SOLD!!

A few minutes ago, I sold the truck. Wow. My worst fear was that trying to sell a vehicle with no air conditioning in Memphis would be an exercise in futility, but the first guy that looked at it offered me a fair price, so we did the deal. Cool.

Michelle and I are going to celebrate with some ice cream, then I am going to study for my Philosophy of Religion test. I got my astronomy test back today, and had to laugh. I got an 88, and the class average was 60. I do not normally make it a habit to insult people, but some of these folks in my class are just dumb. For example, the low score on the test was a 36. Why is that person in college? I dunno. Anyway, I was quite pleased with my score, given that I did not get back home from the concert until after 4 AM. Good enough for me.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Today is the first day of the newspaper ad for my truck. So far, I have had three calls about it. I told the first guy that today is not a good day for me to have him come and look at it, so he is coming tomorrow. The other two pretty much demanded to see it today. So, they are coming this afternoon. I have a test tomorrow in Philosophy of Religion, and would prefer to spend the afternoon studying for that. Oh well.

We should get our tests back in astronomy today. This test was much more difficult than the first. I probably still did OK, though.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

In case anyone has ever thought or said, "I'll believe Chris is graduating college when I see it", here it is. I stopped by the College of Arts and Sciences to review the Commencement Program Proof, to make sure my name is spelled correctly. Indeed it is. This is how it will appear on my diploma.

Peace...

And on the 2,191,825th day...

According to Bishop James Ussher (1581-1656), God created the universe on October 23, 4004 BC. On October 23, 2001, Apple introduced the iPod. Happy Birthday world, and iPod!

My beloved Xanthos is officially for sale. Michelle and I have been shopping for a new vehicle for a while, because we will be needing something that can hold a car seat. Michelle was also wanting something with 4 doors (not 4 wheel drive). We looked at several Camrys and Accords, then I mentioned in passing that I had an Intrepid as a company car for a while, and enjoyed it. Once she got a look at one, she loved it. So, earlier this week, we reached an agreement-in-principle to purchase a 2000 Dodge Intrepid. Thursday, we sealed the deal. Hence, we no longer have the need for the truck.

We are enjoying the Intrepid. I went to the county clerk's office Friday and got it registered and applied for the title. Thankfully, the line moved well and did not take too long. We cleaned it up today, but ran out of Daylight before we could take a picture. I will try to post one soon. I have inherited Michelle's old Explorer, and she will be driving the Intrepid. It will be nice to have a place to store my baseball gear next year. And having air conditioning will be great, given the oppressive Memphis heat.

Friday night, I had a football game at Houston high school, who played White Station. These are two of the best teams in the area, so it was nice to have a close game. I was the clock operator, which was fine until there were about 3:00 left in the fourth quarter, and my on/off switch stopped working. Normally, the clock operator is stationed on the sideline, and he follows the line of scrimmage. But with my switch broken, I had to run up to the press box as quickly as I could. I ran over two cheerleaders and one grandmother, but I think everybody was OK...LOL.

The people that Michelle used to nanny for celebrated their anniversary this weekend by going out of town, so we watched the boys yesterday and today. They weren't too much trouble, so we had fun. Yesterday afternoon (after my morning football games), we went to a family farm in Hernando, MS, and had great fun. The kids enjoyed the petting zoo and the inflatables. It was nice to be out in the sunshine, too. Next weekend, Michelle and I are going to go back there and enjoy the haunted hayride. That should be much fun.

The kids have a tradition where their dad goes out on Sunday mornings and gets doughnuts, so I took over that role today. Joy. The rest of the morning, I tinkered with the Intrepid, putting on new wipers and stuff. I took the younger boy with me to Lowe's and Advanced Auto Parts, and we had a good time. I was glad to give Michelle a bit of a break.

Tomorrow, I have two football games, which will in all likelihood my last two games of the year. I was supposed to have a varsity game this Friday, but after I was late to that middle school game a few weeks ago, it was taken away from me. Since that's the last week of the season, there will nothing more. Kind of a sorry-ass way to end the season, but there is nothing I can do about it now. Oh well.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

The fact that a dog is pissing on the wall sort of says everything...LOL.

Earlier tonight, I started to write a post about the concert last night. However, Michelle finished her exam early, and we had some stuff to do, so I saved it as a draft. I am so tired now that I do not think I will finish it tonight. I will get back on it tomorrow. I apologize to those whom I had promised a post.

Peace...

Back from the concert, and working on less than 4 hours of sleep...

Well, what can I say? Tim and I concurred that this was the best performance either of us has ever seen Clapton give. From the opening chords (struck at the precise instant that we walked into the arena) to the end of the encore, the show was high energy and fast-paced. The crowd was also impressive, totally engaged from the beginning. The band hardly broke for more than a couple of seconds between most songs, which sort of interrupted the standing ovations that were presented after nearly every number. Clapton was dressed in a black shirt, black jeans and black sneakers. Ready to do business.

The show was a full-on three (and sometimes four)-guitar attack. EC was of course, front and center. He played a pair of Fender Stratocasters, one of which appeared to be a replica of "Blackie", a hybrid Strat that he assembled from parts of several guitars that he bought in Nashville in the early '70s. He was backed up by Doyle Bramhall II, Derek Trucks, and on two numbers, Robert Cray. Bramhall was a close friend of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and has been playing with EC for the past several years. He alternated between a Fender Stratocaster (which looked exactly like the one featured on SRV's album "Soul to Soul") and a Gibson Les Paul Sunburst (which he played upside down). Trucks splits time between his own band and the Allman Brothers Band (his uncle was a founding member of the Allmans). Trucks was also the youngest player to be named to Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. He played a Gibson SG, and employed a slide on almost every song. Cray is a legendary bluesman in his own right, and has played with Clapton off and on throughout the years. He played a Fender Stratocaster.

Behind them were two keyboardists, Chris Stainton and Tim Carmon. Stainton has played with Clapton since the 70s, and was on stage for the Concert for George. Carmon has played with the likes of Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Santana, BB King, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

On bass was Willie Weeks, who has played with a who's-who of rock and country. Joe Walsh, David Lee Roth, John Mellencamp, Stevie Wonder, George Harrison, Vince Gill, John Mayer are some artists who have employed his services. Steve Jordan was on drums, and has also played with the Stones, the Blues Brothers Band, Don Henley, and Neil Young. He was also a founding member of the World's Most Dangerous Band, the group that was featured on Late Night with David Letterman.

The setlist was a little different than what I posted yesterday. Here it is:

Electric Set 1:

Pretending
From 1988's Journeyman album, the record that made me a Clapton fan. Maybe my favorite song from that album, but there were a lot of great songs there. A great way to start the show.

I Shot The Sheriff
From 1974's 461 Ocean Boulevard, this is the song that brought Reggae to the masses. This version was a rocking rendition, with each guitarist taking a turn at the lead. Fantastic.

Got To Get Better In A Little While
From the Layla album, this was maybe my favorite song the night. I liked this arrangement much better than the original. It is a true 12-bar blues, so it can be played any number of ways. Awesome. Great expression of heartache and the longing for love. Which is what that whole album was about. Lasted close to 20 minutes, but it never lost steam.

Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Also from Journeyman, Cray and EC co-wrote this one. This was a 15-minute extended version, with each guitarist taking turns at the lead. Great tune.

Anyday
Also from the Layla record, not one of my favorite songs.

Motherless Children
Track 1 on 461, this is one my all-time favorite Clapton efforts. A rollicking blues-country fusion--just fantastic.

Acoustic Set:

Key To The Highway
From Layla, EC also revisited this song on his collaboration with B.B. King, Riding with the King. It was a much different arrangement than the original album version, which was played electric. All three guitarists played acoustic slide. Very nice.

San Francisco Bay Blues
Clapton first covered this Jesse Fuller number on Unplugged, and he gave it a great treatment here. EC actually played a kazoo in addition to his Martin acoustic. Yes, I said a kazoo. Everyone, including Clapton, got a chuckle out of it. Very upbeat, about losing love in Frisco.

Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Also from Layla, I enjoyed this arrangement more than the original or the Unplugged version.

Running On Faith
Originally from Journeyman, then Unplugged, one of my all-time favorites. The original arrangement featured a dobro, but tonight the dobro was replaced by an acoustic. Nice.

Electric Set 2:

After Midnight
From EC's first solo record, this is one of my favorites. All three guitars were featured here. Very nice.

Little Queen Of Spades
A guitar tour-de-force, as all three axe men were afforded extended solos. From EC's tribute to Robert Johnson, Sessions for Robert J, this was an incredible arrangement. Oh my.

Further On Up The Road
To my knowledge, this song has never been included on an EC studio album, although it has been on several of his live records, and is in fact a staple of his live catalogue. Great tune.

Wonderful Tonight
Many people's favorite, they were dancing in the aisles for this one. Michelle and I have been known to dance to this song, as well. The only song all night that was played straight-away, with little or no deviation from the studio recording.

Layla
From the moment the band took the stage, it was apparent that they were here to play music, and not play around. We were reminded of this once again, as instead of the usual extended intro that EC normally gives Layla, he just launched right into the opening chords. Possibly the most recognizable opening chord sequence in rock history. Wow.

Cocaine
EC's ode to the dangers of drug use, this was written (along with After Midnight) by J.J. Cale. Cale and EC have finally teamed up again, with a complete studio album that is being released November 7. I can hardly wait. I have read that during this tour, Clapton had been playing this song with a Gibson ES-335, but he kept the Strat in hand tonight. Good choice.


Encore
Crossroads (with Robert Cray)
Clapton's signature song, as his life and career have been one crossroads after another. Great arrangement here, with the addition of Cray's Stratocaster. A few years ago, I was asked at the last minute to give a sermon at a youth retreat where the theme was "Life at a Crossroads". My first instinct was to work my sermon around this song, but I felt like that would be too easy, so I wrecked my brain and came from a different angle. If I ever do a similar sermon, I will include the song.

Tim and I consider ourselves quite fortunate that we were able to be at this show. We can hardly wait until EC comes around again.

After Midnight, We're Gonna Let It All Hang Out...

The day I have been looking forward to since June is finally here!! Tonight, I will be meeting my brother Tim in Birmingham to see Eric Clapton in concert. We are both mega-excited...LOL. Needless to say, EC has been in heavy rotation on the stereo in the Winn household for the past week or so. The setlist he has been playing features a great mix of old and new, and some in between. Robert Cray is the opening act, and he has been joining EC on stage for a couple of numbers each night. Sweet!

Here it is:

(Electric Set 1)

Pretending
I Shot The Sheriff
Got To Get Better In A Little While
Old Love (with Robert Cray)
Everybody Oughta Make A Change
Motherless Children

(Acoustic Set)

Back Home
I Am Yours
Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
Running On Faith

(Electric Set 2)

After Midnight
Little Queen Of Spades
Further On Up The Road
Wonderful Tonight
Layla
Cocaine

(Encore)

Crossroads (with Robert Cray)

In my next post, I will post my comments on each tune.

This past weekend was fall break, so Michelle and I went up to Sikeston, Missouri for a couple of days. We went to the Beggs' family farm, which is a more like a carnival than a farm. We enjoyed picking out pumpkins, and working our way through the corn maze. Last year, we were in the maze for over two hours, and finally gave up. This year, we made it through in about 45 minutes...LOL. We got so lucky. There was an intersection that offered about 5 different ways to go, and after my obligatory Robert Frost monologue (two roads diverged in a yellow wood...), we chose the path on the far right, and about 10 minutes later, walked out of the maze. Soooo lucky!

We also enjoyed eating at our favorite restaurant in the whole world, Lambert's Cafe (home of throwed rolls). We also enjoyed getting some much-needed rest. I don't think we have ever slept so much whilst on holiday. It was great.

I got my philosophy exam back last week, and it was bloody. I made a 73--the lowest grade I have ever made on a philosophy test. It was brutal. The class as a whole did poorly, but that did not make me feel any better. On one of the questions, which I felt was my strongest answer, I only got 18 points (out of 25). On another, which I felt was my weakest, I got a 23. Say what? Another question, I misread it and only got 10 points. That killed me. Oh well. We still have two other tests in that class, so I can pick it up a notch and salvage a decent grade.

I also have a test in astronomy class tomorrow. Since I probably won't be back in Memphis until the wee hours of the night, I am not sure how I will do. I know the material, and have studied hard the past two days, but I probably will not feel great. So, we will see how that goes.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I got through my Ancient Philosophy exam today pretty well. It helps when you have already read the material for previous classes. Although reading it again (Plato's Apology, Crito, and Euthyphro and Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics) gave me new insight to these incredible works.

Astronomy lecture and lab went well today. My lab team finished almost an hour early, so I worked a while in the library before leaving for my football game. This is where the nightmare began. I needed to be at the school no later than 4:00, so I left at 3:15. Although Mapquest estimated my travel time to be only 17 minutes, with Memphis traffic, it's better to leave early. Plus, I needed to change into my uniform and clean my shoes. With my Mapquest driving directions in tow, I headed out, only to discover that these instructions were horrifically inaccurate. I called my head referee (the guy who wears the white hat) at 4:00, and he could not give me any better directions. I then called Michelle and had her Mapquest the location from a different starting point in hopes that that would trigger the algorithms into a different result. This was moderately successful, as I was able to get into the general neighborhood of the school. After asking three random strangers (two of which were either drunk and/or high) for directions, I arrived at the school at 5:00. Just before the last play of the FIRSY HALF! It was brutal. I felt horrible. I felt bad for taking my payment after the game. Came real close to giving it back. I got an email from the assigner earlier tonight, asking for an explanation. Jeez.

Michelle is deathly sick, and she has been asleep since before I got home. So, I am just hanging out on the couch watching the baseball playoffs. The Dodgers' first game is tomorrow at 3, which is precisely the same time Michelle and I are supposed to paint the living room.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

A Saturday on the Grove

Yesterday morning, I refereed two youth league football games, then headed home. On the way home, Michelle called me to ask what I thought of the possibility of a short road trip to Mississippi that afternoon. I immediately got real excited, because I knew that Georgia was playing Ole Miss last night. Alas, she was thinking more along the lines of visiting a corn maze she had read about. Oh well. I knew that she does not like big crowds, so I said sure the corn maze would be great, especially since we would be back in time for me to watch most of the game on TV. However, by the time I got home, she had purchased tickets to the game, and made plans for us to roll to Oxford. WOW!! We tried to get her decked out in some Georgia gear, but none of the stores here had anything. The stores here all cater to Memphis, UT, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Oh well--she just wore a red t-shirt.

We got there about 4 hours before game time, so we tailgated on the grove (the area around the campus is known by this name) and had fun. We found a pocket of Georgia fans and hung out in that area until game time.

We had a great time at the game. The score was really close, and Georgia pulled out a win at the very end. Beautiful! Although we were sitting amongst a bunch of Ole Miss fans, they were very nice to us and we both enjoyed ourselves. At half-time, we went out to the concourse to get some fresh air, because by that time, and we actually hung out there during the entire third quarter. We enjoyed people-watching while there. We came back in for the fourth quarter, and enjoyed the rest of the game.

The ride home seemed a lot longer than the ride down there, but we eventually got home about 2 AM. We are now trying to recover, and I am wondering if I am going to feel like painting the living room, which is what we had planned on doing today.

What's probably the funniest thing about the whole deal is that I had invited my dad and brother to Memphis to watch the U of M play UT. However, I never got a firm confirmation that they were coming, so I never got the tickets, and the game sold out. So, no one came and I was not resigned to watching a game on TV.

My classes are going well. We had our first exam in Astronomy class last Tuesday. This class is made up of almost all freshman, and it seems this is the most ignorant group of people I have ever been around. There are well over 100 people in the class, and most of them are just stupid. Asking ridiculous questions, and constantly wanting to know about extra-credit and the grade curve. Jeez. The test scores revealed what I am dealing with here--the class average was 54, and the lowest score was a 26. I made an 86, and didn't study nearly as much as I could have. Whatever.

I have an exam in my Ancient Philosophy class on Tuesday. I am going to start studying for it tonight, and after my football game tomorrow night, really hit the books hard. I should be fine.

I also have a paper due in Religion class next week. Need to get started on that.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I learned a valuable lesson this week. I learned that when a football official asks me where I am working on a given Friday night, I should always feign ignorance and say something like, "uh, I don't remember. Must be at a city school." I learned this because twice this week I was asked where I am working tonight, and twice I replied, "Germantown High School". Twice, I received strange looks, as if to say, "How did YOU get a game there?". You see, Germantown is one of the "plum" locations for officials to go, since an official does not normally have to fear for his life there, as he would at one of the municipal stadiums that the city schools play in. I have no idea how I got this game, although whatever it is I did, I would like to do it again...LOL. Anyway, the game should be fun.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Blues Before Sunrise

It had been on my mind to post, but not until my grandmother prodded me did I feel the need. Some people my find it odd that my grandmother is online, but I come from a long line of geeks. And we are proud of it.

This morning found me at Home Depot before sunrise, buying a new discharge tube for our clothes washing machine. After we bought our washer/dryer set, we found that it required about 1 inch more space than what our laundry room has. So, I had to turn the washer perpendicular, which necessitated a longer discharge hose. The entire process of me getting the washer/dryer installed and fully functional only took me buying $14 worth of the wrong size hose (Note to self: whenever something appears to be 'about the right size', it will not be. Guaranteed.), then spending $7 on hose clamps and a coupler to connect the two hoses. This was the source of the leak, so then it was $16 worth of new (and the correct size) hose. Problem solved. Jeez. So, I finally have repaired our clothes washer, and have declared it to be leak-free. Hooray clean clothes. The first load is in the dryer now. YAY!

Since being at Home Depot before sunrise is not usually my favorite way to spend a morning, I decided that Clapton's rendition of Leroy Carr's "Blues Before Sunrise" would be the first song of the soundtrack to the installation. Also included were Dylan's new "Working Man's Blues", Velvet Revolver's "Sucker Train Blues", Pink Floyd's "Jugband Blues", and The Moody Blues' "Isn't Life Strange".

School has indeed been strange this semester. None of my regular classes have any papers assigned, although my independent study will almost certainly have some. Still have not heard from the professor about what specifically my assignments will be. My Science, Technology and Human Values class is not at all what I thought it would be. It is quite boring, but appears to be not-too-difficult. I wish I had taken symbolic logic instead. My ancients survey is not as hard as I thought it would be, although it requires a tremendous amount of reading. My astronomy lecture and lab are quite time-consuming, though not-too-difficult. My philosophy of religion class is by far the most interesting class. So, far, we have read 6 arguments for the existence of God, and we have shown how all of them are at least weak, and in some cases, logically invalid. I chuckle at this exercise, because I have NEVER seen a convincing argument for the existence of God, but that is what faith is all about. If God's existence could be proven, it seems that everyone would be on board, and we would not need faith. LOL.

Anyway, school is going well. Graduation is something like 13 weeks and 3 days away, but who's counting?

We have some more adoption meetings in the coming days, and I have a seemingly endless number of football meetings. Oh well. About twice a week, Mike Clark texts me saying that he is stuck in a worthless meeting. I feel his pain.

Football has been going super-well. I have worked two varsity games so far, and I have two more on the schedule. The second half of the season schedule will be released soon, and I am figuring I will get a few more then. It is great to see my hard work finally paying off. When I was in the Clarksville association, I never felt I was being evaluated fairly. Only once was I ever observed by a supervisor in something other than a Saturday morning pee-wee game. The supervisors are always at those games watching their grandkids play, and observing officials, but it is really difficult for me to have the same intensity for a game with 9 year old kids as I do a game with high schoolers. But, I always did the best I could, because I knew we were always being watched on those Saturday mornings. Here in Memphis, the supervisors watch us during the JV games (and varsity, too), and watch us frequently. Rarely do I ever work a JV game without a supervisor there, they always observe the varsity games. Many guys do not like being observed all the time, but I figure if I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, I will be OK.

I had a varsity game two weeks ago, and I was about 5 minutes late getting there (we are supposed to be at the game site 1 hour before game time). Unfortunately, the supervisor for that night (who is also the Assigning Officer, therefore the one guy in the association that you do not want to piss off) came in right behind me and made a big deal about it (it IS a big deal to be there on time/early). He asked me what time it was, and I replied "about 5 after 6. He asked the crew what time it was, and one guy, without looking at his watch, said "about 5 after 6". (This is the definition of a great partner.) The assigner also had quarrel with my shoes, which were not shined to his liking (it IS a big deal to have mirror-shined shoes). As my crew left the locker room, he kept me behind and proceeded to rip my butt apart. I immediately figure my chances of getting any more varsity games had gone down the drain, but that has not been the case. Whew! At last night's meeting, he came in after about 10 minutes late and sat down right in front of me. I asked him what time it was, and he said, "about 10 after", so I looked down at his feet and said, "Well, your shoes look good". We both got a big laugh out of that. LOL.

Preaching at the Clarksville church last week felt nice. That was the third time I have spoken there, and I was much more comfortable this time than the other two. They have also called a new minister, Rev. Steve Louder. From what I have heard, he is a fine minister. I am hoping that church can start to heal its wounds and get back on track. Unfortunately, I have my doubts. Hopefully I am wrong. It was great to see my family while we were in town, and the Smith fish fry was much fun as always.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

School's In

Today is the first day of classes. It's a weird feeling, because usually I schedule my classes early in the day, so I can have afternoons and evenings free. However, this semester, none of my classes were available early, so I have been running errands all morning. My first class is not until 10:20. This semester will also be the first time I have had the same professor for two classes. I have the same prof for "Science, Technology, and Human Values" as I do for my survey of ancient philosophy. I have never had him before, but I understand that he is tough and fair. Good enough for me.

It is so freaking hot this morning I am about to die. By the time I walked from my car to where I am now (campus coffee shop), I was sweating like a racehorse. It did not help that I had to park a mile away. I may have to invest in a parking pass for the garage in the center of campus.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Haven't posted in a while...sorry.

Last week, we went to see Bruce Hornsby in at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center. It was really neat to see a big name act in a venue that seats 350. Very intimate setting. Very funny guy. Great songwriting. Awesome show.

I have been trying to convince Michelle that I need an Xbox 360. I am not having much success.

Tonight, we have a meeting with our social worker. Michelle is really wound up tight, but I am sure it will go fine. I am home today, getting the house ready for the meeting. Just some final clean-up details and stuff.

Classes start next Monday, and I am ready to get back to the grind. My final semester as an undergrad. Graduation is only 16 weeks and 3 days away!! (Not that I am counting or anything.) We are gonna have an after-party here at the house, so that will be nice.

On Saturday, I will be giving my 2 weeks' notice at my job. I'm not gonna work much this semester. With Michelle working full-time, my measly salary doesn't matter much, and I would like to fully concentrate on my school work. I have set a goal to make the Dean's List this semester, so not working much will help me do that. I have a ton of football games this season, and those pay better than my job (and take less time). Plus, I might do some tutoring in logic or one of the philosophy intro classes. I inquired about it, but have not received a call back. So, I will see how that goes.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Fun in the Kitchen

While cutting a watermelon last night, I accidentally made a pentagon. So I decided to do some other shapes. I tried to do a hecatommyriagon, but I ran out of watermelon.

Triangle.

Rectangle.

This morning, Michelle and I noted that our cereal collection rivals that of Jerry Seinfeld. Hmm...