Hit the ocean ...again...

Today, John was gracious to take me out on the ocean near his home and we went out a tad far to hook some fish. This was father out than I had ever been before on a small personal craft before and it was a blast. Outside of the obvious sea issues and the UP/DOWN/SIDEWAYS constantly, it was fun catching a couple of larger fish ( with Johns expertise ) and watched him catch a whole bunch o fish too........ a strange after effect was while taking a shower, i closed my eyes and i swear i could feel myself rocking like I was still out in the ocean.... I am always appreciative of the time John takes to take us out and show us a great time...

tomorrow will see us going to Wild Adventures in Valdosta... should be interesting as I have never been there. I believe it is like a Carowinds/Dorney Park type place with coasters, kids stuff and a water park. I think we are going to try to avoid the water park...(crossing fingers)

After returning back to John and Pams, we plan to chill out before finally heading back to home after a loooooooooonnnnnnnng road trip.... kinda weird as I woke up in the middle of the night last night, and I could NOT remember where I was for a few seconds... probably a hint that home and my own bed will be welcome....

Or perhaps....This?

This would be a something for the thermos with the previously mentioned ankle thingy?

Where was this 15 years ago?

This is SOOOOO something that might have been useful back in the day. This is better than the flask....

Coming off the cruiseboat, we will head to see John, Pam and Grace... we shall see if these pictures i constantly see on Facebook about are true or creative Photoshop apparitions...

Looking good so far

Braves reach the All Star Break looking good and set to contend in the second half. As I have said before, all I ask is that we have a chance in September and that the games mean something.... Think I am going to take I-Man to a game in August and maybe catch up with some friends in the ATL area while at it...

Looking around for potential Stocking stuffers.. came across this....

OK... So the trip to Jacksonville had a slight hiccup as we didnt have the twins birth certificates. Didnt have jessica's either. Had to go back home to locate those and after a little panic, found it. Then we headed to Columbia, which was about 117 degrees at 8:45pm... I swear. Honest. The Droid said everywhere else was 75 degrees, 85 degrees... etc. No wonder USC fans are always in a bad mood (besides losing alot - despite their baseball teams recent success)... this place would drive me batty. It is SO FRAKKIN HOT!!!!!

with all the hubbub from some calling for a boycott of BP, despite the boycott really hurting the local owner more than it hurts BP, I thought that this pic I saw online might be kinda interesting... found it online browsing a site about sports uniforms, of all things...

maybe my mind has changed

I have often said ( and fully intend to) that I will drive my current Jetta well past 300,000 miles and probably till it blows up. And current plans are for a BMW X5 as my current line of thinking, with another Jetta TDI close behind it in ranking.. but..this car to the right has me thinking I might get that if I can figure out how to make it make sense.... more on this vehicle here....

from facebook

i know some have already seen from facebook, but I have to post this again. I got it from Harwood the other day. This made the rounds for almost two straight days at work..... beware watching this as it does contain adult language....

follow up

Spent the evening of the Fourth at Harwoods', and we shot off a whole heap of fireworks. I think I have improved the quality of my fireworks presentation... Next year, i will be fully ready.

today, JULY 4th!!!... but yesterday????

Friday afternoon, Nanna and Papa came into town. We spent time the day before at River Falls in Greenville, the hit Wild Wings for dinner... Yesterday, we went to Clemson and went on a picnic. We then contacted Uncle Wes and Aunt Ashley and found out that they were actuall about 200 yards away from us across the cove. Got on the pontoon and went cruising around lake Hartwell for a bit and the kids went swimming. We then went back home and grilled out steaks, corn, potatoes with everyone before they all headed back home.... it was, for me, great to see everyone. As I have mentioned before, days off, vacation time and spending time with friends and family are things I look forward to all the time. And with my vacation time somewhat precious and limited, I place a lot of stock into that time. And spend a lot of mental energy into thinking ahead and planning and setting aside time. That is why it annoys me when that time gets complicated by petty bickering and simple lack of communication. I feel we only have so much time here. It is a extreme waste of time for subterfuge and a simple lack of communication and avoidance of issues to make EVERYTHING so complicated. And I fear the future we see us simply choosing to take ourselves out of the equation. I simply dont want to be bothered when people could simply talk to each other. At the end of the day, family will be what is there for you.

I forgot to follow up on Browns job in NYC... he is doing great. And the store that he works for is obviously doing well... I tried to barter a 2000 dollar set of coasters down to 5 dollars but it didnt seem to work.... left is a sign that was prominently displayed in the store....

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened. --Dr. Seuss

well last week was eventful... full of travel and seeing old friends... first stop was in Raleigh to see the Wyatts... we had an opportunity to sit around and eat wings and sip Canadian Mist while the kids ran around and had fun... Raleigh is a long way and traffic sux there... just sayin. But I do think time between visits was waaaay too long. But their relative proximity to Florence will make it easier in the future to plan something out. perhaps a day trip into town and a trip to the museum in town or some other sites. Got a chance to see Josh's EV car... needs a little work still but looks close to being a reality, it seems... Josh also (with Alicia's help) gathered up a lot of photo albums and photos from the FRAT from WAYYYYY back and gave to me to give to the Historian. A lot of pix of the colony members and pix of the Alpha thru Delta classes...

Then it was off to New Jersey, traveling up 95 around Washington, thru traffic, under Baltimore Harbor, thru traffic, around Philly, thru traffic and across to Jersey to Kristen... thru traffic. Hung out and ate Chinese and then woke up the next day and traveled into NYC... thru... NO traffic for the most part. Into Manhatten, across Chinatown, across the bridge into Brooklyn where we met up with Aunt Pam and Uncle Erik and then headed onto the subway to go into NYC to go to the Museum of Natural History. We ate a dog from the street vendors and then spent around 4 hours roaming around inside. I was impressed that the kids could have stayed even longer and had a LOT of fun.... we then went across Central Park to FAO Swartz and I-Man got him a cool SPACE PATROL lego set while Ryles made herself a bracelet... then back on the subway where we then went to Browns work place which seems to be flourishing.... we then went and grabbed some dinner at a cool joint in Brooklyn, then hit up Brooklyns Best Ice cream and spent some time under the Brooklyn Bridge at a park there enjoying the great view and the nice cool temps... then back to Jersey...






The next day saw us with the Redmonds hitting Dorney Park, a Carowinds type place (coincidentally owned by the same company) with some mean coasters that i managed to avoid riding. There were a couple of other ones that I-Man rode and several kiddie rides I enjoyed immensely. Temperatures were great and we managed to spend almost seven hours there deftly navigating all the fun with the occasional expected melt downs... Red Robin for dinner and a incredibly cool candy store treat from the Redmonds for dessert ended the day. I was kinda amused and sad to have to leave. As always time is way to short on these visits and seeing how much I-Man enjoyed playing with Kristen's son was cool...the twins got along great with all the kids. Kinda strange thinking about how we never could have imagined this 15/19 years ago....

The next day saw the loooong trip back, hitting Cracker Barrel at the exact same place and exact same parking spot as the year before... back home to reality, back at work and already mentally planning... for next year.

Fathers Day!!!

Jessica and the twins treated me to cube steak and eggs, bacon, hash browns, gravy, orange slices, biscuits and Arizona Ice Tea. And a couple of homemade cards that they obviously took a lot of time to make. Much appreciated!!!

here we go again

a couple years ago Brandy sent me a link about companies/web sites/brands that were going to be folding, etc. I remember reading it with skepticism but that article proved to be eerily true... well, here is another article that i am wondering if it will prove to be true. If so.. wow....

on deck

Looking forward to seeing... Josh, Kristen and Brown this week... should be fun...

Slumber party

last night the Harwoods daughter spent the night at our house and in typical fashion, none of the kids wanted to go to bed. Finally the girls went to sleep and I went upstairs around midnight and found I-Man still awake... his comment..."I feel like such an adult now"

It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confidence of their help. ~Epicurus

Had a great visit from Brandy and AJ this time last week and got to visit with their newest addition to their family. They seem to be adjusting well to a considerable change between having one child to having two. While I never have known what it was like to have one kid, it always felt from afar that the task was far easier than having two at one time. Of course, that does make sense... i suppose.

Then yesterday, we went over to see The Harwoods and the twins hit the pool with their kids. I am amused at just how much I-Man and Ryles never seem to tire of swimming, either in a pool or down at the lake in Camden, or at the ocean...at any rate they spent about three hours in the pool then played inside for another 4 or so, taking in some pizza along the way, as well as creating all sorts of Play-do thingys...

I was fortunate to be allowed to use Harwoods' lift to replace my skid pad/belly pan on my Jetta. I had been driving for 3 months without protection for my oil pan, which sits extremely low to the ground on the TDI and is exceptionally vulnerable to rocks, etc and therefore, catastrophic engine failure if oil starts dropping out while traveling down the highway... i am always grateful that using his lift has probably saved me hundreds, if not now thousands of dollars in cost to dealership or mechanics.

It is interesting to see the budding friendship between Ryles and Harwoods daughter. I think this will be a long term thing ( one would hope ) that will be cool to look back at in 10 years...

"Dude, We're Gettin' the Band Back Together!"

Perhaps one of my mostest fave episode EVER on Disney Channel...i ended up watching this instead of the second half of the USA/SLOVENKA(whatever) match.... why do I like this episode so much... because there is a understated core them of the fact that MUSIC brought the band together initially and MUSIC was the tie that binds them together after many years away from each other....

so... i get up on my first day off to go downstairs and watch USA in the World Cup. Of course, the kids are watching a Power Rangers DVD they have only seen.. what.... 400 times? So rather than force the issue, i trudge back upstairs to watch it in my bedroom... good thing i moved my old 37incher upstairs.

Not sure if it was some sorta virus or what yesterday but I feel much better today. Except that I now notice virtually every joint in my body creaks and pops when I wake up and get out of bed...

Kinda weird... last night i felt really strange, all achy and ever so slight chills... but what was strange was how i couldnt really sleep well... almost didnt go to work but wanted to keep my sick days in the pocket.... and I am now starting to feel a little better...

interesting....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/17/fashion/17BFF.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes

USA ties England.. kinda appropriate considering the symbiotic nature of the relationship between the two countries... I will take it and hope the USA doesn't pull a USC (or worse, Clemson) and lose to the two lesser teams in the group in matches they are favored to win. And I hope the English goalie doesnt end up like the Columbian goalie from 1994.

Did You Know?...

The USA team jersey is made from recycled plastic bottles with each individual jersey having the equivalent of 8 bottles... that on the back at the jersey neck is a small graphic that says simply USA... that inside the back at the neck is a coiled rattlesnake graphic... that underneath the USA soccer Federation crest, on the inside OVER THE HEART is another coiled rattlesnake embroidered... with the letters DTOM, which stands for DON'T TREAD ON ME

"Η καμήλα δεν βλέπει την καμπούρα της"

• "The camel does not see her own hump."
• We readily see other people's faults but fail to see our own.

Non se collen as troitas coas pernas enxoitas. (No trouts are caught with dry legs)

WORLD CUP!!!

watching the World Cup match between South Africa and Mexico right now.... Mexico comes out in all black with their green accents. Unusual to see them in that color. So used to seeing Mexico in some form of Green with their usual Aztec/Mayan accents.... Interesting... might have to get me some of those vuvuzelas...... it always amazes me how the ENTIRE WORLD watches these matches, yet hardly anyone in the US even know this huge event is going on.... right now, the entire countries of Mexico and South Africa are at a stand still, glued to the TV. Tomorrow, US will play England... a match full of historical and symbolic importance... and most of the US wont even know it is happening. I lay some fault with ESPN and the entire US press. Bet you that if the Yankees and Red Sox were playing, we would be inundated with the same old stories and hype over and over for the 75th time since April.

But I bet you this... at 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, ALL of England will be watching....

but I also ponder how i see things... The guys playing for Mexico look...Mexican. The guys playing for South Africa dont look South African to me... by that i mean that for so long I associated South Africa with White(caucasians, whatever) people, with the Black people being oppressed into poverty/slavery/whatever. Perceptions... obviously things are changing for the better in South Africa, slowly but surely. But I almost expect to see the South Africa team as all white blond guys with crew cuts dressed in all black with swastikas on their arms. Yeah, i know... getting time periods/locations/stereotypes all mixed up, but.. well.. it is MY blog, isnt it?

today is the last day o school for the kids. Looking back, i try to remember what that was like for me. And I can barely remember... kinda scary. I can remember that it was always kinda sad as it always seemed like August was SO FAR AWAY. And that I didnt hear from or see any of my friends for the entire summer. Now... I think of how August seems like tomorrow for me. Plans for June and July are set and I am thinking of the August timeline and how I might be able to fit a Darlington truck race into family stuff. I can realistically think of what is planned for every weekend thru July. Kinda weird getting ready for school again, already. What book bags will they have? Will they go LLBEAN again or something totally different? in a related note, I-Man made Tiger Strip Brownies for his class today. And he left me a note telling me not to touch his brownies last night... kinda funny.

"The camel does not see her own hump."

We went to the Twins award ceremony today at school... I-Man and Ryles both got awards for Perfect Attendance for the year, as well as ALL A's for the entire year. Then we got to talk to I-Man's Gifted and Talented teacher for next year... as well as confirmed that they will be split up into separate classes next year... so all in all a good year academically. Lets hit the 3rd grade full speed in two months...

slowly...but.. surely?

slowly, as sure as the sun will probably rise tomorrow....

random stuff

Santa told me that I-Man can expect this in his stockings come December...

the Braves get to June in first place... Do I dare start to believe? I am afraid to say much as to not jinx them...

Happy Memorial Day!!! hope everyone enjoys their hotdogs and hamburgers and takes the time to take a moment to reflect on why we get to do those things... people who died far away from home and friends, many times in ghastly situations, protecting our freedoms and serving our country. If you dont take a moment to reflect on this, you are disrespecting their efforts, and dishonoring their legacy. I am going to take a moment at 3pm for a couple seconds of silence and reflection. I dont get to enjoy all of THIS without their sacrifices....

oh... another question... Does this Administration EVER take responsibility for anything that might even be the slightest bit bad? Is it ALWAYS Bush's fault? or do we constantly have to hear Obama or Gibbs or whatever lackey he hides behind say "This notion that... (fill in the blank with ANYTHING THEY DONT WANT TO ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR) ...is simply not true!"

kinda funny.. always starts with "This Notion..."

ha... go figure...

He Was Supposed to be Competent

I am not totally understanding this Silly Bands this the youngsterz are all into... when you watch them barter and negotiate with each other though, it is highly fascinating as they speak to each other in whispered, hushed tones.... "i have a Phoenix.. i will trade that for your tie dye Monkey"

just watched the last episode of Law and Order.. kinda interesting that the longest running show ever went out with absolutely NO fanfare while a show like LOST, that will be forgotten by next week, got all this hullabaloo. Guarantee you that 10 years from now you will still be watching Law and Order in reruns while 24 and Lost will be Trivial Pursuit answers.... Interesting.

Shaving the beard today....

Its kinda interesting. I talked to Kim McDade (Miller) about it last weekend and she agreed with me that it really isnt the Reunion itself we are opposed to, its the bunches of people we have no desire to see again. There is a Highschool Reunion happening this upcoming weekend. I have no desire to go except to see my old friend Beth Riddle. While there may be a couple of others there I would be pleased to see McGee, Jobert, Kennedy, Putnam are not expected to be there... so... therefore...I dont think I am going to go. I am kinda sad as I know the time and effort the organizers have put into doing that type of event and the enormous amount of mental energy they have exerted. And I feel I am dissing them and their efforts... I always feel the same way about Alumni Band and stuff... several people I would love to see... a whole lot more I just have no desire to see again... I know I come off sounding arrogant...

Here is a repost of something I read on Huffington Post by Joseph Palermo (wait, someone once accused me of only watching FoxNews....) and I found it kinda telling of where the "left" is heading/thinking.. especially when you get to the last paragraph...

And Carter Thought He Faced National Malaise

The spectacle of British Petroleum literally killing off the Gulf of Mexico before our eyes while the Obama Administration apparently believes that BP is honorable enough to be trusted to dutifully clean it up is depressing beyond belief. Hearing Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal complain about the lagging federal response after he built his political career trashing the federal government is just too pathetic and stupid to even bother to ridicule.

Despite the seriousness of our current economic and ecological crises, the views of people like Rand Paul and Rush Limbaugh still dominate the discourse. Their ideas frame the debate about current events and political issues, and set up narratives that are impervious to logical argument or even common sense. They idealize Capitalism with the same level of ideological rigidity and devotion as the Khmer Rouge idealized Maoism. Fuse their extremist laissez-faire ideology with a retrograde and downright mean version of right-wing Christianity, and what you get is a toxic stew of superstition and disastrous real-world public policy prescriptions. Like the Texas State Board of Education purging textbooks for children of any ideological impurities, we're surrounded (it seems) with stupid people screaming loudly for stupid policies that are designed in one way or another to produce a generation of stupid people.

What is one to make of Rand Paul saying that President Obama's mild criticisms of BP are "un-American?" Or Limbaugh's claim that the oil catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is the Sierra Club's fault? A "family values" Christian conservative congressman films an "abstinence only" video with his married mistress; an anti-gay co-founder of the Family Research Council orders a young male prostitute with the click of a mouse. "The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity."

"Libertarians" should at least be for relaxed drug laws, checks on the government's "anti-terrorism" powers, and in favor of a woman's right to choose. But we don't even get this. Instead, we get runaway corporate power and a government that is weak where it should be strong (regulating corporations) and strong where it should be weak (crimping civil liberties).

The United States seems to have already begun its own "lost decade." But unlike Japan, the U.S. is expending its precious resources on fighting two debilitating wars and maintaining a declining empire. If we're lucky we will be "lost" only for a decade.

In California, the "moderate" Republican governor just proposed eliminating the entire welfare program, which is a move that no politician from either party would attempt except during an extreme economic and fiscal crisis. It's the "shock doctrine" on steroids here in Sacramento.

The country is still reeling from what the Wall Street banks put it through and now a criminally reckless oil company creates a major ecological disaster that will take decades to clean up -- if it ever can be cleaned up. Trust me: In the end, BP is not going to pay for the costs of this spill.

When President Jimmy Carter's approval rating plummeted he decided to speak to the nation in a primetime television address where he attempted to explain the economic insecurity that was increasingly gripping American society. "It is a crisis of confidence," he said. "It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our national will. We can see this crisis in the growing doubt about the meaning of our own lives and in the loss of a unity of purpose for our nation." The press dubbed it Carter's "malaise" speech (though he never used the word), and it was an unmitigated political disaster. In 1976, Carter, the nuclear engineer and Georgia peanut farmer, had come to Washington as a fresh face promising to lead the country out of the depressing era of Vietnam and Watergate. Three years later, he had become heavily identified with a dreary status quo that nobody seemed to like, least of all Carter himself.

By 2012, President Obama could very well find himself in Carter's predicament. A nation traumatized by this kind of prolonged and serious economic uncertainty, along with a political class incapable of doing much about it, has already spawned a wave of irrational politics. A new generation of politicians could emerge who compound the crisis by pushing a new set of misguided public policies such as destroying Social Security, which, like eliminating welfare, has been a dream of some ideologues for decades.

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed.” -Theodore Roosevelt

On the road again...

Jessica, the twins and I all went to Charlotte on Saturday and we took the time to meet up with Kim and visit with her for the day. I also stepped out and went to the All Star Race on Saturday night meeting up with Uncle Wes and Papa at the track. They had different seats and I attempted to go join them but I would have had to go entirely out of the track to get to them, so I passed on it.... anyways, it was good to sit and have a leisurely conversation and catch up with Kim and her goings on. I am also happy to see that she is doing well (not that I wouldnt expect that anyway) and we are already making plans to make her come to town this Fall....

Musings

So..we all are proud of our children. It is interesting to see the pictures on facebook and posts on blogs of friends children and the obvious pride every has. Its good stuff. Ryles was supposed to test for the Gifted and Talented Program at her schoool and when she did test, she was not selected. Its all good anyway as she continues to excel in school and maybe she will be reconsidered for next time. However, we had no idea I-Man would be tested. they never mentioned to us he would be. And I was pleasantly surprised to get a letter telling me that I-Man has been accepted into the Gifted and Talented program for next year. My only concern is that Ryles may be a little bummed out if/when she figures out her brother made it and she didnt. I do think the fact that they are going to be separated anyway next year will soften that blow.... we shall see how I-Man does in all this...

I continue to drag a bit. I think lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me. If I dare lay down in the morning after I take the kids to school, I find it almost impossible to wakeup until I absolutely have to go to work. I never have had this issue before...

And this Obama administration continues to be totally opposite of all the promises and rhetoric he spewed and pulled over people eyes during his election... so much for "transparency", right?

so... another one down....

so yesterday was another birthday down.... grateful for the gift from Jessica and the kids, as well as the gift from Aunt Ellen.

And Law and Order is set to end. I think its time... and it will obviously go on in syndication for many years to come... sorta like a contemporary M.A.S.H.

back to the birthday... a couple of people asked me if I feel old. dont feel old, but I often ponder things now. More than I used to....

Florence, Darlington, Camden, Sumter and Mothers Day

Went to Darlington to the races on Friday night and Saturday night and a longtime friend went along with me, Lynn. It was good to be able to spend time and talk and catchup and not have to be back to our families in an hour... way too often now it seems my time with my closest friends seems to involve months of planning and minutes of actual face to face time., which is a source frustration. But it is also a reality of time, family and distance. The races were cool and my guy did well and continues to lead in points and prettiest car opinion.

We also had the opportunity to go to Shaw AirForce base and see a Airshow that featured the Army Black Knights and the Thunderbirds, as well as a bunch of other planes and military jets, etc. The kids seemed to like it a lot and it was cool hanging with Uncle Wes, Aunt Ashley and their cousin. It was actually cool to see all the planes on the ground too, and be able to sit inside them and talk to the pilots who fly them . They also did a great job of having a whole bunch of activities for the kids that would keep them occupied during the occasional downtime. I-Man has now gone from wanting to play professional soccer to wanting to be an Air Force pilot. Perhaps a more realistic goal, I must admit but not one that will get me a cushy retirement. But oh well, back to reality, I guess... huh?

The twins and Jessica also went to the lake in Camden with Nanna, Papa and Aunt Ellen and went out on the jetskis and Pontoon on Saturday. They also had a chance to go swimming although I am not sure how much they enjoyed the cold water

Mothers Day yesterday was a low key affair at the Airshow and back at Nanna and Papa's for dinner. I missed getting to see my Mother but plan on visiting with her (along with the twins) next weekend at some point

oh, and I though one fun thing was the "Old - School -Barnstorming -Lady on top of plane" daredevil thingy at the airshow... see pic to the right...

I think I am going to take Law and Order, SVU off my watch list... it seems kinda contrived with the addition of Sharon Stone as an ADA. The original Law and Order is still going strong and I am liking Criminal Intent with Goldblum as a wannabe Goren/D'Onofrio.

One more day at work before getting ready to head to Darlington for the races Friday and Saturday.

But... I thought we all were Democrats....

I was told by a guy on Facebook that I have an issue of self-hatred cause I am "conservative" and dont stand in line and support Obama in everything he does... I wonder if this same guy thinks all these people have the same issue???? Click here...

Overtime... Brakes... and whatever..

So I-Man's tam had its tournament on Saturday. They went in as the top seed having only lost once all season. They played a team they had crushed during the season and had three defensive lapses cause them to have to survive a 3-3 tie after regulation, then two overtime periods. After that they went to the dreaded penalty kicks where after falling behind initally, it was I-Man shooting last who made the last penalty kick to send it to the sudden death round of penalty kicks. Here, the quality depth of this team came thru as I-Man's team actually had bench players who could play and a stellar goalie and prevalied in extra penalty kicks 2-0 to get the team to the Championship game where they prevailed over another team they had crushed 3-2 after falling behind 0-2 early in the second half. Shrewd adjustments by the coach to position I-Man in a certain place on corner kicks proved to be the difference as the lapse of the previous game did not occur. It was a great season and year and I think I-Man is already looking forward to the move up to U10 and that challenge...

Mucho thanks to Harwood for allowing me to use his lift to change my front brake pads on the Jetta. They lasted 200,000 miles and were pretty much all gone. I just need to remember that brakes = C clamp from now on... I certainly do appreciate Harwood taking time to open up his garage and put up with me for what ended up being a three hour issue once I figured out I couldn't reset the brake piston by simply pushing it in by hand...

Today, I had to give in and turn on the AC unit in the house and close the windows. Ryles could not sleep last night in her room with the humidity and 75 degree temps. sigh... so much for the low power bills...

I am now wondering if I will get a chance to go fishing for shark again this summer since this oil spill thingy has bubbled up...

Recitals down...

This past weekend saw the Twins Dance and Tap recitals happen... along with a long Dress rehearsal that is about as organized total confusion can ever be. But somehow, it all comes off nicely and I guess it is kinda like how band stuff must look to normal people at times... I always like sitting at the Recital and watching all the groups. 99.999999999 percent of these kids will never dance professionally but I always remember and can appreciate what they are trying to do...the time and energy put into weeks and months of practice for what... 5 minutes in front of a few family and friends and interested onloookers. But I think of the journey these kids and and young adults are making, and the memories and friendships they are forming. Five minutes IS worth it.

and the music. I love how music always takes my mind somewhere else. To places elsewhere and to people far away and times in the past. I always sit in these Recitals and ponder where would I be without music. And I KNOW i wouldnt be in a better place.... I hope that my kids will continue to have a place in their lives for the ARTS, because I think unless they are destined to be able to throw lefthanded a baseball at 95 miles per hour or something else like that, they will get a lot out of the ARTS, whatever direction they go into...

adjustin'

I am still trying to adjust to my work schedule. The long weekends are awesome but the late nights are starting to wear on me as I cant get to sleep till around 2am. I then get up at 6:40ish to deal with the twins and getting them off to school. After dropping them off at school, i usually dont get a chance to go back to sleep but... if I do, i will lie there and cannot wake myself up until noon. This is virtually unheard for me as I have never had this type of issue in the past. I can only guess that lack of sleep has crept in....

Now THIS is more like it...

SO... I-Man kept asking me to go next door and ask the neighbors if he could cut their grass.. since they stole our hand mower the other week in the middle of the night and cut part of their yard, them mysteriously put the mower back, I am not inclined to help them out in the least... but ... anyways... I digress... I said no and he proceeds to tell me he was going to do it for them for 5 dollars. I'm like "dude.. I will gladly give you 5 dollars if you cut the yard... So i gladly watched him tool back and forth for 20 minutes while I sat on our front step, sipped a diet coke and pondered a page turned and perhaps milestone reached... of course, later Ryles learns that I-Man is getting a huge 5 spot and she is asking me what she can do... I mention cleaning her room, and i get silence and a very blank stare....

Quality Time...

I think that it is great that I-Man and Ryles get a chance to spend time with Nanna, Papa and Grandma. Especially cause they have a different perspective than me and Jessica at times, but we can trust that they still have a positive affect on the kids. The twins got to spend time yesterday with Grandma. Always good...

And down the stretch we go...

Ok... so I learned that the Twins have Report cards... then they have progress reports during each Reporting period. I was beginning to wonder about the seemingly endless cards the kids were getting. Ok... Got it. So I am now on the same page in regards to the kids academics... Thru 3 Quarters, Ryles had 2 B's during the Second Quarter and All A's during 1st and 3rd. I-Man checks in at.... drum roll... ALL A's thru the first 3 Quarters. Which amuses me because Ryles is supposedly the better student. And perfect attendence all year for both of them. I Know its only second grade, but it seems to be going far better than what some people tried to predict back 12 years ago.... And suddenly, after hearing an exhibition of instruments, Ryles is talking about taking lessons on Oboe while I-Man is talking Tuba. Yeah... I keep hearing that I shouldn't be dictating what they play, but they really are picking these own their own, I think...

Today see's us doing a family gathering on Jessica's side of the family, then a visit with Grandma while I go attend a Frat Gathering....

Got a chance to eat lunch with a old friend from High School yesterday. It was great to touch base and see just how far we have both come... growing up in the country and now having two blessed families with promising futures. (knock on wood). He is now a managing partner at a law firm in town and we are both a far cry from riding around in that old yellow Pinto station wagon that vibrated like hell if you went over 50 miles per hour. Or me in my Chevy Nova with the iffy steering. He was my closest friend during my high school years and while we did go our separate ways, I think we will be seeing more of each other and our respective families here in the future. He said he found me doing a search on the Internet for a case... I forgot to followup on exactly what from this blog popped up that made him find me. I will have to know that. We both have separately pondered if the blessings we have in being able to provide for our children what we didnt have growing up is actually totally good or not... (what a sentence)

Weird, and sad...

I remember back to an email a friend sent me a while back talking about how many stores and shops were going to be closing in the future. This was like two, maybe three, years ago. I remember reading that and thinking NO WAY some of these places would be closing stores or going under altogether. But today, as I drove thru town and then went into the Mall for a little while, I was stuck by how many closed stores I saw. Eddie Bauer is no longer there. The Sprint hutch? Gone.... several stores boarded up on Main Street. Is this the economic prosperity Obama said would return if we hurried up and just went along with what he said?

at any rate, i think back to that email often... and think.. "Wow.. she was dead on...."

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....