The Grass is Always Greener...bla bla bla

Greenbrier Church: BIG Vision

2010-10-15T22:30:00.000-04:00

Oh...it looks like I forgot to publish this. I wrote this at the end of August and never formally submitted it, apparently. Not the first mistake I've ever made.

Hey there,

Every now and then at Greenbrier Church we roll out our core values and re-focus on them over a few successive Sundays (a vision series, if you will) and that's just wrapping up. While said values are mentioned and touched on on a regular basis by Chuck (his holiness) and whoever else may be speaking, these past four weeks were an in-depth look and I've found it refreshing. Being rather involved with what goes into making a Sunday morning happen, I sometimes find myself bogged down in the business of doing church vs. the reasons we're there and the rewards that come from them. I've been energized to take it all in again and be reminded about why we're building and demolishing a church every Sunday.

Below is the link to our online Podcasts of messages. The vision stuff starts on 8/8 and rolls to 8/21.

If you've ever wanted to know what that church that Doug goes go it all about, this a good time to tune in.

Click Me

The Best of the Best

2010-07-17T14:56:00.004-04:00

This is the best version of Let Her Cry and I saw it in person. I love how subtle it is and having the piano is amazing. It's from the CMT Invitation Only event that I went to last year in Nashville.

I had the show saved on my DVR but had to give it back earlier this month when I cancelled my cable. Maybe I'll see it again one day.

More like 1001

2010-06-22T22:53:00.003-04:00

If I owned a fancier camera than my iPhone, I might have to submit this for a Pulitzer.

Books: Check'em Out

2010-05-04T19:24:00.004-04:00

It's been a few months now, and I'm certain a few people have noticed, but I've given up on Facebook and officially cancelled my account. It's nothing personal against anyone I was "friends" with; I just needed to do it for myself and my own physical and emotional well-being.

I feel kind of bad about it, since I used to sing its praises and invite everyone (and many family members), but I just don't need Facebook anymore. For me, and I'm surely not the only one who feels this way, it wasn't a positive influence or conducive to living a good life. While weighing the pros and cons of my favorite social networking site, I decided the cons had it. I'm not saying it's like that for everyone, and maybe it would be different if I was happily married with with children, but this single guy doesn't need it anymore.

With the exception of a handful of people, I'm able to contact and be contacted by everyone I'd ever need without Facebook. There are casualties in war, as they say, and the few people I only talked with via Facebook have taken the bullet. I'm sure they're not crying themselves to sleep at night, though. After all, it's just me.

Instead of having my laptop on the coffee table with Facebook open in one of my browser's tabs all day, I'm doing other things more...like exploring other types of books. I read a lot more now (Stephen King and The Bible mostly) and usually hit up the gym five days a week.

While I can't say that I'll never re-up with Facebook, since I've always claimed to be a Doug of second chances, I don't see it happening anytime soon.

Grovetown Green Thumb

2010-04-29T18:40:00.004-04:00

Having purchased them a few days ago, I finally decided the weather was nice enough this afternoon for me to plant my annual flowers this year. Well, it wasn't so much the great weather, but more so that I donated blood after lunch today and couldn't go to the gym. I suppose I could have gone to the gym, but I'd have probably passed out on my favorite elliptical machine.

All in all, planting things in the ground isn't that tough. Dig a little hole, put the plant in, and push the dirt back in tight around it. Done and done. One could spice it up a bit by adding some sort of fertilizer or Miracle Grow something, but I'm confident my soil is in top-notch shape and up to the challenge of nurturing my orange marigolds and white impatiens.

My back yard is kind of bland, so I'm mulling throwing in some foliage* back there, too. Maybe a few rose bushes would looks nice. The trouble with "maybe," as I've learned in my life, is that "maybe not" is also an option.

*Foliage is not to be confused with my favorite factoring method: FOIL. Well, I take that back. I think my favorite method is actually trial and error factoring. I can usually look at the equation and figure it out in my head before writing anything down.

When Nature Calls

2010-03-27T21:11:00.006-04:00

Hazel and I took a few days this past week to get away from things and clear our minds. OK, so maybe it was just me getting away and Hazel was along for the ride. Either way, we had three great days and two great nights of camping out at Mistletoe State Park last Wednesday through Friday.

I'd been thinking about it for a while and the weather and circumstances seemed to align for it to finally happen this week. I realize that I'm technically alone 90% of the time, anyway, but is anyone really ever alone anymore? While I do get lonely some, since Hazel isn't the best conversationalist and answers almost everything with a nose lick (which is actually helpful, sometimes), I'm always seconds away from almost any interaction (or distraction) I could want with HDTV, high speed Internet, and a cell phone. I really just needed to get away from all of that for a few days, refocus, and hopefully come back with a clearer mind. So far, I'd say, "mission accomplished."

This was my first time camping there, so I didn't really know what to expect. The ranger guy who checked us in explained the campsite options and we chose a "normal" site. That meant we had power and water hookups (which we didn't even use) and were in amongst other tents and, mostly, big RV-type things. We did a drive-by at all the site options and decided that #34 was the best one. Not only because of this guy, but it was right at the water, had a real fire pit area with stones already made up, and had no one at either of the adjacent campsites. That's win-win-win right there. Someone actually backed a motorhome deal into #33 about an hour later, but it ended up being fine.

In general, we spent the mornings hiking, afternoons reading, and evenings sitting by the fire thinking and praying.

Wednesday and Thursday I read until all the daylight was gone. I finished up Crazy Love, by Francis Chan and Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis. I can recommend them both and have a copy of each for lending if anyone is interested. It'll be a little like buying a used textbook in college, though, as I tend to underline things that move me and/or strike me as important. I also read through all of Exodus and enjoyed it, for the most part. I really enjoyed the story and history of it, but it seemed like at least 20% of the book was repeated verbatim towards the end and, honestly, that got a little boring.

After the sun had fully set I lit the fire and spent the rest of the night thinking and praying. It was really great. If I'd been at home, I'd have gotten in 45 minutes to an hour of reading/prayer ("quiet time") in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the night watching TV. Here I got to have great, honest, heartfelt prayer without distractions and it was awesome. I certainly had specific areas and people to focus on, no doubt, but I also just sort of let go and drifted for a while. One thought would lead to something else and next thing I knew I was praying for people I hadn't talked to since high school (as one example) and have no idea what's going on with them. I just went along with my flow of thoughts (stream of consciousness, so to speak) and it felt great.

Overall, it was an awesome time and I hope to go back soon. On one of our hikes, we went up into the "walk-in" camping areas. Here you park your vehicle and hike into the woods ~200 yards to find a campsite. I think we might do this next time. It's half the price, still on the water, and there's no big RVs around. Who calls that camping, anyway? We'd be willing to share the next adventure, so let us know if/when interested parties are available.

I took a few pictures here and there and uploaded them online for your viewing pleasure. Most have captions that cover what was going on. Click here for the pictures.

Dream a Little Dream of Me

2010-01-08T19:11:00.003-05:00

I usually forget my dreams shortly after I wake up, if I remember them at all, but there's one from a few weeks ago now that's managed staying power.

It's not uncommon for me to dream about being back in school or some twisted version of a school I once attended. I've had dreams where I was in college but taking classes at Evans High School and at the end of the semester I realize that I never really dropped that class like I thought I did, so I'm gonna get an "F" and not graduate(or something strange like that). This most recent dream is more about the content than the setting, however.

I was in the room at EHS where I had the second semester of Spanish 2, but it wasn't Spanish class. I think it was a math class. Anyhow, on this day the class was getting a test passed back. I remember looking at my paper and being a little miffed that I'd only gotten an 88, since I always got an "A" in my high school math classes. I also remember that there were 24 questions on the test and I had only missed three. That's all I remember about the dream.

For whatever reason, I thought about it later the next day while sitting with my laptop so I decided to see what 21/24 questions correct worked out to be. Well, it's 87.5%, which rounds up to 88! I'm not sure why I think this is so cool, but it freaking is!

Now, if only I could tap into this subconscious math instinct and take it to Las Vegas or something.

There Really IS a First Time for Everything

2010-01-04T20:40:00.004-05:00

It's cold outside! How do I know this (besides the fact that I have cold air seeping through the cracks around my back door)? Well, earlier tonight I spent about 15 minutes standing on my porch with a couple of "elders" who represented The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints. That's a mouthful. Being the first house on the right as you come on my street, I've heard my fair share of door-to-door sales pitches, but I've never had religious sales before tonight.

I'm not very confrontational by nature, nor am I overly rude, and I was a little curious so I let them go with their spiel. They're lucky my DVR was getting Heroes for me, though. Here's the Cliff's Notes version of what they had to say:

-Jesus appeared to Joseph Smith ("the prophet", nonetheless) many years after his death and, through him, reestablished God's church on earth.

-Both guys were holding The Book of Mormon and asked if I'd heard of it and read from it. I said that I'd heard of it but didn't own one and hadn't read it. I assured them that I try to read some scripture from The Bible everyday, though, which they gave no response to.

-Baptism in The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints is the only way to fully restore holiness to oneself and be cleansed of past sins.

-There was something else about the Great Apostasy, which I didn't quite get and don't remember since I was thinking of a polite way to ask why my baptism from a few years ago in my church by my pastor wasn't good enough.

-They asked me if I would commit to a true cleansing of my soul at their January baptism service on the 24th, and that's when I broke the news that I didn't need it. They were nice about it and said they didn't want to argue or disrespect me, but they felt that wasn't real, basically.

-They invited me to worship with them on Sunday at 1pm out in Harlem and asked if I would commit to come. I said I couldn't commit to that right now.

At some point I asked for a Web site or some source material where I could research and learn more. One guy presented a card with www.mormon.org at the bottom of one side where I could also order a free DVD about finding faith in Christ. They said that they'd be the ones to deliver the DVD if I called the number and ordered it. I already have faith in Christ, so I don't plan to.

As they wrapped up the obviously canned presentation, complete with excellent eye contact, they asked if we could pray together. Always being a fan or prayer, I took them up on it. The main guy asked if there was anything specific I'd like prayer for, so I mentioned my employment issue and we prayed. Fairly straight forward, "Gracious heavenly father..." type prayer. Had I not just heard a quarter hour about The Prophet Joseph Smith, I'd have thought they were just straight up Christians by the prayer. I'm not sure why I was surprised, I just don't have a good frame of reference when it comes to Mormon prayer, I guess.

Aside: I'd Give Anything just came on my iTunes. What a great song!

They thanked me for the time and said they hoped to see me soon. I wished them a good evening and advised them to keep warm. They tried to hit me up for others that I knew of who might need a visit and I had to shrug and say I didn't really have anyone for them. One of the first rules of salesmanship, don't ask the clearly skeptical guy you've just pitched to recommend others for you to hit up.

I'm not religious scholar, didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, and I don't really even know most theological differences between the major factions within Christianity, but I'm pretty confident that a religion that values a book so much that the sales force carries it around instead of The Bible isn't the way to go.

Aside: One of my fondest memories is of a Sunday morning back in the fall of 1999 when I went to pick up my girlfriend (at the time)for church. Walking out of the back door, her mom says, "Elizabeth, where's your bible? Doug's a baptist and all good baptists carry their bible to church." "Doug's not a baptist," she replied, "he just loves God." Word.

While I've never read from The Book of Mormon, I flipped through one at a hotel in Montgomery, AL on the way back from my friend Jason's wedding in Baton Rouge, LA a few years ago. My only memory of it was that the first page had a painting of the aforementioned Prophet Joseph Smith. Jesus was relegated to the second page. Yeah, good luck with that.

"Invitation Only: Darius Rucker"

2009-06-17T01:56:00.006-04:00

Here's the info for Darius' show where I sat in the audience.

Click here for the official Web site.

The airing schedule doesn't make much sense to me. The schedule that's currently listed for it is:

Friday, July 3, 11PM
Sat, July 4, 10AM
Sun, July 5, 10AM
Mon, July 6, 12PM
Thur, July 9, 1PM

Why spend all the time and money to produce something like this then not put it on in Prime Time at least once? Instead, CMT routinely airs reruns of shows like Extreme Home Makeover and Nanny 911, or movies like Stand By Me and Cannonball Run 2, etc. in Prime Time slots. Don't get me wrong...I love me some Stand By Me, but it's not quite the same. Of course, I'm not a TV exec. so maybe I'm not qualified to make this argument.

On the bright side, I've decided that I'm in the last picture in the photographs section. It's a line of folks outside of the studio waiting to meet Darius after the show. Looks like I'm towards the back of the line and have my phone out telling the ladies in front of me, who had forgotten their camera, that I could take their picture with him and send it to them.

Click for larger image. I hope CMT doesn't mind me using this

Of course, I don't actually get CMT in my Comcastic cable package, so I'll have to impose on some nice friend or family member in a couple of weeks. :)

Music City Tracks

2009-05-09T19:48:00.004-04:00

So about a month ago I received an email from DariusRucker.com. This isn’t out of the ordinary, as I’m pretty sure I signed up years ago when Darius put out his R&B album and I guess it just carried over. He’s kind of a big country music guy these days, maybe you've heard, so there’s no mention of his former efforts, successful or not, on the site. Anyhow, back to this email…it was offering the chance to be in the audience for a CMT taping of some series they have called Invitation Only. I’m not big on CMT, and I don’t think I actually get the channel, so I’d never heard of it. But, naturally, a virtual once-in-a-lifetime offer like that is hard to pass up. I replied and figured I’d just get lost in the thousands of entries there were sure to be. This was one of the times I liked being wrong.

To say I was pleasantly surprised to get the email confirming my seat for the show would be an understatement. I was smiling and laughing (more like little girl giggling, really) for the next few hours. I had to put in an hour of elliptical at the gym to calm myself down.

If the original email said where the show was, I didn’t remember, but turns out it’s in Nashville, TN, which makes sense, at one of the studios in the Grand Ole Opry. I’d never been to Nashville, so this was sure to be a fun adventure. My friends at Google Maps gave me the lowdown that it’s about 5.5-6 hours from here to the Music City. I also got some sage wisdom from some cross-country travelers: Don’t just roll in and ask for a hotel room. Stop at the Welcome Center along the interstate and get some discount coupons. Good deal.

The driving portions of the trip were fairly uneventful. It’s interstate the whole way and the weather was nice. My only mistake was getting a Thirst Buster of DDP at the Circle K when I gassed up in the morning. I had to make two pit stops on the way because of that misstep. My favorite part of the drive was crossing the Tennessee River. You don’t see many mountains around here, or any at all for that matter, so it was just beautiful to see the huge river and mountains in the distance. Several times I wanted to stop off at the places I saw called something like Look Out Point and such to take in the vistas. I’ll have to do that on my return trip to the central time zone…whenever that happens. Hopefully that comes more sooner than later.

I ended up checking into the “World Famous Fiddler’s Inn.” Who knew? Seemed to be on par with, or slightly below, a Days Inn, but was $5 cheaper, came with a $10 gas card, and was right across the street from where I needed to be. Can’t beat that.

I had about two hours to kill between checking in and show time, so I went to the Opry Mills mall. Again, I had no idea what to expect on this trip, but the Opry area is much more all-inclusive than what I’d expected. It’s not just some theater on a street in Nashville. I guess the best way to describe it is to compare it to a college campus. Opry U. includes the actual Grand Ole Opry, a huge mall (Opry Mills) and some sort of Opryland resort place.

The mall was very nice…and huge. I have a pretty good sense of direction and I lost myself just roaming around. The only disappointment I had on the entire trip was that there wasn’t a Chic-fil-A in the food court. I did fall victim to the Chinese lady’s offer for a free sample of Orange Chicken, though, so it wasn’t too bad for my first, and only meal, on the day. While dining on my MSG-laced feast, I got confirmation that Hazel was exhausted and napping after a big trek down the Augusta Canal.

The highlight of the mall time was interacting with an oriental lady at one of the little cart/kiosk stations in the center of the walkways. I’m just too nice to totally ignore those people. This lady was hawking “Dead Sea Soap,” or something like that, and wanted me to try it out. I made it clear up front that I didn’t want to waste her time and I wasn’t buying anything. She’d have nothing of that, of course, like any good salesperson, and proceeded with the demonstration. I guess it was a good product and my hands did feel clean, and smelled like lavender, but I still wasn’t budging on my “this isn’t in my budget” stance. I tried to explain that I was unemployed (though I really didn’t look like it, since I was dressed up for the show) and that I really couldn’t buy it. The best part was when she said this: “This usually sells for $80, but today I can let you have it for $40. This is a year’s supply…” bla bla bla. Eventually she says, “OK,” looks around, “only for you today, how about $25?” I really did feel bad but, even at $25, I don’t need some once-a-week hand soap.

On to the show!

“Oh, you’re my only V on the list,” says the lady checking off names. “Oh? That means I get to sit in front, right?” As it turned out, I almost did. Everyone milled around in the parking lot for about an hour before they let us into the studio. I met a bunch of nice people, who all seemed to feel the same way about it that I did. They just replied to the initial email and never thought they’d get picked. The main people I was standing with were long-time HBF fans and followed Darius over to this new genre. One guy didn’t get the memo that his name never was Hootie, but I didn’t really want to get into that discussion and ruin the mood, so I just let it slide.

The farthest I heard of someone coming was from Canada! There was a lady from Chicago, too. She, apparently, had hand made Darius a shirt and planned to give it to him later. I never got a confirmation that that happened, sadly. I met a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, and his wife, from Ashville, NC, a single dude from Ohio, an RN from LaGrange, GA, and a couple of other ladies from Greensboro, NC. One of these ladies told a story that she used to tell her son that Darius was his dad, since the kid’s last name was Rucker. (Classy) The RN was there with her husband and they were making a weekend of it. Apparently Reba was doing the Opry on Saturday night and they were getting down on that, too.

Finally…we’re getting ushered in! I really had no idea what to expect and just assumed it would be an auditorium setting with a stage. Wrong again, I’m afraid. The best description I can give is that the place looked like a big living room. There were lots of plush and leather sofas and chairs, random wooden cubes, and lots of fancy Oriental-looking rugs.

Television is a production and, having never been involved with anything like this before, I really didn’t know everything that goes into it. It probably took a half-hour or so to get everyone situated where the production staff wanted them. As people filed in and took initial spots others would be moved around to balance out the look and, presumably, to get the best-looking people in spots where they’d be on camera. I was first put on one of the wooden cubes close to the middle. “This is OK,” I thought, “at least I’m here and this is going to be great.” A few minutes later a different lady with a headset came over and said, “We need you up on the front row. Take that couch over there, next to the ladies.” “You got it, boss!” I said back to her. It was like being called up from the minors.

I stayed on the front row for about 20 minutes and, naturally, made friends with the people around me. If I’m not good for a one liner to spark conversation, then I’m good for nothing. At one point a camera crew from CMT came around and got us to answer some questions about the experience. It seemed like one of those filler things that may or may not be used, but it’s good to have just in case it’s needed. I’d put it as part of an opening montage of clips, but I don’t know what the real feel of the show will be once everything is put together. At this point I’m probably 10 feet from the spot on the stage area where Darius will stand. After seeing some people around us get moved around, the four of us on my couch decided no eye contact with the production people would be the best strategy.

That seemed to work, up until they started checking the lighting on those people who were chosen to ask Darius questions. The RN from LaGrange and I were bumped back a row after the lighting for people behind us wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t terrible, though. I now had better back support in a nice leather chair (and a fancy leopard print accent pillow) and was about 15 feet from Darius. If the lady in the bright yellow dress and the guy in the blue blazer make it on TV, I was sitting there first! ;)

Darius came out soon after that and played for what seemed like two hours or so. Not constantly, of course, as it’s just taping for TV and everything will be edited together seamlessly later. I’ve said this to some people since I got back and I’ll say it again here, this has to be one of the top five things I’ve experienced in my life. Everyone has their own things that they love and build up in their hearts and minds and I'm no different. A lot of the time, though, things don’t live up to the hype you give it. This was everything and more for me. I was smiling ear-to-ear and trying not to get choked up while singing along w/ the songs for the first half hour or so of the show.

He talked between most songs and told a little story for some of them. He introduced the band and was dropping names of who all he wrote the song with and what the inspiration was and that sort of thing. There were a couple of songs they had to do twice. Once he was dancing and moving around too much and went out of the good lighting, or something like that, so it was a do-over. “Well, I’m sorry people on the left and right. I guess I can’t do that anymore,” he joked. Not sure what the deal was with the other song needing to be redone, but no one seemed to mind.

Every two or three songs some makeup people came out and dabbed off Darius’ sweaty forehead. “Boy, I set CMT back some money. They had to buy all new shades for me…my complexion is a little different than they’re used to, you know,” he jokingly said.

The night wasn’t without its technical difficulties. At one point the wireless pickup deal wasn’t working on Darius’ guitar, so they had to plug him in directly. The guitar tech guy asked the sound guy to mute the channel while he changed out the plugs. He must have only muted it in the outgoing speakers, because Darius yelled “OWW! Well, that hurt,” when it clicked back into place. And another time the lead guitar guy needed some stuff adjusted in his in-ear monitors. I liked all of that action and didn’t feel as bad that Sunday mornings are sometimes a little rough.

They did most of the songs on his country album, Learn to Live, and also Hold My Hand and Let Her Cry from HBF. While I love those songs, it was a little strange seeing some random band behind Darius for them. They also did a song that I’ve only heard a couple of times before to end the show. I don’t know the name of it, but I take it that it’s one of those country staples that you just have to play if you’re in country music. Kind of like if you’re a random bar band in the south, you have to play Sweet Home Alabama and Living on a Prayer. Anyway, I think the song is called Family Tradition. Al Gore’s Internet tells me this is true and it’s a Hank Williams Jr. ditty.

Darius stood by the door as people exited and smiled for pictures, signed autographs, and shook hands with everyone who wanted it. I took a couple of pictures for people with my phone and sent them along. I didn’t want to bother him with getting a picture with me; I just shook his hand, thanked him for the night, and said to keep up the good work. It was really an awesome thing to be a part of and I’m so glad I got the opportunity.

It was about 10PM central and I almost just went back to my motel room and crashed but I talked myself into heading downtown to see what there was to see. I’d been told before that Broadway was the place to go, so I glanced at my fresh Nashville street map and started on my way. To my surprise, I managed to find it without any problems. I had to make some educated guesses as to which interstate forks to take, but it all worked out. After parking on a side street, and being assured from a local girl who parked behind me that I didn’t need to worry about feeding the meter, I walked up to Broadway and strolled around. Neon lights and cowboy boots (sometimes paired together) is a good way to describe it. I strolled along both sides of a two-block section and decided that The Stage looked like the best option.

Aside from the $4 beers (Master’s week flashbacks) I didn’t have any complaints about the place. It was an interesting crowd. When I got there it was a mixture from grandparents to fresh 21 year olds. As the night went on the older crowd faded out and the place filled up with Gen X and Y’ers. (Are those tags still appropriate?) There was at least one bachelorette thing going on and another group was celebrating their friend getting chosen earlier that night as a cheerleader for the Tennessee Titans. I socialized some, made some three-hour friends, and had a good dance partner most of the time.

The band there was pretty good. I didn’t catch their name, but it was a seven-piece outfit and had all the elements you’d ever want in a honky-tonk bar band. Tight harmonies? Check. Fiddle? Check. Keytar?! Check. Lead guitarist who looked like Alice Cooper? Check. After being there for an hour or so I thought I was ready to leave. I wasn’t tired, but I had to drive home in the morning and needed some sleep. I made an agreement with myself that if they played back-to-back country songs that I’d never heard of again that I’d leave. Well…that didn’t happen. If it'd left I would have missed Tommy Tutone coming up on stage to do 867-5309/Jenny. By the end of the night the country music was few and far between and the lead singer made the comment that, “If y’all weren’t still here, we’d be fired for this,” regarding all the rock music being played. I ended up closing the place down at 2:30AM. This is central time, of course, so really 3:30AM for me.

I found my way back to my motel without a problem and managed a few hour of sleep before rolling out once the sun came up. Of course there was a two-hour thunderstorm during my naptime, which seemed to be right above my world famous accommodations, and I awoke to the sound of booming thunder and car alarms a few times. My neck and shoulders are still sore from my time on that bed.

All in all, it was a great day. (Top Five, even) I unquestionably want to go back to Nashville sometime soon, when I can spend more time and take in more of the sights and sounds it has to offer.

"Smoke 'em if you got 'em"

2009-04-21T02:00:00.000-04:00

"Way ahead of you, Al."

Smoking crossed my path a few times today. I'm known (if only by me) to say something sly to any smokers I know when they light up, and sometimes to people I don't. "Oh, there's something I meant to tell you," I'll say in a concerned voice. I'll lean in a little and say, "I heard smoking was bad for you." I usually wink or give a wry smile, so as to, hopefully, avoid getting punched in the face. I typically get a similar reply from most people. "Yeah, I know man, but it's so hard to quit," or something to that affect. Today I got, "Yeah, I'm trying to quit. Really need to with how much they cost." Another exchange I had with another lady went like this:

Waitress: "Do you need a cleaner ashtray?"
Lady friend of mine: "No, I'll just dirty it up anyway."
Me: "Just like your lungs!"

Good times.

I don't mean to dedicate this writing (I really hate the word "blog" and "toaster" is already taken) to the bad habit of inhaling damaging toxins, but it leads to a larger issue that I'm also curious about: Why do we (people) do things that could, or will, directly hurt us?

Smoking is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Other hot contenders are: drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana (or other, harder drugs), driving after drinking or getting stoned, unsafe sex w/ random people, and stuff like the "extreme sports" of skydiving, bungee jumping, etc. I might be pushing it a little to include the extreme sports, but this is my deal, homie. The ironic thing is that I'm writing this and I've done (or do) some of the things listed. I wish that having first hand experience with this sort of thing would provide something deep and insightful, but I really don't think I have an answer.

I guess everyone's case is unique, to an extent. I was two classes away from having a Sociology minor in college, so part of me blames the upbringing and popular culture an individual has been exposed to. Did you grow up in a home where drinking and smoking were the norm? Chances are you do one or both of those now. Were you born on "the wrong side of the tracks" and into a family of drug use and flop houses? Well, there's a strong chance you're comfortable with all that and feel like it's OK. In the same vein, but to certainly a lesser degree of importance, why am I am Auburn fan? Because my dad is and I was brainwashed. Evidence.

But then, with all the information and research available today about the hazardous side effects to these things, why do people who grew up and developed these habits keep them? I guess I've never been addicted to anything, though. Maybe it's as simple as that. While I've heard that cigarettes are bad for you, I also hear that nicotine is a powerful thing. I didn't give it enough time to sink in, I guess. Sure, I've smoked a cigarette before but it just didn't seem that cool to me. Of course, I didn't grow up in a smoking house. My dad used to smoke a pipe and maybe a cigar every now and then, but nothing like the chain smoking of cigarettes that I know goes on in some households.

So what have I done from the list I busted out above? I do fancy an alcoholic drink in social situations. I might have a cigar or two each year in certain company. i.e. if someone brings them. I'd never buy one. I have never smoked marijuana, but I've been around it and had the chance. I think I first saw it being done in high school at someone's house. Maybe you're aware, but I also spent some time at Georgia Tech, where I came in contact with it again. Last year I somehow ended up at a random guy's apartment during Masters week and someone broke out a bong. I left shortly after that. Everyone was always fine with me passing on the grass, though. I guess it was just more for them.

One thing that's more serious that I've done is drive after drinking. I can only think of one time for certain when I really shouldn't have driven and did, but I'm sure there have been others when a ride or a couch would have been better ideas. I do usually do that, really. I have slept on many a couch in my advanced age and slept for a few hours in my truck once because I was too embarrassed to call anyone. Please don't think I'm a menace on wheels. Of course, the crazy person doesn't think he's crazy. So take this paragraph as you will. I do realize it only takes one time for me to hurt myself, or someone else, so I vow not to take the chance, or even put myself in that situation, if it comes up again.

As for bungee jumping and skydiving, I'm not certain I'd be interested in either. But, I'm also a "never say never" guy, so who knows what the future holds. This subject came up on the patio at The Cotton Patch at lunch today, actually. My "brotha from another mother," Gabe, and I agreed that skydiving would come before bungee jumping on the list. Well, I've just gotten back from a 5 minute break to research skydiving...and, I can't believe I'm saying this (well, typing this) it actually doesn't sound that bad. This FAQ provides descriptions of what happens and what it feels like and it's not what I assumed. GAH...I went and rode some upside down roller coaster and freefall-type things at the fair for the first time last year, maybe I need to skydive this year?

So, yeah, this graduated from talking about smoking to me contemplating skydiving. That's how my stream of consciousness writing style rolls.

But, back to close this up, why do people do what they do? No idea, but I'll stick to my original thought that it's unique to everyone, but has a lot to do with sociological impact.

Masters Week Review

2009-04-16T03:02:00.003-04:00

If you're not from Augusta, then the first full week of April probably doesn't hold much meaning to you. For us locals, though, it's many things. Spring break, vacation time, party time, or a total nuisance. You see, that's the week the PGA comes to town for The Masters Golf Tournament. I wouldn't say that I'm a golf fan, and I haven't touched my clubs except to move them from one place to another in years, but even I watch golf that week.

Flashback: I worked out at the tournament my junior year of high school. The basketball coach got a bunch of us onto the Litter Patrol. Prestigious; I know. So I spent the seven days of my spring break walking around in a yellow jumpsuit poking at cigarette butts with a long pole and emptying trash bags. I don't remember exactly how much money I made, but $7/hour sounds right. That was pretty hefty for an almost 17 year old in 1996. Coolest thing I can claim is that I think I saw Anthony Edwards checking out the action on some hole.

Present Day: Being pretty far removed from the spring break days, and not really feeling like a vacation time, this year was more or less party time. Come to think of it, so was last year. I didn't work at all during either week. Last year I had taken the time off to go on a cruise. The cruise didn't happen, for me at least, and I still had the time off, so I went out five or six nights. This year I was off because I'm unemployed, having been laid off last month. I think I only went out four nights this year, though. With all the presumed big wig tourists in town for the week, my favorite places to have a beer or two tripled their prices, so I couldn't afford to hit the scene every night. Most of the time there was live music, though, so that's always a plus.

Tuesday: The fifth annual Rock Fore! Dough concert was Tuesday night and featured my favorite band, Hootie & the Blowfish. For flavor, there was also a local act, 48 Volt, and national acts Shawn Mullins and Zac Brown Band. Overall, it was a pretty good show but a couple of things brought it down. First off it was freezing! It would have been tolerable if the wind hadn't been so bad, but I was shivering the entire time. Second, I really felt like my boys in HBF just kinda mailed it in. Having seen them probably a dozen times, I think I qualify as being able to say that. Luckily, their 80% is better than most bands at 100%.

There was an after party deal at Wild Wing Cafe featuring Occasional Milkshake, which is two guys from Hootie and a guy from another favorite band of mine, Blue Dogs. While I met the members of that little band in various levels of complexity, the highlight of the night was meeting Mark Bryan (the Hootie guitarist). During the show I yelled out a request for one of his solo songs, A Fork in the Road. He thanked me but said the rest of the guys didn't know it and he gave me a fist pound. Good times.

Wednesday: I got talked into going to Country Club to see LoCash Cowboys. I'd seen them before back in December, so I felt good that it was worth the price of admission. They're a semi-country music act that I guess still hasn't fully been discovered yet. Like a lot of popular country acts, they're really more rock-oriented when you listen to them. They put on a pretty good show with lots of energy. You haven't lived until you've seen a guy in a country music band, wearing a Motley Crue blue jean jacket, playing an camouflaged acoustic guitar that's not plugged into anything just so he can shoot confetti out the end.

Thursday: Took in Sam Thacker at Somewhere in Augusta. It was my first time seeing him and he's pretty good. He seemed to know just the right amount of his own original stuff to mix in while playing everyone's favorite mix of bar and grille covers.

All in all, it was a pretty fun week. It was a nice escape from reality. Now, unfortunately, it's back to the real world that I live in the other 51 weeks of the year. Not that I don't like my life, that's not what I'm saying. It's just nice to get away and do something new for a while. Now I'm back to just sitting on the couch with Hazel and looking for a job.

Maybe I'm in need of a change...?

Can't Sleep

2009-04-15T03:49:00.002-04:00

It's almost 4AM and I can't fall asleep. It's not unusual for me to have trouble drifting off into Slumberland, but I would have thought tonight would be different. I only got about six hours of sleep last night, I went to the gym for the first time in a while this afternoon, didn't drink any caffeine after about 8PM, read a few chapters of Hebrews, and said my prayers. Still, I'm just lying here.

I guess part of it is I've got a lot on my mind these days and maybe I don't take enough time to properly think things through during the day. When I lay down my mind must be going, "Whew...well it's about time he stopped doing stuff...now I have time to think through some things..." If you know me well enough, then you know what's been going on the past couple of months. If you don't know me that well, then chances are you're not reading this. :) (cleaver, yes, I know).

Maybe I'll write more later about some things. Of course, that's the trouble with the word "maybe". Along with it comes that pesky "Maybe not" card, which I don't guarantee won't be played.

Isn't Christmas is Just One of the Holidays?

2008-12-17T16:17:00.005-05:00

It’s quite possible that I’m just naive, but I never really thought much about it. “It” meaning when people say, “Happy Holidays,” vs. “Merry Christmas,” around this time of year. I just always assumed it was to save time and be all-encompassing when it came to wishing someone good times for this period of the year. To me, “Happy Holidays,” is just a short hand way of saying “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,” or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or whatever you may celebrate. With all those holidays falling around this part of the year, not to mention Thanksgiving, “Happy Holidays” has always seemed fine to me. Listening to “religious” people, though, you’ll hear otherwise. Apparently, it’s said to keep you from hearing about Jesus.

It was a talking point during our service this passed Sunday and the local Christian radio station hands out stickers with “Please Wish Me a Merry Christmas” printed on them. Again, maybe I’m just hanging out in a different circle and/or have a different point of view, but I just don’t see it. Even devout atheists that I personally know still celebrate Christmas. They buy loved ones presents and we wish each other a Merry Christmas just as my religious friends do. Maybe it’s not Jesus that they’re celebrating, but how many “Christians” wearing “Please Wish Me a Merry Christmas” stickers are thinking about Jesus when they’re unwrapping over-priced, seldom-needed presents, or watching little Jimmy play with his new toys on Christmas Day?

Because of the reasons mentioned above, I don’t have a problem with “Happy Holidays” being put up in retail stores, either. From a business point of view, it’s inviting to everyone who is out shopping for gifts. While it’s true that the vast majority of consumers in this country would be shopping for Christmas presents (Christian or not), I wouldn’t want to lose sales and risk alienating someone shopping for Hanukkah gifts if everything in my store said “Merry Christmas.” It’s all-inclusive and I like that.

Just a few things on my mind.

Notes from a Clean Desk

2008-11-28T15:39:00.002-05:00

As I sit here at my desk on the Friday after Thanksgiving (a.k.a. Black Friday), I had the thought to post a blog entry. It’s a fairly slow day around there, to say the least. I cleaned my desk up some earlier but now I’m the only one here and just sitting around watching random videos on YouTube. I'm watching one of Hootie doing Desert Mountain Showdown at a concert. It’s pretty good stuff for a shaky hand-held camera. I’ve watched a lot worse than this.

I don’t post a lot on this thing, clearly, but it’s not for lack of thoughts and ideas. I have things run across my mind several times a day that I think would be good to talk about but I just never have the time, or make the time, to sit down and fully flesh them out. There aren’t enough hours in the day, it seems, and I don’t want to just throw something out there for the sake of making a blog entry.

If I can’t weave an intricate, layered story about whatever is on my mind, I don’t feel like it’s wroth it. I’m sure I’ve lost some cool ideas that way. I don’t want to just throw up a few lines about my day and call it done, a la Doogie Houser. Hey, who knew that was created by Steven Bochco and David E. Kelley? Interesting.

I guess I’ll try to not hold myself up to whatever funny standard I have and write more regular blog entries and see what happens. Maybe less is more. Less introspection, that is. Maybe none of the five or six people who read my post with the turtle crossing River Watch Parkway thought more about it than the face value anyway.

I did Thanksgiving at my sister Robin’s house in Spartanburg, SC (a.k.a. The Upstate) yesterday and it was good times. The highlight of the event was probably throwing the football with my three-year-old nephew in their front yard. He wasn’t so interested in the passing or catching parts of the game; he concentrated more on the kicking aspect. I’d tell him to go long and he’d run down and avoid the ball as it came sailing towards him. He would then kick it back to me. It usually took three or four kicks to make it back. I hit him w/ the ball once or twice when he wasn’t fast enough to get out of the way. “Hey! You hit me where I pee-pee!” he said once. I didn’t mean to, honest, it just kind of happened that way. :)

Well, I’m mailing it in and taking off from work early. Maybe I’ll post again sooner rather than later.

Second to None

2008-08-07T12:39:00.007-04:00

If you’ve watched anything on ESPN over the past few weeks you know that Brett Favre is back in the NFL. Only he’s not with Green Bay anymore. They traded him to the New York Jets last night. That just seems wrong. I’m not sure if it’s more wrong that the team didn’t want the face of their franchise back or that the face of the franchise actually wants to play somewhere else. Neither thought sits well with me. I’m sure there are a lot of circumstances going on under the surface that I don’t know about, so maybe some, or all, of this is justified. I just don’t like it.

Building off that, maybe I’m too set in my ways, but I don’t like the aspect of free agency, or trades, or jostling for position, or playing one person against another, etc. As a rule, I don’t really like change at all, for that matter. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” If it is broke, fix it because I don’t want a new one. I’m a one-team-kind-of-guy. I’m a one-woman-kind-of-guy. If I can’t have what I want, and I think it’s the best thing going, then I refuse to replace it with something less.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t want to settle for second best; in life, in love, in whatever. The argument could be made that I don’t know what the best is if I don’t try out other things. While that may be true, and I don’t know everything else that’s out there, I do know that if, in the moment, I’m happy and content with what I have then I don’t have any reason to go search out anything else.

That’s the trouble with the aforementioned life and love, though. Just because you think it’s the best thing there ever was, the other party may not and you get replaced, traded, dumped, cut, etc. Then, whether you wanted to or not, you have to begin the search you never wanted to have again. Maybe that’s what Brett is feeling now…relegated to taking second best. I’m sure he’ll smile for the cameras and act like all is well but, on the inside, he won’t be the same. There will always be the question, “what if…”

But it’s no fun, and plain painful, to be just someone's back-up plan, so maybe the search will lead to something better. Still, maybe it’s just the small selfish part of me that’s peeking out, but I don’t want to live a life of “what if…” like that. I guess it’s inevitable sometimes, though.

Life: It depends on how you look at it.

2008-05-23T12:16:00.004-04:00

Q: What do the following things have in common?

An apparently silenced cell phone
A baby turtle scurrying across a four-lane highway
A paper cut from opening my first birthday card
Getting stopped by the slowest train in history

A: They’ve all been part of my Friday morning.

The baby turtle was motoring (as best it could) across River Watch Parkway as I was speeding on by, trying not to be late for work. It had made it ¾ of the way so far, but the opposing traffic lanes were looking bad for the kid from my point of view. I thought for a few minutes of how I think that scene parallels my life. Sometimes I feel like that turtle; just trying to make it to my goal on the other side without being flattened. I feel like I dodge traffic everyday. Sometimes I make it through but I do get smacked around and flattened regularly.

Maybe I’m trying for a goal at the wrong time. But when is the right time? Maybe I need to not go for it during the relative morning rush hour. But what if it always seems to be busy? Maybe I should wait for a quieter time and try when the road is less traveled and there are less obstacles. But what if I want it NOW? The ease of attainment might be greater a little later on, but the goal itself won’t be exactly the same then. It’s so worthwhile that almost any obstacle is worth traversing to reach it.

I’ve had paper cuts before, but never from opening a birthday card. It wasn’t a deep cut – there was no blood – but it hurt like heck and clearly left a mark. I’ve had my share of proverbial paper cuts in my life; some deeper than others.

Maybe that’s a sign that I’m moving too fast. Had I opened the envelope slower, I wouldn’t have cut myself. But who really thinks they’ll get cut until it actually happens? Maybe I’m using the wrong methods in life. If it’d used a letter opener, my finger would have never been in danger and the desired result would have been the same. But what if I don’t have life’s letter opener?

I’ve been stopped by trains before, too, but never one going this slow. Welcome back to downtown Augusta, I thought. Again, maybe I’m moving too fast in life and need to slow down. It did give me time to jot down this list of things that happened this morning, though.

I guess we all need time to pause and reflect on what’s going on around us. If we just keep going going going, how will we ever learn? How will we ever know what’s really happening if we just keep jumping from one thing to the next? Maybe the best thing that ever happened to you is standing right there smiling, and being all he can be, and you’re just not noticing. Maybe the one who truly cares for you, would climb the highest mountain, etc. is still right there but you haven’t noticed because you never stop. Maybe we should all just pause, take a step or two away from our lives, and really assess the situation.

Oh, and the thing that started it all, the ever-silenced cell phone. It’s a fixture in my life, to be sure, but this situation is so commonplace now that it doesn’t surprise me anymore. The only maybe I can think of here is maybe I shouldn’t care. But, I can’t help but care. That’s where my heart is.

Business as Usual

2008-05-07T13:51:00.002-04:00

I get ideas for things to write about all the time. I'll see or hear something and think, "man...that's interesting...I should talk about that." That's usually as far as I get with it. I might sit down later in the day/night, if I have time, and try but the moment is gone and I usually can't really remember what I wanted to say.

I may have mentioned it before, or if you really know me you'll already know, but I don't like change. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" are words I live by. I'm also very risk-averse and usually don't step out on that ledge to aim for something grander if whatever I've got now is good with me. Maybe I'm blinded by myself and end up settling for something I think is good but is really just "fine." Maybe there's something that's really "good" or even "great" available and I just need to take a moment and check. Where is this stream of consciousness blog post going?

I originally intended to talk about businesses opening, closing, and changing. I've been working back downtown* now for about a week and a half and I've noticed that things have changed in the past almost three years since I worked down here. I guess the most notable changes I've seen, other than the "Welcome to Downtown Augusta" signs on Broad Street, involve stores or restaurants that aren't what or where I remembered them to be. Who knew the Metro Spirit moved its offices to the corner of Broad and 7th Streets, just across from the Chronicle? Not me. The cute little pet grooming place on the corner by the 5th Street bridge...gone. (OK, that one isn't a big deal, but I always noticed it.)

The main restaurants downtown is known for (i.e. Pizza Joint, Nacho Mama's, Mellow Mushroom, etc.) are still here but Malley's closed its doors. I had been looking forward to walking the block and a half for a morning bagel again. The Monterrey's in North Augusta moved from its first location (originally a Pizza Inn back in the 80s!) to a much larger building across the street (originally a Quincy's back in the 80s!). That's a good move; the other place was getting pretty dumpy and parking was usually bad.

Before Monday night, Cinco de Mayo, I hadn't driven down Washington Road beyond the Steinmart shopping center area since New Years Eve, I think. In four months they totally rebuilt the Kroger there and threw in a Wallgreen's drug store on the opposite corner for me for good measure. How does that happen without me knowing? It doesn't really bother me...but it kind of does.

Is it better to know something is going on or to be surprised by it later on? Would you rather know what's happening or be left with just your over-active imagination to dream up what you think might be happening?

The world doesn't stop moving if we stop paying attention. Things happen when you're not looking. Or, at least, you notice them more when you're not looking and then look again. Gradual change isn't noticed as much and doesn't have near the impact of drastic, dramatic change.

In the same sense that someone has to hit rock-bottom before they "see the light" and make a much-needed change: Does it take the total loss of something/someone to make you truly appreciate it/them? You know, the old "didn't realize what you had until you lost it" deal? Of course, you may finally drop something and realize you're better off. You didn't need that as much as you thought. Of course, I'm always afraid of the opposite happening: dropping it and then it's, "oh, crap...I need it more than ever," but by then it's too late and there's no hope for getting back.

"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone...They paved paradise and put up a parking lot"
-Big Yellow Taxi - Counting Crows

"A change would do you good..."
-A Change - Sheryl Crow

This random blog is brought to you by Taco Bell, which I had for lunch. Think outside the bun.

*I'm sorry if you're out of the loop and didn't know I got another real job and am back downtown. Let me know if you want to talk about it more.

What is Love?

2008-04-21T00:47:00.003-04:00

At my advanced age, all of 28, I think I know what love is. Conversely, I also think I know what love isn't. I don't get these "reality" shows where there's ~20 people, usually girls, being whittled down to one by someone else, usually a dude. Are they fun and interesting to watch, sure. But are they really a source of true love, doubtful.

I was all about the first few seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette but how many of them resulted in a relationship that lasted? Honestly, I don't know. I know Trista and Ryan from some season actually made it to marriage but I have no clue if they are still together or if anyone else made it that far. Seeing shows now on their second iterations with the same main star (i.e. Rock of Love II and Shot at Love II) drive home the point for me. This isn't about love, it's about ratings. That's why Jerry Springer and Maurie are still running strong; America will tune in for some junk to make fun of other people put under an unnatural spotlight.

I don't think I could do a show like that...being either the main guy or one of the herd vying for the chance at true love. I'm really a one-woman guy, through and through. If my mind is on someone, good or bad, it's impossible for me to even fathom being with someone else. If I were to walk into a room with 20 single ladies, I could narrow it down to one pretty quickly. That's another reason I wouldn't be on a show like this...there would be no chance at "the most dramatic rose ceremony ever" to look forward to next week.

So, I'm a one-woman guy and also a ratings killer. Oh well. Better that than having two girls go best two out of three in rock/paper/scissors to see who gets to have sex with me first. I'm not making that up. It was on the behind the scenes episode of Rock of Love II.

I'm just not a big enough player for that type of show. I couldn't do it. Couldn't make out with multiple girls in one night and then send the other half packing. I'm good as BSing and telling people what they want to hear sometimes, but I couldn't string girls along like that.

Maybe I'm too nice, but that's just not me. I just want what I want and try not to settle for anything less.

Patience

2008-03-26T00:33:00.003-04:00

I used to be very patient. Well, I've been through phases of varying degrees of patience but I'm coming out of a very patient time and entering into one of less patience...and I need to get back. For the past few years I was the most patient and easy going guy I'd ever known (pat self on back). Lately, though, I want everything to happen at that very moment.

I pray everyday (multiple times a day), like always, and ask God for whatever it is I want or think needs to happen but, instead of waiting for His answer, I get it in my head that I need to go out and make it happen (or see what's going on) without God. The vast majority of the time it would have worked out just fine if I'd waited (even a few hours) and all would have been good. Instead, I stuck my hand in there and stirred things up that didn't need to be, which can lead to unwanted and unneeded stress itself.

The grammar isn't the best here and I'm sorry about that. It's late and I just wanted to get this down before I forgot about it. Maybe I'll touch it up later. Or, more likely, maybe not. Time for bed.

Like the wind

2008-03-09T14:49:00.003-04:00

I go through a period every year or so where I'll go running three or four times a week for a few months then give it up after it gets way too hot. Looks like that time has come again, as I went for a run on Thursday and then again earlier this afternoon when I found myself at home with nothing to do and a beautiful day outside. I'll have to drive the route to get a better mileage count, but I figure it's about three miles round trip.

I guess the full quote is actually "Run like the wind," which basically means to run really fast. I, however, do not. I'm more of a "slow and steady wins the race" type of guy. So far I have the slow part down pretty good; just need to work up to the steady part. When I say jog it's really a jog/walk right now. It's not so much that I'm out of breath, but my legs are killing me. My back also aches some when I start out. I know all of this will subside once I get a regular routine going and my old body gets used to it again.

To my surprise, my knees are not screaming at me. Thanks to my less-than stellar career as a high school shot putter and pickup basketball player, I usually hobble around on them after any sort of physical activity. Speaking of my shot put days, I was once pictured on the back page of the Columbia County paper doing my thing. That was pretty neat. I think it was from the "First Annual Columbia County Invitational Track Meet" or something like that. I came in fourth. The part of the story that didn't get written was only Evans and Lakeside had dudes doing the shot put that day. Harlem didn't have anyone and it was the year before Greenbrier opened, I think, so I was fourth out of four. I have an Honorable Mention ribbon somewhere for it, though, and my name was announced over the school intercom the next morning. Pretty fun...and funny.

I need to live in the present more...the past just keeps getting farther and farther behind me. Even yesterday seems like ancient history sometimes when presented with a new day's events.

It's Nice to Be Here

2008-01-28T23:37:00.000-05:00

As I sit here eating Kroger-brand Lucky Charms out of a plastic Georgia Tech cup, listening to HBF's Hold My Hand, and drinking my last Diet Coke for 40 days, I'm reminded of Hannibal's quote from the The A-Team, "I love it when a plan comes together." Who's plan? God's plan.

When I was in high school, I swore that when someone finally invented a time machine that I'd travel back and relive a date I had just so I wouldn't say something stupid. As I sit here today, over 10 years later, having said many dumb things on many dates since and having failed many more times at things in life, I wouldn't trade my current point in time for anything. I have no doubts that I'm where God wants and needs me to be. All the success and failure I've experienced in my short (some may call it long) life have led me here, and it's a nice seat to be in.

My previously-mentioned Georgia Tech cup is one of three that I saved from my brief attendance there. Some may call that a failure, and I can too when I get to feeling down about things, but I like to think of it as one of many stepping stones to where I had to go. I remember one night specifically from the Summer 1997 quarter. I'm playing some Nintendo 64 game with my roommate, DuQuay (I wonder what he's doing these days), when I should have been studying chemistry and/or calculus, and some knucklehead comes knocking on the door doing a survey. The only question on the survey is, "Do you believe in God?" I think DuQuay's answer was, "Of course!" Mine, I'm sad to say, was "nope."

I often think about that night and wonder what it was that God saw in me then to bring me where I am today. Whatever it was, I'm glad He did. I do a good bit of volunteer work w/ The Church at Greenbrier, have a great core group of friends, am a home owner, and recently had a long standing prayer answered with an amazing girlfriend. No one will ever convince me that there isn't a God and that He has a plan for everyone. One just needs to have patience and be ready to receive it.

Strategerie

2007-10-14T23:15:00.000-04:00

That's probably my favorite Bushism. I used a little strategerie myself last night. I was really torn whether to go to the previously-mentioned reunion deal at Cadillac's. I had already chatted with most of the people the previous night and there was good college football to watch. I decided to go and try it out, but with the caveat of "If there's no TV w/ the Auburn game on it, I'm having a drink and rolling out." For better or worse (I haven't decided yet) that request was met.

For most of the night, I strategically placed myself on the edge of the dance floor, between the chicken wings and big screen TV. The sound was turned down, obviously, but I was able to keep an eye on things while the chitchat was flying and the flashbulbs were popping. I guess they don't really pop anymore, do they? Random classmates pulling me farther onto the floor? OK, I'm just closer to the game...and I can bust out some of my moves. I'm still working on "Making the Pizza."

Anyway, if you're not familiar with the outcome of the Auburn game, the good guys won 9-7 on a last second field goal. My tigers had been ahead the entire game until about a minute and a half left, when Arkansas scored a touchdown and went up 7-6. I was pretty down when I saw the TD. With that much time left, and AU's lethargic offense, I didn't have much hope (you may say I didn't believe) that we could drive to field goal range. Well, obviously they did.

This may be sheer coincidence, but the song that the DJ was blaring in my ears (why were my peeps dancing so close to the speakers?) when the field goal soared through the uprights and I raised my hands triumphantly was Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me. Yeah, they're classy at Cadillac's. The point is, the winner of the SEC typically goes to the Sugar Bowl. The song that came on after that? Journey's classic Don't Stop Believing. Spooky. I didn't try to explain it to anyone around me; they wouldn't have understood.

While I did get two "free" drinks, some chicken wings and such, and there were a few new people there who weren't around Friday night, I still would have liked to watch the entire game and hear what was going on. I did TiVo it, so I should block out a few hours and take in the apparent defensive slug fest.

Apart from the football follies, overall, the reunion weekend was fun. Reconnected with a few neat people and netted some more MySpace friends.

As a quick aside: I really need to pare that list down. I'm now up to 104 amigos. I imagine my friends list is much like most of those on MySpace. i.e. I probably only really talk to maybe 20% of them on a semi-regular basis. The rest are bands and random people I probably knew once and don't really know anymore.

There are rumblings of a 15 year reunion now. Who has those? My suggestion will be for a little classier affair. I'm not wanting black tie or anything, but let's have something catered and semi-casual and, if some people want, go roll out to a bar afterwards. Having already chatted everyone of importance up, I would most likely roll home at that point.

Speaking of rolling, I'm finally closing up this epic post and rolling out.

The Vue After a Decade

2007-10-13T13:31:00.001-04:00

Do you remember 10 years ago? What you were like, what others were like, etc.? This weekend my high school graduating class is doing a little 10 year reunion thing. There was a tailgate deal last night before the EHS/Statesboro game, which the Knights won in dramatic fashion, and a post-game gathering at The VUE. Tonight will mark the end of the reunion with a few hours of hanging with the old folks at Cadillac's.

I'm pretty much the same guy. That's what they tell me, anyway. I look the same, have the same personality, drive the same car...maybe you've heard I don't like change before.

It's pretty neat seeing all these people again. While my main amigos in high school graduated the year before me, there were still some good people in my class. It was pretty funny sometimes last night, though. I'm glad there was the built in excuse to break conversations with, "It's good to see you, I'm gonna go say hey to ______," because there were several times I was scratching my head for what to say next after chatting with the random classmates and using up the initial pleasantries.

I'm a little hoarse this morning after talking so much ("...well, I like to say I'm between real jobs...") and having to yell over the thumping techno beats. I can really rumble out the low notes on the baritone scale, though.

I make mental checklists for many things: grocery shopping, things to do around the house, what to look for in a woman, etc... Here's a peek at my high school reunion check list.

Thin, athletic classmates packing on the pounds? Check

Attractive classmates not so attractive anymore? Check

Short classmates having growth spurts? Check

Many marriages, divorces, and kids? Check

Classmates being married to each other that makes you scratch your head? Check

Classmates coming out of the closet? Check

Random inebriated classmates bragging about how much money they make? Check

Random inebriated classmates smooching, making you do a double-take? Check

Like everything else in life, blogging takes motivation. EHS Class of '97 is certainly that. It's not as strong as my previous motivation, though.

The Clean Plate Club

2007-10-09T21:19:00.002-04:00

So...it's been over a month since my last "blog" session. Some call them blogs, others call them toasters. (And by "others" I mean my buddy Jake.) I call them...well, I guess I call them blogs now, too. I don't have an excuse. I actually have several for my lack of blog posts, but I'll spare those of you who may happen upon this. I'm here now and that's all that matters.

On to the subject at hand. I met a girl recently. I guess after a certain age you're a woman...err, girls are women, so she's really a woman. Maybe it's because I'm still in my 20s, but I call all attractive females around my age girls. Anyway, moving on... We did dinner earlier tonight and, turning off all my sarcasm for a moment, I thought it was great. I believe she thought it was great too.

The Clean Plate Club. That's just something I usually joke around about. That is, saying someone is a member of it if they, appropriately, clean their plate during a meal. (I really had no idea it was a catering outfit that had won Best of Nashville seven years in a row. I wonder if it's as uppity as Best of Augusta?) Back to my definition: I've seen it done before and, as I said, I usually make note of it.

Tonight was the first time I've ever seen a woman do it. Let me qualify that. The first time I've seen a woman do it at The Pizza Joint when she orders two slices of pizza. This is not a knock on women but just to say The Pizza Joint sells you a big slice and she's a slim, athletic woman. I didn't have dinner with a Golden Corral buffet buster by any means.

I might also add the caveat of it being a date. General reasoning says that women are a little nervous on dates and, therefore, won't eat as much as normal. At least, I guess it was a date. Well, she cleaned her plate, so maybe it wasn't...crap. Who knows. She did claim to be "starving," though, when I turned up the sarcasm, I mean charm, when she was initially talking about the dual slice attempt. Until a hear differently, that's what I'm going to call it...a date...I think.

I've done The Pizza Joint before with women (not dates) who have attempted two slices...and, as the single guy, I usually got to bring one home. Not tonight, buddy. I felt like a little less of a man. I, too, had two slices (my usual meatball and pepperoni) but left behind most of the crust. Maybe I mentioned this earlier, but she cleaned her plate...i.e. not even crust left behind. I did have more alcohol, though, so maybe I'm not less of a man after all. We also did a piece of cheese cake, w/ caramel, for dessert.

Speaking of alcohol, I recommend Rogue Dead Guy. The Evans PJ has it on draft. Excellent stuff. My Publix doesn't sell it, which is a downer. I don't frequent the local liquor stores, but maybe they'd have it. I'll have to look into it.

Hopefully, it won't be as long between postings next time. Maybe I'll get inspiration again soon. My hair is growing back nicely, by the way. Thanks for asking.

Whose Space? MySpace!

2007-08-21T00:03:00.000-04:00

Just a brief plug for my MySpace profile. Check it out here, if you weren't already in the know.

More Red Ring of Death

2007-08-19T14:50:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned it before, the Xbox 360's red ring of death, and I'd like to mention it again. I really just want to post this funny video about it:

Cue Ball

2007-08-15T22:00:00.001-04:00

Scratch another thing of my list of things to do before I die: shave head.

It was rather scary to do it, especially since I don't own an extra mirror to help w/ the back, but my razor never came back with blood on it. I doubt this is a style I want to keep, though. I don't really like shaving my face...I certainly don't want to do my whole head everyday.

Maybe I'll be John Locke for Halloween. :)

Just what I don't need...

2007-07-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

Maybe you heard that the PlayStation 3 recently dropped in price to a slightly more reasonable $499. I fully expected an immediate counter-punch from Micro$oft in the form of a price drop for the Xbox 360...that didn't happen. Rumors are starting to surface now, however, that the price drop will come in a couple of weeks (down to $349) and coincide with the release of Madden NFL 08.

I can only hope that this feeling will pass soon, as similar ones did for the PS2, but I want to buy one! I don't care much about Madden but I long to play NCAA Football 08 and lead the Auburn Tigers to back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to...(you get the idea) National Championships. I haven't owned an NCAA football game since NCAA Football 2005 for my Nintendo GameCube. Quality stuff there.

Surely I don't need to cave in now, though. There's the "red ring of death" to look out for. As well, I don't even have an HDTV. It won't quite be the same as playing at my amigos' houses w/o one. Plus, I own a Nintendo Wii and it's mainly collecting dust (and pet dander, eww) because I sill play World of WarCraft so much. They don't make the NCAA football game for the Wii, though.

Maybe I just need to buy an HDTV too. Hmm...

The Big House

2007-07-28T14:05:00.000-04:00

Prison. Jail. The clink. Having never been to one, except in Monopoly, I can only comment on what I've seen in the media. I do know there are several types, though. Some of which follow: There's the country club prisons where white-collar criminals go. There are also "federal pound me in the @$$" prisons, where the hard-core criminals go. There's even a place in Arkansas called The Varner Unit!

A new breed of prison was introduced to me this week, the song-and-dance prison. Instead of pumping iron, playing basketball, and watching out for their corn hole, here the inmates apparently work on dramatic dance routines to pass the time. I'm not sure what to think about this, but I'm sure I still don't want to go. Check the videos.

Michael Jackson's Thriller

I Will Follow Him - From Sister Act

Big Bad Bubba and his Big Ole Burger

2007-07-27T14:19:00.001-04:00

How 'bout one of these bad boys? If you know me, and I don't think you'd be here if you didn't, you know I wouldn't be down w/ half the toppings on this monstrosity, but I love the idea of such a beast's existence.

Road trip to West Virginia coming up.

The host for the video took it down. Just think of the biggest burger you've ever seen, then multiply that by 50 and that's what the video showed.

"Going to the Grocery..."

2007-07-20T18:00:00.000-04:00

Well, "went to the grocery" would probably be a better title for this, but those aren't the lyrics to one of my favorite songs.

It was suggested to me over the weekend that the grocery store would be a good place for me to meet the woman of my dreams. Not in those exact words, but that was the gist of it. We talked about a good grocery store to meet such a person at and, as it happens, I already shop at such a place.

Naturally I was a little more excited when I realized I was down to my last Hot Pocket last night and would need to restock today. It didn't matter that I sat through the same traffic light twice on the way there (the lady in front of me was doing her makeup) because I was in hot pursuit. Doug was about to become a babe magnet walking down the frozen food aisle.

Taking special care to look out for eligible bachelorettes as soon as I pulled into the parking lot, what's the first thing I see? My friend who said that was the place to be. Unfortunately, she's quite married. After brief chit-chat I head inside, eyes peeled.

"Oh, I need some tortilla shells." I've gotten to where I attempt my own Barberitos-style burritos at home.* I actually said that out loud, by the way. I don't have much of an internal monologue anymore. If I'm thinking, I'm probably mumbling it to myself. Those shells are at the very end of an aisle at my Publix; an end cap, if you will. Glancing down that aisle, of course, I see another amiga of mine...also very married. She was looking for some fancy tomatoes that Rachael Ray told her to buy. What a good wife.

The rest of the shopping experience was uneventful. All I saw were old ladies and, it seemed like, other single dudes. Maybe they had my idea. Perhaps Friday at 3PM isn't prime time for the lovely ladies to frequent the grocery. Could it be a Saturday thing? At least I got BOGO on cereal. (I can eat cereal 24/7)

Publix: 1
Doug: 0

To be continued...

*This is made all the more important since my Barberitos closed up shop last week. It's a sad time for me. "That's because Moe's is weak!" as a buddy of mine said once. Seems like they may have been a bit too far out in Evans and a lot too far up a hill and out of sight.

Pandora Radio

2007-07-17T20:15:00.000-04:00

A buddy just turned me onto a cool new Internet music service, Pandora Radio. Here you just enter in the name of a favorite band or song and you'll be treated to hearing similar bands or songs play.

For example, I typed in Hootie & the Blowfish (shocker, I know). The first song I heard was a HBF song, followed by some Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls, Sister Hazel, and Barenaked Ladies. I've also heard artists/songs for the first time, like Cardinal Trait, which sounds pretty good.

The free version is advertiser supported, so there are ad banners on the page. You can avoid that mess by having it open in a separate window or, if you roll like this, a separate tab in your browser.

I could see this as a great tool for parties, vacations where you can't bring your CD collection, or any occasion where you want a little variety, but not skew too far from the norm.

I encourage you to go check it out for yourself. Here's my profile page.

Oh, some Toad the Wet Sprocket just came on...nice.

Down, but not out

2007-07-17T19:56:00.000-04:00

Greetings and salutations. For all intents and purposes, this is my personal web log...for now. Not that I utilized it much, but my previous web log, localclovis.com, is currently experiencing technical difficulties. i.e. there are server issues at work beyond my control. Those in the know are currently trying to rectify the situation.

More to come.