Well, given that it has been a month since I last posted, I guess I should make some kind of attempt at doing so.

Things got really crazy right after I last posted. The day after Michelle and I got our flu shots, we woke up really sick. I treated mine with OTC meds for about a week, and it seemed like I was better. However, as soon as I stopped taking anything, I got really sick again. So, I went to the doctor, and found that I had a sinus infection. The doctor said that it was purely coincidental that it came the day after the flu shot. Yeah, right. That's why they make you sign a disclaimer absolving them of responsibility if you get sick from the shot. Such is the state of American medicine. What a joke.

The weekend before Thanksgiving, we pawned Alex off on Michelle's parents and got out of town for a couple of days. We kind of did a Dick Cheney-type thing, which is to say that we stayed in a secure, undisclosed location...LOL. Alas, we did not shoot anyone while we were there. It was good to get out of town for a couple of days, although it was really strange to not have the baby with us. It was sort of surreal. There were several times when both Michelle and I could "hear" him cry, even though that was obviously impossible. One more reason to not be an empiricist, I suppose. Rationalism rules!

On the Saturday, Michelle found a an area where several of her favorite stores were concentrated, so she dropped me off at the nearest guitar shop, so I could dream whilst she spent...LOL. I played several Taylor acoustics, which all sounded fine enough, but there is just nothing quite like a Martin. Or my Epiphone. I also played a Guild 12-string, which really sounded great. Once I get considerably better with 6 strings, I want to play 12.

Among the many things that Alex's arrival has changed for me is my usual practice of picking a book or two to read during the semester just for fun. In the past, I have chosen a couple of books each semester, and each day, if I have done enough school work, I reward myself by reading some fun stuff. Now, with Alex in the picture, I have not been able to do that. So, I bought a book to read during our time away. I got "Revolution in the Valley: The Insanely Great Story of How the Mac Was Made." It was fun to trace the steps of the first Macintosh's development. I concluded that many of the people on the development team would today be diagnosed on the autism spectrum.

You may remember that last Thanksgiving, on the way home from Tullahoma, our Dodge Intrepid died. So, we approached this Thanksgiving with some trepidation, hopin our vehicles would emerge unscathed. Yeah, right. The week of Thanksgiving, I observed that the Explorer's serpentine belst was quite frayed, and in need of replacement. So, I ordered a belt online, and once it came in set about installing it. Turns out it was not the right belt, so after a trip to the parts store, where I had no small amount of trouble exchanging it for the correct one, I proceeded to install it upside down. So, this caused the belt to rub a hole in the lower radiator hose, which drained all the coolant out of the engine. After installing a new hose and refilling the coolant, the Explorer was once again road-worthy.

Thanksgiving itself was a lot of fun. We visited both families, and it was great to see everyone. Of course, we all ate too much, but I guess that is part of the fun. My dad's smoked turkey was awesome. He has truly become a grill-master.

On Sunday morning, we left early so we could worship at Mt. Denson. It was great to see everyone there, especially since most of them had not seen Alex. Of course, everyone doted on him, so we did not have to do much with him, which enabled us to relax a bit.

Classes have ended for the semester. Next week is the reading period, which is when everyone does as much of the work they should have done throughout the semester as they can. Finals are the week after that. Two of my finals are take-home exams, and neither is very long. I also have a paper due for another class, so in all I have three papers to write and one exam to study for. Not too bad.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Godfather in 1 minute

If you are a fan of "The Godfather" book and/or film, but don't want to invest several hours to either watch the film or read the book, this video is for you. The entire story is told in about 1 minute. Absolutely hilarious!

Damn those flu shots. Last Monday, Michelle and I got flu shots, ostensibly to avoid getting sick. The next morning, we both woke up sick. Joy. So, the rest of the week was essentially worthless, at least in regards to getting anything productive done. I even turned in a football game Thursday night that I was supposed to work. I was, however, able to work my varsity game Friday.

To add to the misery of last week, we got the news that Michelle's great-grandmother passed away. She was about 95, and was a lot of fun to be around. She and Michelle were really close, and she will be missed. Michelle's mom was able to go to the funeral, but Michelle did not want to fly with her head stuffed up like it was. I am sorry that she was not able to go.

A couple of weeks ago, without telling me, Michelle ordered my Christmas present. She was very clandestine about the whole thing; she even had it delivered to her work so I would not see it. But, for whatever reason, once it arrived, she just had to tell me. First, she made me guess for a couple of days what it might be. The only clue that she would give me is that I had once said I would like one. That wasn't much of a clue, since there are tons of things I say I would like. So, after a couple of days of guessing, she finally revealed that she had gotten me a new computer. Not just any computer, but a really good iMac, loaded up with good stuff. She had even splurged and gotten me a wireless keyboard and wireless Mighty Mouse (Apple's 4-button mouse). Woo! So, I begged her to bring it home, and she did. So, while I was so miserably sick, I was able to enjoy getting it set up like I want it. Both of our laptops are showing signs of age, so it's good to have another hard drive to back up everything onto. Plus, I will be able to edit the videos I have taken of Alex, and make DVDs. That will be cool.

The stats on the iMac are: 250 GB HD, 1 GB RAM (I am upgrading to 3 GB), 2.33 GHz Intel Dual Core Processor. I am going to upgrade to the new OS (Leopard), which comes with Boot Camp, the program that allows Leopard and Windows to run on the same unit. So, I am also going to install Windows XP. Therefore, we will have the best of both worlds.

I have been having some pains in my neck and left shoulder, so I am going to a chiropractor to get checked out. It's been several years since I have gotten adjusted, so hopefully I can get straightened out again.

A friend of mine who is in grad school at the University of Chicago was struck by a taxi cab while she was crossing an intersection last week. Thankfully, she was not seriously injured, although she was shaken up quite a bit. Also, one of the kids in my youth group was hit by a car on Saturday. She, too, was very fortunate to have only been bruised and scraped.

The Red Sox finished off the Rockies last night. It's weird how they went 86 years without winning a series, and now have won twice in 4 years. The American League is so much better than the National League right now, it's just crazy. For so long, the NL was much better than the Al, so I guess they are due. I was glad that I was able to watch most of all 4 games. Last year, I was able to only see a few innings of the entire Series, and it drove me crazy. Michelle was able to make it through 3.5 games really well. During last night's game, she finally asked, "So, what game is this?" I told her it was Game 4, and with more than a little longing in her voice, she asked, "So, if Boston wins, it's over, right?" LOL. I am proud of her for making it that far. One day, I will teacher her the infield fly rule.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Last Friday was Alex's five month birthday, and he weighed in at 11 lbs., 8 oz. Woo! He is getting so big. Every time I pick him up, he seems to have gained some weight. He's such a big boy now...LOL.

I was (and still am) having some serious seperation issues, especially since Michelle has gone back to work full time. Alex goes to daycare on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when I am in class. The other days of the week, I had been hanging with him, instead of doing my school work. I would take him to the office with me, but I was not able to get much done. So, I finally gave in and made arrangements for him. The woman that runs the nursery at the church has agreed to come in 2-3 days a week and watch him, so I can get some work done. It's nice that he will be just down the hall and around the corner, so if anything happens, I can be right there.

Tonight, Michelle has class, so he and I are hanging out at home. He took a full bottle just a little while ago, after having taken one at about 2:30. So, he is napping now. While he is asleep, I am going to do some reading.

I think my parents are going to visit one day next week; that will be exciting. Alex told me that he needs to be spoiled by Mimi and Pa-Pa...LOL.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Yesterday at lunch, I decided to take my lunch and a guitar to a park near campus. After I had eaten, I got out the guitar, and started to strum. In less than 5 minutes, a ton of homeless people came out of the woods (from all directions) to hear the guy with the guitar. We exchanged hellos, and I continued playing. We all had a great time, and the music clearly lifted the spirits of several of them. In all, I played for about an hour in front of about 15-20 men. The whole thing was awesome. Michelle said that if I go on tour, she will print the T-shirts.

Last night, Michelle's class did not meet, so we pawned Alex off on some friends and went out on a date. We went to a really nice restaraunt that we can only afford when we have a buy 1-get one free coupon (even then, we spend too much). This was our third time going there, and every time it has been wonderful. Then, we went grocery shopping! YAY! What a date! LOL. We are just geeky enough to do that. Remember, our first date included a visit to a book store (she bought me Robert Frost; I bought her Ralph Waldo Emerson). Anyway, we got our groceries, took them home to put away, got some Starbucks, then picked up Alex. It was a fun night. Too bad I had class this morning; by the end of the day, Michelle and I were both exhausted.

Alex has an appointment with his apnea doctor tomorrow. After that, I think I will take him by seminary. I need to get a couple of books from the library, and a bunch of people want to see him, so it should be fun.

My grandmother called me the other day to tell me that she had gotten a new car. I am so happy for her; she had been needing one for 10 years or so! Now, she is riding in style. Cool.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

"A child arrived just the other day; he came to the world in the usual way. But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay; He learned to walk while I was away. He was talking before I knew it, and as he grew, he'd say, 'I'm gonna be like you, Dad, you know I'm gonna be like you."

Harry Chapin's lyrics have really haunted me the last couple of weeks, because I was definitely not around much. In fact, Michelle commented that she felt like a single mother. I almost cried. In fact, later, I did. With mid-terms, and taking on more responsibility at work, and football going crazy, I was gone more than I was home for the past couple of weeks. I am going to do better in the future. Of course, as I write this I am in my office. This is sick.

OK, so at least mid-terms have finally come and (mostly gone). I say mostly because my Acts professor was really slow about getting our test to us, so he gave us an extra couple of weeks. It is not due until next Tuesday, which is cool. Tomorrow, I am defending my paper in that class that I presented last week. Wish me luck.

In Christian Ministry class, we split up into groups several weeks ago, with each group being responsible for planning an entire worship service. My group will present its work this Wednesday. My role is to play the prelude and closing music on my guitar. This will be my first live performance ever, so wish me luck in that as well.

About 15 minutes after Alex came home from the hospital, Michelle started talking about having another baby. I have mostly put her on hold, until recently when she started really homing in on me about it. One night last week, in a half-asleep/half-awake stupor, she said that if I would agree to start trying soon, I could go to my favorite guitar shop and get whatever I wanted. Whatever I wanted. Of course, I replied that an open line of credit at the guitar shop would be a more equitable arrangement. The next day, I was at that guitar shop, telling the guys about my arrangement. One of them said with a straight face, "Dude, we could do that. Just put her Visa number on file, and we'll set you up." I said something to the effect that we shouldn't go getting crazy just yet. So, Michelle and I continue to be in dialogue about this.

This past weekend, I took my youth group to a weekend retreat near Camden, TN. We all had great fun, although the other adults were a little tired of "Smoke on the Water" and "Free Falling" by the end of the weekend...LOL.

Alex will be 5 months old this Friday. It's hard to believe...it seems just like yesterday. OK, no more cliches...LOL. He is rolling over more and more every day. Growing up so fast. He has an appointment with his apnea doctor tomorrow, and I am going to take him to the pediatrician on Friday to have him weighed. We figure he is between 12-13 lbs. now. When he first came home, he was just a limp little blob. Now, he feels really solid, and is getting heavier every day. It is great that he is so engaging; He likes to look around, and he responds to us by smiling and kind of laughing. He has started to make random sounds, so I think he is trying to say something. When I am playing guitar, he probably wants to yell out, "Free Bird!" Maybe, anyway.

I had my Epiphone AJ 500MNS up for sale, but took it off the market last week. It is kind of my favorite guitar in some ways (it is the easiest to play of the three), and it sounds really cool too. I will probably still sell it at some point, but just not now.

I think my career as a guitar tech has come to an end, before it ever started. Last week, I was restringing the Martin when I did something kind of dumb. After I removed the old strings, I decided to polish the guitar. So, I laid on a couple of thin coats of polish, and buffed it up real nice. Put a great shine on it. Then, I put on the new strings. Once I got the new strings on, and tuned it up, I started to play it. I noticed that the strings were really slick; so slick, in fact, that I could hardly hold a chord. I thought maybe it was the strings, since I was using a brand I had never used before. Elixer strings have a coating on the outside to reduce wear, which lengthens the life of the strings. Still, I could not imagine that the strings would be this slick. I could hardly play the guitar. Then, it occurred to me that I had put the new strings on with a bunch of polish on my hands. So, I had greased up my strings quite well. That put me in a quandry; should I cut the strings off, and waste $15, or should I try to play them until the wax wore off. I decided to try to play them, and although the wax seems to have worn off now, the strings do not sound real good. So, I think I ruined them. I am going to put on another set of Elixers to see how they will sound. This reminds me of the time I put Armor All on my motorcycle seat, even though it clearly says on the bottle not to do so. I slid around on the seat for two weeks before I was stationary again...LOL.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Peace...

It seems that there may be more efficient ways to tear down a wall.

I should be studying but I would rather post pictures

Another busy Saturday...

I have been at the office all day, working on stuff. I worked on a paper for my Acts class, and have almost got that finished. Which is good, because I have to present it on Tuesday. I also finished my sermon for tonight (I am going going up near Reelfoot Lake to speak at a youth retreat.). While I am gone, Michelle and her friend Aimee will be out, tearing up the local malls. Aimee's husband is going to watch Alex.

I have seen no college football today, and I am starting to get the DT's. i told Michelle that from now on, before I agree to speaking engagements, I am going to consult my college football calendar. It's a shame to miss the UT-UGA game. I also haven't seen much of the baseball playoffs, but in some way that's OK because I am still sick about the nose-dive that the Dodgers did in the last month of the season. Another wasted year. Not since 1988 have the Dodgers done anything good. Oh well, I could be like Kent, a long-suffering Cubs fan. I remind him that 1988 is a lot more recent than 1908...the last year the Cubs won the World Series...LOL. Next year marks a century, baby!

The picture of Alex that I uploaded this morning is absolutely hilarious! Sweet potatoes and little kids do not mix...LOL.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Sweet potatoes are messy!

did you ever think you'd see this in my car's window?

I have been thinking about what I said earlier, about my perception that a life lost before it has reached its potential may generate an increased level of sadness among many people. That is my perception, and it may well be wrong. If it is correct, I am not sure that I agree with it. It seems to me that an elderly person, who has lived a life full of happiness and sadness, because she has experienced more throughout her life, stands to lose more upon death. An infant, on the other hand, has had comparatively fewer happiness/sadness experiences, so she seems to lose less upon her death. Not that I am advocating the death of infants or anything like that (a very special one happens to live in my house!), it's just a thought.

I am going to Nashville tonight for a meeting with my ministerial committee. Yeah, driving 3.5 hours for a 30 minute meeting, then driving 3.5 hours back home. During mid-terms. I must be insane.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Crime in the City (Who Still Likes Country-Rock after 35 Years?, pt. 1)

The University of Memphis family is mourning the loss of one of its own. Taylor Bradford, 21, as shot and killed outside of a campus dormitory Sunday night. Memphis is full of violent crime, in fact, one report last week said it leads the nation. However, it seems that a college campus should be a safe place, but those at the U of M know it is not. A couple of years ago, someone was regularly robbing people at gunpoint near campus, and the police report section of the campus paper is always full.

Sunday night, a couple of hours before Bradford was killed, I was speaking to my youth group about violence. In particular, we were talking about the tragedy of Columbine High School. I said something to the effect that when a life ends before it has reached its potential, there seems to be an increased level of sadness. Little did I know what would happen later that night, just a few miles away.

I find it hard to believe that mid-terms are here. I got my assignments today, and although I will be busy this week, I think I can manage. In my Christian Ministry class, we have a list of 10 questions, and we can pick any 9 to write essays on. 2-2.5 pages each, so that will be manageable. In ethics class, we have an exam next week. The professor gave us a list of about 50 things to be responsible for, and about half of them I am OK with right now. So, I will work on the other half, then brush up on the better half. I should be OK.

Who still likes country-rock after 35 years? I do, that's for sure. I bought John Fogerty's new album yesterday, and am quite thrilled with it. It is his best work since "Centerfield". The funny thing is, he has made amends with his old record label, Fantasy, and it was released on one of Fantasy's subsideries. If you are unfamiliar with the story of him and Fantasy Records, just Google it.

I am also anxiously awaiting the Eagles' new album. 2 discs, 20 songs. I guess since they have not released a full studio album since "The Long Run" in 1979, they felt like they had some catching up to do...LOL. The first single, "How Long", is a cover of an old J.D. Souther (an Eagles frequent flyer) tune.

Knowing that mid-term work would start tonight after dinner, today during lunch I hung out at a couple of guitar shops for a while. It was a lot of fun. I have learned how to play Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water", so I plugged in a St. Blues electric, turned it up to 1.5, and let it rip. That was cool. It's nice having two guitar shops within 5 minutes of campus. Dangerous, too...LOL.

I was listening last week to an old Neil Young song called, "Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero part 1), from his album "Freedom". Great social commentary.

Alex is growing up so much every day. He is eating squash now! He also seems to like it. He also has been eating rice cereal for awhile, and is doing fine with that. Michelle went back to work Monday of this week, so he is in daycare two days a week while I am in class. He seems to be doing well there, so we are excited about that. It also seems that he may be ready to cut a tooth. I will keep you posted on that.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

I worked a JV game tonight in downtown Memphis, which would have been uneventful if not for the trip there. I had never been to this stadium before, so I consulted Mapquest ahead of time. When I exited the interstate, Mapquest directed me to turn left, so I did. I continued down that road for a while, until I crossed the FRIGGING MISSISSPPI RIVER! Jeez. After a couple of minutes of breathing Arkansas air, I turned around. Once I got back to the interstate exit, I realized I should have initially turned right instead of left. Mapquest has steerd me wrong several times recently, and I am getting tired of it.

Alex goes to daycare tomorrow for the first time, and Michelle and I are kind of freaking out a bit. She is going back to work next week, and we wanted him to try to get used to being with other people. A friend of ours will be watching him in her home, along with two other kids.

My classes are really tough this semester, and although I am taking fewer hours than I did last semester, I am having to work a lot harder. Tomorrow is going to be a little fun, since I am the liturgist at morning chapel. One of my professors is the speaker for the day. I am looking forward to the service.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Alex went to the doctor today for his 4-month checkup, and did fine. He weighed in at 10 lbs., 8 oz, and is 23.5 inches long. He got a clean bill of health, and several shots. The shots make him feel weird for a couple of days, but he will be fine.

I am having some tests run tomorrow, so today I am having to fast. That is no fun. I have not eaten since about 11:30 last night, and I am hungry! Oh well, this too shall pass.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Post #400 since I accidentally erased the blog a few years ago...

My football game tonight was brutal. I think the final score was 42-6. When the score is like that, and the losing team is on my side of the field, it is a long night. To make it longer, i got lost on the way home and finding my way added about 20 minutes to the drive.

I wore a heavy brace on my right knee tonight due to the pain I am having. About 5 plays or so after the start of the game, I felt my knee pop really bad, and I was in pain the rest of the night. However, it never popped again, which was good. I also strained my right calf a little. I chalk that up to the fact that I did not get to stretch much before the game. That was due to the presence of a supervisor, who was there to watch me and the rest of my crew. He wanted to talk before the game, so I only stretched for about 2 minutes. I am going to rest the next couple of days, until Thursday night when I have another game.

Michelle is not much better. We think she is going to the doctor tomorrow, but are unsure. They need to review her charts from the ER visit Sunday before they see her. So, we'll see how it goes.

I am excited about KT Tunstall's new album, which is being released on Tuesday. Also, Pat Monahan, lead singer for the group Train, has a solo record coming out. I also pre-ordered the Eagles' new album a few weeks ago. The first single sounds like vintage country-rock, and I have been enjoying it.

I ordered a funny T-shirt recently. It shows a Venn diagram, with the vowels A,E,I,O, and U in the left circle, and all the consonants in the right circle. The middle (intersection) area contains a Y. So geeky, I could not resist.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Alex and I are watching the Redskins-Eagles on MNF. He like to sit in his chair and act like a man.

I forgot to mention earlier that Alex has started sleeping in his own bed, in his room. Woo! Yay for me being able to sleep in MY own bed again! I had been sleeping on the couch for the past 3 months or so, and Alex had been sleeping in our bed, ever since he came home from the hospital. It's super-nice to be back in the bead again.

My football game Friday night was a lot of fun. My crew met at a central location, and rode together. In the course of the conversation along the way, it was revealed that one of my partners used to be a professional wrestler. LOL. He told some hilarious stories. The game wore me out, since the crown of the field was high enough to bury a vehicle or two. Every football field has a crown in the middle, which means the center of the field is a little higher than the sidelines. This is so rain can drain off the field. Usually, the crown is about a foot or so, but on this field, it had to have been at least 10 feet. It seemed like I must have run up and down that hill about 3,000 times. The game also went 2 overtimes, so I did not get back home until nearly midnight. Then I was up at the crack of dawn to work 4 flag-football games with 1st and 2nd graders. That was hilarious, except that by the end of the day my knee was killing me. It's still popping every time I move it. I'm gonna have serious trouble at some point, but I have been saying that for several years, so I just keep on trucking.

Michelle continues to have problems with her legs. The swelling seems to be getting worse. I think she will call the doctor again on Monday to see if there is anything we can do.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...

Alex has done a few really cool things in the past week or so. First, he has learned how to put his hand/thumb in his mouth. This is a good thing because instead of us having to always be at the ready with a pacifier, he can now pacify himself quite a bit. He sucks really loud a lot of the time, which is kind of cute (unless we are trying to sleep!).

Secondly, this morning he rolled over from his belly to his back for the first time. He has rolled from his back to his belly several times, but this was a first. I did a double-take when I noticed he had rolled over.

Michelle just sent me a picture of Alex holding his key ring. She says he picked it up on his own and started shaking it. That is hilarious.

Michelle went to the doctor yesterday to see about the infection in her leg. The diagnosis is that she was bitten by a spider. Yuck! She is on antibiotics, but we can't tell if they are doing any good. I hope she gets better soon.

I was supposed to work the clock at Houston High School tonight, which is about 20 minutes from where we live, but I got moved to a different game. However, an official broke his arm last week, so I got reassigned to his game. I will be the Line Judge tonight, which means that I will be at the line of scrimmage on the home team's side of the field, opposite the Head Linesman. The game is in Halls, TN, which is actually not part of our association. Apparently, the association there is short on officials, because we have been covering several of their games this year. It's a much longer drive for this game, but it's better to be on the field than to work the clock. The preferred hierarchy goes on field-->clock-->chain crew-->sitting at home.

Both of my JV games this week were in the rain. That's unfortunate because the supervisors do not come out to evaluate when it's raining (which is understandable). To my knowledge, my crew has not been evaluated yet this year. Although the referee is one of the more-respected people in the assocaition, so he may be reporting back to the bosses on the crew's performance.

I had a funny thing happen last night. I was the Head Linesman, which means that I was in charge of the the chain crew. My referee was immdiately upset with the chain crew, even before the game started. They were high school kids, and had their pants halfway down to the ground, iPods blaring. I gave them a quick tutorial on what to do, although they did not listen (as teens are apt to do). So, after the second play of the game, the referee fired them. Just told them to leave. We got some adults to work the chains, and unfortunately they did not do much better. But, I got through the game OK. I have fired a couple of chain crews in the past, but never so quickly. It was kind of funny. A good chain crew can make all the difference in how smoothly a game goes. I had a game last year where the crew wanted to quit, but I refused to let them. They were kids who thought it would be fun, then realized there was a little work and concentration involved, so they wanted out. I had spent the first quarter-and-a-half getting them straight, so I was not going to let them walk out on me. So, we made it through OK.

While I am ranting, let me give a shout out to Mike Clark. Mike is scheduling the umpires for a baseball tournament this weekend, and only got the final schedule from the tournament director YESTERDAY! That is absurd. I am sure Mike is pulling his hair out, trying to line up umpires at the last minute. We've had problems with that tournament director in the past, and I sort of half-jokingly told Mike to kick him in the knee for me. Jeez.

I got my first couple of papers of the semester back, and did well on them. It's nice to get off to a good start. Gotta keep the momentum up.

I hope everyone is doing well. Peace...