My wife and I were sitting in the screened back porch yesterday afternoon, drinking tea and watching the trees move rapidly from side to side. The wind was changing directions frequently, so we were getting the breeze and keeping dry at the same time. We were trying to decide if we were going to cook the ribs outside or inside, and were weighing the pros and cons of each. Since the worst of the weather was not yet upon us, I was afraid that if we cooked outside, the wind may change directions, blow harder, rain harder, or all of it, which would make it impossible to grill. My wife was afraid that once we started inside, the power might go out. Little did we know that the power had already gone out for the third time that day. (She happened to look over her shoulder and notice the TV was turned off...something that the kids just will not do.) Mother Nature had turned it off and it would stay off until 9 pm.
We received 9 3/4" of rain in my neighborhood from Friday night until this morning around 8am when I dumped the rain gauge for the second time. (I dumped the first 5" out at lunch yesterday.) We needed the rain, and Tropical Storm Fay delivered it. I also lost a couple more of those expensive trees that I mentioned a few posts ago.
We live 3 hours from the Gulf Coast, and it always amazes me how much damage we receive although we are so far away. It really makes me think about the people along the coast. It also makes me realize that no matter what we sometimes think, we are not the ones that are in control.
I am glad that we received the rain, and I am glad that the electricity has been repaired. Most of all, I am glad that Fay paid us a visit this weekend instead of next. What a bummer it would have been to have waited nearly a year for football season, only to have been without electricity at kickoff.
In closing, I learned today that our local Tide player, Courtney Upshaw, will get to wear his high school number from last year.
WARNING TO THE OPPOSING TEAMS: #41 will knock you out.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Pre-Season Game Day?
As I have said a couple of times on this blog, I am not a fan of the NFL. So, I must confess that I am considering having an NFL pre-season football party at my house just to get things rolling until the NCAA kicks off.
This time of year drives me nuts. I pace the floor, read the newspapers (internet and paper versions), and count down the days until that first ESPN Game Day airs. My wife is sick of my counting down the days until football season, as are my co-workers. I even watch the weather channel more than often so that I can get some kind of idea of when that first day of the fall smell will be in the air.
It only makes sense to use an NFL pre-season game to kick off an NCAA pre-season party. I have a few new recipes that I want to try on my smoker, and my buddies need to work on tuning their vocal chords for the real games that are a few weeks away.
What better time to have a fake football party but during a fake football game? Right? What do you think?
This time of year drives me nuts. I pace the floor, read the newspapers (internet and paper versions), and count down the days until that first ESPN Game Day airs. My wife is sick of my counting down the days until football season, as are my co-workers. I even watch the weather channel more than often so that I can get some kind of idea of when that first day of the fall smell will be in the air.
It only makes sense to use an NFL pre-season game to kick off an NCAA pre-season party. I have a few new recipes that I want to try on my smoker, and my buddies need to work on tuning their vocal chords for the real games that are a few weeks away.
What better time to have a fake football party but during a fake football game? Right? What do you think?
Monday, August 4, 2008
Another dog story...
I installed a flood light with a motion detector on the corner of my front porch the other day. A few minutes after I went to bed that night, I could see light from that flood light shining through my bedroom blinds and got up to see what it had detected.
About the time that I peeked through the blinds it turned itself off so I got back in the bed. As soon as I laid down, the light came back on and I hurried to the window only for it to turn back off.
"I really need to adjust the setting," I told my wife. It was only staying on for about four seconds.
Again, the light came on again as soon as I got back into the bed and went off as I made it back to the blind. This time, I stood at the window and stared into the darkness waiting on the light to turn back on. After fifteen minutes, I gave up and went to bed.
As I walked into the garage to leave for work the next morning, something in the front yard caught my attention. I walked around to see what it was and could not believe my eyes.
Someone's dog, with a small chain for a leash, was tangled around one of my 8 month old trees. This tree was 6 1/2' tall when I bought it for $50, and had already grown to about 8' tall. It was bent over at about 2 1/2' above the ground I assume because the dog had been trying to free itself all night. I also assume this is why the flood light kept turning on. The tree is out of the range of the light, but a dog on a leash dancing around would be in range.
I ran towards the dog so that I could help him and try to save my tree before it was further damaged. I was not quick enough. The tree broke and the dog ran out of my yard dragging the upper portion of the tree.
The 8 months of growth that I lost ticks me off more than the money that the tree cost.
About the time that I peeked through the blinds it turned itself off so I got back in the bed. As soon as I laid down, the light came back on and I hurried to the window only for it to turn back off.
"I really need to adjust the setting," I told my wife. It was only staying on for about four seconds.
Again, the light came on again as soon as I got back into the bed and went off as I made it back to the blind. This time, I stood at the window and stared into the darkness waiting on the light to turn back on. After fifteen minutes, I gave up and went to bed.
As I walked into the garage to leave for work the next morning, something in the front yard caught my attention. I walked around to see what it was and could not believe my eyes.
Someone's dog, with a small chain for a leash, was tangled around one of my 8 month old trees. This tree was 6 1/2' tall when I bought it for $50, and had already grown to about 8' tall. It was bent over at about 2 1/2' above the ground I assume because the dog had been trying to free itself all night. I also assume this is why the flood light kept turning on. The tree is out of the range of the light, but a dog on a leash dancing around would be in range.
I ran towards the dog so that I could help him and try to save my tree before it was further damaged. I was not quick enough. The tree broke and the dog ran out of my yard dragging the upper portion of the tree.
The 8 months of growth that I lost ticks me off more than the money that the tree cost.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
A few nights ago, my wife and I had been watching TV in the living room for a couple of hours when I decided to walk outside during a commercial. Once outside, I saw a car parked at the entrance to my driveway, so I crept up my 300 feet long drive to see who it was. From time to time, local teenagers will drive down my road and vandalize the mailboxes, so I was thinking I had caught someone in the act.
As I got closer, I could see that it was a neighbor who lived a couple of houses down. He had been walking his dog and the dog had gotten too hot. So he left the dog in my yard, and ran home to get his car so he could take the dog home. The dog was already unconcious by the time I made it up the driveway, but breathing heavily.
The dog died as my neighbor and I tried to keep it alive. We did CPR on the Golden Retriever, and for a moment we made some progress. Despite our efforts, Maggie passed on and I tried to console my neighbor who was visibly hurting.
It was pitch black dark outside when we had tried to revive the dog, and I had missed the end of a movie that I watched for two hours, but this experience is one that I will remember the rest of my life and one that I am glad to have been a part. From time to time, we all need a reminder of how valuable and meaningful life is, no matter the creature or its purpose. We put the heavy dog in the back of my truck and took her home. At 10:30 pm, I walked in the door at my house after helping my neighbor dig the hole and trading a few dog stories. I did not sleep very much that night.
Watching Maggie fight for life only to lose while we tried to help her fight reminded me of the night my grandmother passed away. Like this night, I was there. I held my grandmother's hand and talked to her as she took her last breath, similar to how we held Maggie and encouraged her to keep fighting.
I often wondered if my grandmother knew I was there, and what she felt as she left us and joined my grandfather. I still wonder the same about Maggie. Did she know that we tried to help her? Was she hurting?
As I got closer, I could see that it was a neighbor who lived a couple of houses down. He had been walking his dog and the dog had gotten too hot. So he left the dog in my yard, and ran home to get his car so he could take the dog home. The dog was already unconcious by the time I made it up the driveway, but breathing heavily.
The dog died as my neighbor and I tried to keep it alive. We did CPR on the Golden Retriever, and for a moment we made some progress. Despite our efforts, Maggie passed on and I tried to console my neighbor who was visibly hurting.
It was pitch black dark outside when we had tried to revive the dog, and I had missed the end of a movie that I watched for two hours, but this experience is one that I will remember the rest of my life and one that I am glad to have been a part. From time to time, we all need a reminder of how valuable and meaningful life is, no matter the creature or its purpose. We put the heavy dog in the back of my truck and took her home. At 10:30 pm, I walked in the door at my house after helping my neighbor dig the hole and trading a few dog stories. I did not sleep very much that night.
Watching Maggie fight for life only to lose while we tried to help her fight reminded me of the night my grandmother passed away. Like this night, I was there. I held my grandmother's hand and talked to her as she took her last breath, similar to how we held Maggie and encouraged her to keep fighting.
I often wondered if my grandmother knew I was there, and what she felt as she left us and joined my grandfather. I still wonder the same about Maggie. Did she know that we tried to help her? Was she hurting?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
John Parker Wilson
I have always thought that JPW was one tough cookie. He can take a hit and hop right back up even if his helmet is on sideways. I have also always thought that any team could beat Alabama simply by pressuring JPW. He cannot handle the pressure and will turn the ball over quicker than you can say, "Don't do that." Remember the MSU game? LSU? FSU?
So my two first thoughts when JPW's name is mentioned is that the kid is very tough, and that does not handle pressure very well. I did not realize that he will likely be the holder of many significant records at UA by the end of the season.
He needs 732 passing yards and 5 TD passes to capture Brodie Croyle's school record. He should be able to achieve this if he can stay healthy for about three games.
Croyle was another quarterback that was tough as nails. However, he was more proned to stay down once he got hit, especially if he landed on his shoulder. I always thought of him as a good, tough quarterback, but never considered him being in the NFL. He will be Kansas City's starting quarterback this year. He lasted a couple of years longer than any of us thought he would, and now is in the driver's seat.
I am hoping to see Brodie on some of ESPN's clips this year. I am also hoping that John Parker shakes all of last year's negatives from his head and has a very successful senior year. He has the arm and the physical toughness. He just needs to play better under pressure.
So my two first thoughts when JPW's name is mentioned is that the kid is very tough, and that does not handle pressure very well. I did not realize that he will likely be the holder of many significant records at UA by the end of the season.
He needs 732 passing yards and 5 TD passes to capture Brodie Croyle's school record. He should be able to achieve this if he can stay healthy for about three games.
Croyle was another quarterback that was tough as nails. However, he was more proned to stay down once he got hit, especially if he landed on his shoulder. I always thought of him as a good, tough quarterback, but never considered him being in the NFL. He will be Kansas City's starting quarterback this year. He lasted a couple of years longer than any of us thought he would, and now is in the driver's seat.
I am hoping to see Brodie on some of ESPN's clips this year. I am also hoping that John Parker shakes all of last year's negatives from his head and has a very successful senior year. He has the arm and the physical toughness. He just needs to play better under pressure.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Golfing story...
I heard a funny story at the coffee pot this morning. Our company golf tournament was this past weekend. We had about 20 four-man teams for the annual scamble.
One of the teams finished with 7 over par, a buzz, and a fish. I almost rolled in the floor as I heard the guys describe how they were teeing off on #8 and asked the other team where their teammates were. Keep in mind, with four players on a team and two player in each cart, there should be at least two carts playing each hole. One team will usually play faster than another, forcing one team to have to wait on another. With 20 teams, it gets worse. You end up with several teams at the same hole waiting for someone to get finished.
Back to the story.. two players (one cart) arrive at the 8th hole and are having to wait for this other team to finish playing. A four man scramble takes awhile per hole. So these two guys show up and are rushing the four. That is when one of the four asks where the other teammates are.
"They stopped over in the woods to pee awhile back and we ain't seen 'em since," one of the players said. I guess you had to be there to really understand how hilarious this sounded. These two guys went on about their business playing the game while their teammates were gone to the bathroom. No wonder they were playing quicker and catching up with other people. One of the guys that was missing supposedly caught a fish from one of the ponds.
With only two of the four playing at least half the holes, it kind of explains why they finished 7 over in the scramble. Most of the teams hovered around par, with most being just under and some being 8 or 9 under. These guys were 7 over and probably had more fun than anyone out there.
One of the guys told me that he started out with 12 balls and didn't bring any of them home. I asked, "How did your team finish?" He replied, "With about a 12-pack."
One of the teams finished with 7 over par, a buzz, and a fish. I almost rolled in the floor as I heard the guys describe how they were teeing off on #8 and asked the other team where their teammates were. Keep in mind, with four players on a team and two player in each cart, there should be at least two carts playing each hole. One team will usually play faster than another, forcing one team to have to wait on another. With 20 teams, it gets worse. You end up with several teams at the same hole waiting for someone to get finished.
Back to the story.. two players (one cart) arrive at the 8th hole and are having to wait for this other team to finish playing. A four man scramble takes awhile per hole. So these two guys show up and are rushing the four. That is when one of the four asks where the other teammates are.
"They stopped over in the woods to pee awhile back and we ain't seen 'em since," one of the players said. I guess you had to be there to really understand how hilarious this sounded. These two guys went on about their business playing the game while their teammates were gone to the bathroom. No wonder they were playing quicker and catching up with other people. One of the guys that was missing supposedly caught a fish from one of the ponds.
With only two of the four playing at least half the holes, it kind of explains why they finished 7 over in the scramble. Most of the teams hovered around par, with most being just under and some being 8 or 9 under. These guys were 7 over and probably had more fun than anyone out there.
One of the guys told me that he started out with 12 balls and didn't bring any of them home. I asked, "How did your team finish?" He replied, "With about a 12-pack."
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Sportsmanship
I ran across this link this morning, and thought I would post it here in case you missed it. It is a good read about sportsmanship. If we could all only learn from these girls, our world might be a better place. We should always do the right thing, even if the outcome is not beneficial to ourselves.
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