And this is so screwed up I dont know how to begin commenting on it. It is so wrong at virtually every turn. And then once you read this.. read the comments. That is worse.

well.. it wasnt exactly a 65 yard field goal in triple overtime... but I will now up the ante and say that if the Broncos win in Foxboro on Sunday, something strange is going on... there is conjecture with some guys at work that Tebow might be... just hang with me a second and hear me out... the Anti-Christ. Only he doesnt even know it. It is almost B movie like (or Disney Channel-like) how things just seem to magically go his way. people on the other team get hurt, a ball bounces a strange way, some guy does some inexplicable thing on the field, a timely penalty... all sorts of stuff... then 3:16 starts popping up EVERYWHERE... the scriptures talk of this type of guy coming and to "beware...." I dont know. He definitely seems to have something shining upon him. Is it Good? or is it Evil covertly operating as the second coming?. I could soooo see this guy 15 years from now leading a ministry of hundreds of millions... then deciding to run for President, getting elected and all of a sudden flames start poofing up and his eyes turn all red and horns sprout of his head. Take a close look at him. Couldnt you see it happening?

Then all of a sudden spaceships come flying down and you see that God and the Angels and all this stuff is from aliens and a huge battle breaks out between the GOoD aliens and the bad aliens (Satan)... OK.. maybe a little too much Ancient Aliens on History Channel HD... but... look at him closely next time the camera zooms in on him. Cant you see him suddenly bursting into flames with a maniacal laugh? and then having all these people droning and following him no matter what? Sorta like Obama a couple of years ago when people just went with this guy despite the warning signs and NO BACKGROUND. Remember when people had were treating him like a Rock Star? .. did you know you can get a real Denver Broncos Jersey that has the #15 and the name of Jesus on the back? they showed people wearing them at the Broncos game the other day.... just food for thought....

Clemson football...

Seriously?

I dont like this supposed cool bowl system that exist now. I remember when New Years day would be Rose parade @11am, then Cotton Bowl, then Rose Bowl, then Sugar and Orange... all the same day. Then the Fiesta came along and added in. None of this "I have NO IDEA when these bowl games are being played" crap with games AFTER New Years @ 1 o'clock in the afternoon.... Seriously? Most people are back to work... I woke up yesterday and spent 5 minutes looking around for the Rose Bowl Parade. only to remember that the NFL was playing. The NFL used to play on Saturday when New Years fell on Sunday... oh well...

and virtually every team I have an interest in the NFL did not make the playoffs... they all either sucked or crashed and burned on the last day.. Which means they all have better draft picks and easier schedules (against each other, hmmm maybe this isnt that good for me?) next year... I mean, perhaps I will go with the Steelers but knowing how this season has gone, God will make sure the Broncos kick a 65 yard field goal to beat them in triple overtime....

i like Ikea. Really do.. they got some good stuff there. Ryles new loft bed comes from there. There is a computer shelf thingy that attaches to it that you can get. Looks like two long pieces of metal with some strategically placed hangers to place under the loft. Costs 99 dollars. A tad bit over-priced for the amount of product but I can understand the price point. Of course Charlotte and Atlanta dont have it in stock (do they have ANYTHING in stock?) and it seems I will have to ponder shipping it to us... until... well, I look at the cost to ship it. TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY NINE DOLLARS!!!!!!.... 249.00 to ship? Um...no. Aint happening. I dont care if I win the lottery on Wednesday.. that aint happening....

As part of I-Mans' Christmas haul, he has gotten more and more technical with his Lego creations and sets that he gets... included with stuff he got this go around is a Space Shuttle Lego set, that he put together in about 7 and a half minutes.... next up, a Lego Empire State Building!!! ... seriously....

Today I-Man and I went and rode bikes along a trail in Greenville called Swamp Monster Somethin' or another. It was fun and the actual course wasn't bad at all.. a pleasant ride for New Years Eve morn... This afternoon we will go to visit with Aunt Brandy and then will be going over to one of Jessica's friends house later in the evening for hors d'oeuvres before coming home to ring in the New Year....

Happy New Year if I dont get around to SMS bombing everyone....

Christmas has come and gone. Santa made sure the twins felt that that side of Christmas was a success with the elusive, oft asked for, Ipads finally making their way into the possession on Ryles and I-Man... And we also got to see Nana, Papa, Grandma as well as Uncle Billy, Uncle Jerry, Uncle Wes, Aunt Asley, Aunt Ellen and cousins Madison and Meridith.... We visited at Grandma Catoe and got to see Aunt Nancy and Uncle Ken as well, with the twins fishin' at the lake and taking in another huge haul of gifts from the relatives. As I have said before the twins are blessed with extremely generous Grandparents and relatives and we are always appreciative....

Now comes New Years and we will be off to the races again with a packed calender.

Finally.. I-Man and Ryles have given up the ghost and are now asleep with those dreams and visions someone once waxed poetically about.... Santa has sent me a txt sayin' that he was in route... so I am now headin to bed...

"Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be"

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!

THIS...is why I simply shake my head at times... and is why i get pissed at our heading toward an Entitlement society... funny thing is that I thought that perhaps I should call my wife and tell her some of her students are on TV. But it also saddens me that people are so jacked up.. about...shoes? that NONE of these people will ever use at PRO, College, Jr. College, Community College, and for most High School....

shoes.... C'mon, son....

Another weekend o party,friends, kids and lights o rama

So we had freinds over this oast weekend and they brought thier kids and we did the gift exchange thingy... we then went to TinyTown and saw Americana at its errr... best. Then we hung out by the firebowl and chatted until 3 in the morning (well, i went to bed @ 2:30)... last night we actually we to the the "Light People".. these people who stand outside their house with lights on their body... a tad bit interesting, i might say.... we also stopped by this house in town who has this light show set to music, that you tune in a channel on the radio, and it is all synchronized and stuff... a lot of time spent on that setup.... did I menetion that I-Man had his birthday party on Friday night with 5 of his friends sleeping over. LOUD... and surprising a little more "emotional" that Ryles girls the previous weekend... but the biys ate thru several pizzas and a bunch of bacon, but didnt touch the cupcakes....

last night saw the twins go to the Clemson Basketball game with one of their friends and today will see another of Ryles friends coming over to spend time with her...  sigh... constant commotion these days...

so I remember back to this day in 1998 when about this time i was pondering getting ready to head over to the church... 13 years ago we made official. I always am listening to lyrics and whenever I think of my wife (and twins, for that matter) I almost always come back to this song. A tad bit corny, I know... but whatever... I wont quote the full song here but the gist of it...

I'm gonna love you forever,
forever & ever amen
As long as old men sit & talk about the weather
As long as old women sit & talk about old men
If you wonder how long I'll be faithfull
I'll be happy to tell you again
I'm gonna love you forever & ever, forever & ever Amen

They say that time takes it's toll on a body
Makes a young girl's brown hair turn grey
But honey, I don't care, I ain't in love with your hair
And if it all fell out well I'd love you anyway
They say time can play tricks on a memory
Make people forget things they knew
well it's easy to see it's happening to me
I've already forgotten every woman but you --- Oh darlin'


I'm gonna love you forever, forever & ever amen
As long as old men sit & talk about the weather
As long as old women sit & talk about old men
If you wonder how long I'll be faithfull
Just listen to how this song ends,
I'm gonna love you forever & ever, forever & ever amen
I'm gonna love you forever & ever, forever & ever
Forever & ever, Forever & ever Amen - Randy Travis

Happy Anniversary, Jessica!!!!

for all of us who have kids who.. when our kids are opening presents have an eeeevvvvver so slight bit of nervousness because you never know if your kid is going to react with grace if they think the gift is... whatever... watch this... THIS is absolutely funny. it is from Jimmy Kimmel. I was laughing so hard I had tears at work....

um... i'll take 63, Sunny and pleasant over a "White Christmas" anyday... and as I drove into work today with my window down and previously mentioned Chrismas songs wishin for snow, i thought "I'll stick with this and run with it"

i listen to a couple of ALL Christmas ALL the time stations on Satellite radio right now... first of all, most of the Christmas songs I grew up with like O Come all Ye Faithful and We Three Kings are played rarely while we get Mariah Carey and All I Want for Christmas 6 times an hour.... Second is that I notice just how many songs talk about snow, or watching snow.. or walking thru snow... or wanting snow... or wishing for snow... or dreaming of snow. I can honestly say that a "white christmas" would be a disaster here where I live. I get one day off for Christmas. That is Christmas Day.For me to spend it cooped up in the house, fingers crossed that the power and/or cable doesn't go out, wondering how I will get to work (cause failure to get to my job no matter WHAT the conditions are is me having to use personal or vacation time) the next day is not how I want to spend Christmas. Sure, time spent with my wife and twins would be awesome. But I am for sure NOT dreaming of a white christmas.

Seriously... if you have to use a horse driven sleigh to get from point A to point B would mean a pretty serious ICE Storm/Snow storm in these parts. Not thinkin that would be a pleasant Christmas for me.And the kids wouldn't get that socalled benefit of no school either...

just sayin'... I'll take Away in a Manger or O' Little Town of Bethlehem over 37 versions of Jingle Bell Rock, The Chipmunk Song or 6 repeats of Mariah Carey anytime.

although I have yet to hear Snoopy's Christmas. I actually DO want to hear that.

So the past weekend saw Ryles birthday party held (I-Man's is this coming Friday) and it was a sleepover type thingy with four other girls joining Ryles for nails, Monster High dolls, American Girl dolls and staying up until 3am. This Monster High doll thing caught me off guard. I was totally unaware of it until Ryles received 3 of them for her birthday. Interesting backstory to it all as I caught up on Wikipedia....

so.. Mean Girls Easley Style has propped its ugly head up in the 4th grade with Ryles.. seems that one of the girls she invited to Birthday Party #1 this weekend has been getting treated badly by the "in" group at school and her mom was upset and there have been teacher conferences and well... this girl didn't want to hang with the other girls who are coming to Ryles Birthday party (and it seems Ryles is NOT doing any of the mean treatment, according to the other girls mother).. so Jessica has arranged for that girl to come earlier on Friday and hang out with Ryles then discreetly leave before the other girls arrive. Just weird that this is going on in the 4th Grade. But I saw how social they were in the first grade so I shouldn't be surprised...

So I am forced to try to explain this cap that I have acquired recently and is now in heavy rotation since my Clemson caps all went into mad bad mojo/juju and I had to shelve them all in hopes to salvaging the football season... people keep staring at the flag and a couple of people have asked me to explain (including the Tiger Band Director).. I get the sense that people are thinking that I am an anarchist or something because the flag "seems" to face an opposite direction.... but... go here and/or here for explanations... so as I told Dr. Spede, I am not planning to over throw the Mayor or harboring a small militia or stockpiling an armory or anything like that...

... yet.

so Cartoon Network, Disney XD, NickTV join Disney in HD on cable thus assuring I will have a constant fight for the TV from now on....

..in addition, am I the only one who thinks that The Cartoon Network is full of these jacked up cartoons that are waaayyy "out there"? These aint the cartoons I grew up watchin' so I have to constantly monitor I-Man and what he is watchin' on that channel...

we did do some snappys for the holiday cards... It is always difficult to take pictures now of the kids as they seem to balk at any inkling of me getting out my camera. Hell, everyone in the family does but I keep wondering what they will say 20 years from now when they view a photo and it brings back memories, or more importantly, a memory of someone no longer with us. While this photo here isnt what we will be sending out it is one of the few times I could get I-Man to not either scowl or have a goofy look like what he does for every school picture....

"A word to the wise ain't necessary - it's the stupid ones that need the advice".  -Bill Cosby