrel. I hop back in, back out and start up the street... "Meow...." my window was down so I look in the front yard...no BattleCat..."interesting..." I think to myself.... so I stop by the mailbox checking the mail..."MEOW!!!!".... I'm like "WTF!?!?!!"...surely...no...no way.... So i hop out and open my trunk and out flys Mocha the BattleCat who streaks off across the street.... Wonder what would have happened if I had had my radio turned up.... Cousin Madison was here and celebrated with Jordan, I-Man and Ryles too...

You are all invited to an informal gathering at our house Saturday night after 
Homecoming. We will have a fire going and we will start around 9pm and go until? 
This will give everyone time to do some Halloween with their little ones. 
Everyone is invited so that means if you have a non brother friend, spouse, kid 
or whatever that you want to bring, its all good. There will be refreshments and 
it is BYOdrinks. So...drop by at your leisure and we hope to see all of you.

i am sitting here watching the ESPN 30 on 30 about Muhammed Ali and his fight against Larry Holmes. It is just flat out sad. EVERYONE knew Ali should not fight, yet they let it go on. Larry Holmes knew Ali was crippled yet he reluctantly did the fight. The film shows Ali visibly slowed, mumbling his words, slurring his words... just flat out sad...

they were right...he wasnt the greatest...

at least at that time, he wasnt.... just makes me sad...

THE NBA...IT's FAN>>>TASTIC!!! NBA starts tonight...normally, I dont follow the NBA outside a check on Christmas Day and then I tune in come May... I mean, there are five (5) FIVE almost ALL STAR teams that will be fighting it out all season... ok.. who am I kiddin'..I will still just check in on Xmas day... but... I will keep a more closer attention level to the regular season games and I think I'm going to try to get to one NBA game this year....

It might feel good
it might sound a little somethin'
but damn the game if it don't mean nothin
what is game who got game
where's the game in life behind the game behind the game
I got game
she's got game
we got game
they got game
he got game
it might feel good
or sound a little somethin
but fuck the game if it ain't saying nothin - Chuck D (Public Enemy)

Ok... Tigers get a big win... but I have a well worn copy of this song and dance. I think I know it by memory. Maybe this is a new arrangement...

... a little bit of research and fiddlin' around on facebook and I was able to get it back to the way it was before someone decided to go all New Coke/Myspace/2 dollar bill on me... do this...

"If you dont like the new FB News Feed - here is how you can CHANGE IT
BACK to the old. Look to the left menu scroll down and click on MORE.
Then drag STATUS UPDATES to the top. After dragging to top, click on
it. That becomes your default and it is like before."

by the way, blogger made a couple of subtle changes...added a new post button at top so that when you are logged in, you can immediately go to a new post without having to juryrig the system to make another post... wonder if they can get with the Facebook boys on how to update stuff...

ipod is cruising along still.... "Life is what happens to you while your're busy making other plans" - John Lennon

 
You are all invited to an informal gathering at our house Saturday night after 
Homecoming. We will have a fire going and we will start around 9pm and go until? 
This will give everyone time to do some Halloween with their little ones. 
Everyone is invited so that means if you have a non brother friend, spouse, kid 
or whatever that you want to bring, its all good. There will be refreshments and 
it is BYOdrinks. So...drop by at your leisure and we hope to see all of you.

Have you been half asleep and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that called the young sailors.
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection.
The lovers, the dreamers and me. -Kermit

Halloween looms... never a day/occasion i really cared about. There wasnt THAT much of a celebration of it growing up.. we lived a tad bit out in the country....

It's gut check time

Tigers took care of business last week and overworked Wake. That is what they are expected to do. Now you gotta show up in Miami today. I dont care if you lose. You just better look like you have a clue if you lose. There is no dishonor if the Tigers lose. But if their is continued ineptitude on the offensive side of the ball, the grumbling will continue to perculate.

I think Clemson matches up well with Miami, if they play to expectations. So... I will continue to hang in there... Defense stifles Miami, as expected while offensive woes kinda continue but get enough field goals to win 16-14, Tigers...


"He's The One They Call Dr.Feelgood
He's The one That Makes Ya Feel Alright
He's The One They Call Dr.Feelgood
He's Gonna Be Your Frankenstein" - motley crue

This is EXACTLY what i have been saying from day one about Obama

Read this... is sums it up about how I feel about our current President. Thanks, John.

Am I the only person who thinks this C0-Manager thing on The Office is dooflicty?

Went to Sunnyvale apple orchard on Saturday... luckily, it was sunny and pleasant amongst the apple trees. Almost T-shirt weather....

ok... first the 48 wins...AGAIN.... then the the Patriots blast the Titans. serioussly, is their anybody who is a fan of these two entities that isnt simply a front runner, bandwagon fan?

by the way, Clemson plays the part... excellent. lets see what happens in Miami...

Are You Kiddin' Me?

For those of you who question why I might think that racism exist.... read THIS..... this is the same type of crap I heard when I asked Jessica to marry me...

where did old TigerTown go?

Since Ryles and I-Man and the frat take me into Clemson frequently, I notice the little changes that are constantly going on in town... Like the demolition of virtually all the gas stations... and the creation of a Castle de Walgreen, Castle de Chic Fil A as well as a myriad of other little stores like Dunkin' Donuts...

9 week reports

Twins got their report cards (well, I saw them online.... jessica actually saw the paper copies) and all is good.. A's all around. I-Man needs to improve handwriting, though. Rain (that again) canceled I-Man's Monday soccer match so that may be made up later. No matches this weekend.

rain...

I, for one, do not mind the rain at this point in time. A steady rain that replenishes our water table and lakes can only help in the long run so I am willing to trade some days of dreary gray and being sequestered inside. Torrential downpours that cause people to be flooded are not good though, so I can understand that being a concern. But I have a good raincoat, an awesome umbrella and a lot of socks so I dont mind being outside in the rain if I have to... especially if it means no drought come May and Summer.

USA soccer qualifies for the World Cup and... No one notices. funny how the rest of the world noticed, yet virtually no mention in the US about the biggest sporting event in the world....

it was certainly nice for me and Jessica to wake up this morning to breakfast in bed fixed by the twins... they fixed a scrambled egg, bacon and toast for a bacon/egg sandwich and iced tea. Not too bad.

kinda sad

we have a house that kinda sits built into a hill along side a creek. From the front, its looks like a small one story house, but in reality is a 2 story, 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath house with a garage that looks entirely different when you view from the rear of the house, beside the creek. As a lot of people do, we open the windows in the Fall and Spring. One of the things that kinda annoys me is that I can not leave them open 24/7 in all the rooms. Specifically, the windows in I-Man's room and a window beside our "Front" door. I feel the need to close these at night and also when we leave home in fear that some whacko jackass Roman Polanski type might break into the house in the middle of the night and take my children since that second floor window is accessible if opened. So I have to keep closing and locking it. And I always think back to growing up when we NEVER locked our doors to our house or closed the windows during these times of the year. Now I dont dare do that for fear some punkass skateboard kid will try to make off with our TV.

WTF?

I have this one pair of pants that, for some reason, feels so much better than most of my other pairs of pants. The dont ride up weird when I sit down, or show too much sock when sitting in a meeting, or feel too tight when walking around. They are old school Structure pants from and era before they went off the deep end. I dont think I can wear anything from Structure now... sad.

and it is really surreal when your son and/or daughter starts texting you, and they are only 7 years old (almost 8). My daughter types on Jessica's blackberry and its like she has had a blackberry for 5 years. What a different world they have come along in and set of skills my children will have. As I was sitting at work, and Ryles was sending text, I was thinking back to my Intellivision and Commodore 64 and thinkin back to how "advanced" those things were. Heck, my Curve runs circles around those devices. now that I think about it, my Blackberry Curve could have powered the Apollo Missions to the Moon. And man, Colecovision's Zaxxon was unreal!!!

stay on course

I have, in conjunction with Santa, pretty much completed Xmas and birthday prep a few weeks back but it is always tempting to keep adding stuff. So far we have resisted the urge and have the future lists being prepared. We also struggle with where we draw the line with suggesting stuff to the Grandparents, because there are several things that would be great for them to acquire. But I always feel weird dictating to anybody what they should do in regards to gifts, etc. its always the the "What should we get the twins?" question... and I always have a list. But then I fell guilty pulling out the itemized (with price, location, occasion, etc.) list out of my pocket and going... "well, since you ask, we (me, jessica and ostensibly, Santa) DO have a couple of suggestions"

I think I am going to grow a full beard. Of course, I have tried this before and right when I get to the bend or break point, I shave it off..

meltdown

There is currently a meltdown in Tiger Nation in regards to the football program. Kinda funny how so many people who were all about Dabo and the "All in" rah, rah stuff are now criticizing him and the coaching staff. There were a lot of people, including me, who said that the "All In" mantra was in itself, a very good thing to throw out there. But that this hire was the wrong hire. Clemson hired an inexperienced coach and the results are manifesting itself real-time. Kinda seems to mirror the selection of our President in many ways. In essence, Clemson has gotten what it paid for.

oh, and the Braves did a meltdown too... but they are poised to make a great run next year. Honest. Seriously... "wait till next year!"

Speaking of Obama, Saturday Night Live did do an interesting skit last Saturday Night that was amazingly SPOT ON.

I-Man seems to be doing better in soccer these days. He has settled into the sweeper role and the Coach, who happens to be the Travel Team coach, has said that I-Man is built for that spot. We'll see how that unfolds, as we are yet to put any pressure on him in any regards to sports, music or anything....

fall here?

is Fall here? looks like finally a downturn in temps this week... open windows here we come...

man.. I love this song...

Can't sleep at night and you wonder why
Maybe God is trying to tell you something
Crying all night long, something's gone wrong
Maybe God is trying to tell you something

Lets see if the soccer match gets in tomorrow...got rained out last Saturday.

Season on the line for Tigers on Saturday. I certainly hope Clemson fans havent been sleeping on TCU, or they might be hugely disappointed. This might very well be the best team Clemson plays all year. Once again, it all comes down to the offensive line and simply getting the ball to Spiller and Ford EVERY play. Oh, and the Defense continuing to play well... I have a bad feeling about this one. But Dabo wants me to be "All In!!"...so... 20-17 Clemson. Looks like I will have to be finding someone streaming the 360 feed online again because for some wacky reason this game isnt on TV...

Disappointment

When I see in blogs and on Facebook friends proudly showing pix and talking about accomplishments, I always think about how proud they must be of their kids, as they should be. All of us with little ones have been blessed and I totally understand trumpeting how you feel about your son/daughter. I ponder that sorta stuff now as I am faced with mild disappointment in my son as he talked in class today and as a consequence will have to face punishment. He was warned before and he repeated his talking today. I understand that it's typical and he aint the only one talking in class. But its all apart of the process and I at times feel like the ole saying of "this s going to hurt me more than it will hurt you" thing as I hate to have to teach this sorta stuff now. While I do NOT want to go back 4 or 5 years but I sometimes think back to when it was far simpler dealing with our twins. Seeing the mixture of sadness, confusion and anger on my sons' face gives me pause. And it truly makes me sad as I know all too well that these are only the beginning of hard lessons that have to be taught and learned that dont taste too well.

I have struggled with the thought that somehow I may not be doing good enough a job with my son. As I have said before, I do see a lot of myself in his actions at times. And I wonder if he will develop the same sorta way of harnessing emotions and thought as I feel I did. Something tells me he won't and that he will "wear his emotions on his sleeve" and it will be his sister who plays it close to the vest with her emotions. Because I enjoy seeing his obvious excitement in talking to people, in trying to interact with everyone, and it kinda saddens me to see that that exuberance gets him into trouble and rubs people and other kids the wrong way at times. And to see the realization on his face that he had disappointed his mother and that he was in serious trouble really saddened me. He was still sad when I talked to him in bed a while ago.

I dont know. I guess I just wish I could still be pulling them around in a red wagon instead of having to do this type of stuff...

P.S. did I mention sitting at dinner table with Ryles after I-Man had been sent off to bed early?... listening to her quietly throw into the conversation that she had never been any color other than "green" (they use some sorta color system in class in regards to behavior, etc.) since shes been in school. It was SO transparent that she was trying to quietly build herself up between bites of her hotdog..." you know, Daddy... I have never been any color other than green...Ever..." Me..."really?...wow...I didn't know that"... Ryles..."Yeah...i have always been green." Me, thinking to myself "What do you want? a cookie...THAT's what you are supposed to do"

...crickets...

Last night, after homework, Ryles looks at the TV (playing Man in The Mirror on Satellite radio) and says "Why does Michael Jackson look like a girl?" .... (crickets chirping....)

OK... so the Tigers eventually drop a close one last week. There was a change in that they didn't just collapse totally that time. Ok... So I will give credence that the ALL IN thing worked that time. That is what Clemson needs. Another step in the right direction will be not letting one loss cause another one the next week. Looks like they made the needed change at right tackle, which will perhaps go a long way in making this season successful. Get Spiller and Ford the ball in open space and they will be extremely dangerous to ANYBODY on the college level. That falls on the line holding and Parker making good decisions... I expect to see the usual BC and they will be looking to make ANYONE else beat them except Spiller and Ford. They will look to keep everything in front of them and grind it out and try to hit a late field goal and steal a road win. IF...IF...IF Clemson keeps the momentum gained, they will win 31-21. Come ot flat and BC will steal a win...