Blue Light Special

Yesterday, on my way home from work, I found out that it was cut-Bryan-off-in-traffic-day. At 2nd and Broadway, I get cut off by some lady because she is going to turn right onto 1st Avenue. And she didn't plan ahead. Since she had cut me off, she had created a problem in that I am now blocking one lane of traffic, and she is partially blocking the other lane at a 45 degree angle. Smooth move.

Two blocks back, one of Metro's finest motorcycle officers had someone pulled over when I had driven by. I didn't really notice as he drove by me, but after he did, he was looking at the lady's car as he pulled up to it. He knocks on her window, and evidently didn't get a response, so he hit the siren, and that got her attention. He then motions for her to pull over in a space on the side of the street.

As I drove by, he was explaning why he had pulled her over, she gave some sort of response, and then contorted her face like she had just eaten something sour. Like a traffic ticket. Good times! I hate it when people do that crap with absolutely no regard for anybody else on the road. She got exactly what she deserved.

Birthdays for April 26 go a little something like this: Carol Burnett, Jet Li, Kevin James, Tionne 'T-Boz' Watkins, and Jordana Brewster.

Howlin' Mad News

Welcome to the much anticipated return of Howlin' Mad News. This segment was first introduced at the home of the Sandman, and now it has taken up new residence here on the blog.

Enjoy!

Need a place to recover from a night of drinking? Take your horse into the foyer of your local bank and sleep it off.

“To be honest with you, I don’t think there’s much that she could have done,” said Gulf County Sheriff Dalton Upchurch. “Evidently, camels have a mind of their own.”

Anyone ever see that episode of MASH where Radar decided to ship a jeep home piece by piece? This guy was trying for the boat.

physician Raymond Adamcik -- dressed in the signature red, white and blue -- was jailed after witnesses said he became too super-friendly -- approaching a woman with a burrito in his hand, saying dirty things, then groping her...

(the burrito makes this situation 100 times funnier!)

Today's birthdays for April 25 are Ella Fitzgerald, Albert King, Meadowlark Lemon, Geese Ausbie, Talia Shire, Peter Jurasik, Hank Azaria, Joe Buck, Renee Zellweger, Gina Torres, Darren Woodson, Tim Duncan, and Al Pacino.

Tony D'Amato: You find out life's this game of inches, so is football. Because in either game - life or football - the margin for error is so small. I mean, one half a step too late or too early and you don't quite make it. One half second too slow, too fast and you don't quite catch it. The inches we need are everywhere around us. They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team we fight for that inch. On this team we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch. We claw with our fingernails for that inch. Because we know when add up all those inches, that's gonna make the difference between winning and losing! Between living and dying! I'll tell you this, in any fight it's the guy whose willing to die whose gonna win that inch. And I know, if I'm gonna have any life any more it's because I'm still willing to fight and die for that inch, because that's what living is, the six inches in front of your face. Now I can't make you do it. You've got to look at the guy next to you, look into his eyes. Now I think ya going to see a guy who will go that inch with you. Your gonna see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team, because he knows when it comes down to it your gonna do the same for him. That's a team gentlemen, and either, we heal as a team, or we will die as individuals. That's football guys, that's all it is. Now what are you gonna do?

Vincent Hanna: You know, we are sitting here, you and I, like a couple of regular fellas. You do what you do, and I do what I gotta do. And now that we've been face to face, if I'm there and I gotta put you away, I won't like it. But I tell you, if it's between you and some poor bastard whose wife you're gonna turn into a widow, brother, you are going down.
Neil McCauley: There is a flip side to that coin. What if you do got me boxed in and I gotta put you down? Cause no matter what, you will not get in my way. We've been face to face, yeah. But I will not hesitate. Not for a second.

Tony Montana: You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!

So Sing It With Me

Birthdays for April 24th are Richard Donner, Shirley MacLaine, Barbara Streisand, Cedric The Entertainer, Djimon Hounsou, Chipper Jones, Eric Balfour, Kelly Clarkson, my friend Melanie Randall, and ME!

When I was younger, I never really gave much thought about what my life would be like in my thirties. I figured that by now I would at least be married, and God seems to have spared me from that for the time being. I have learned how to get into debt, and I am learning how to get out of it. I have learned that if you aren't happy where you are, it is time to change, and change now, not later. I am learning to trust and lean on God because I need to, not because I feel like I have to.

And if you haven't figured it out by now, I have been running birthdays every day since my birthday is in April. Just wanted to know what kinds of company I have been keeping. I also thought it would be interesting to carve out a portion of my life to see what is going on, and to see if there is anything that I can do to be better as an individual and as a friend.

Here at the condo, I have a coffee table that is in front of the new couch. It is a table that was in my grandfather's house when I was a little Guy (yep, pun intended). It has a glass top with a wood frame that matches the curves of the table. During certain times of the year, ok, two times a year, it gets used and the rest of the time it has pictures of my neice under the glass. Wait. I guess that would mean that it gets used year 'round. Anyway, during the month of December, I put old Christmas cards under the glass for a festive feel. During the month of April, I place old birthday cards under the glass.

As a result, there are a couple of birthday cards that have become my favorites over the years. The first is one that my sister gave me:





The second is one that my friend Melanie gave me:




(Hmmm...for whatever reason, the scanner is having a hard time scanning in color...it looks really bad...but black and white looks great...go figure)

It has been really neat to share a birthday with somebody that I know and love. I am a year older and wiser than Mel, and she is a year younger and will always be easier on the eyes than me. She is also a candyaholic. Her eyes literally light up in the presence of anything sweet. The year we turned 30, I sent her some 30th birthday toilet paper, a black badge that said she had turned 30, and a box of Goo Goo Clusters. A few years back, I ran into her father, and it was a few days after 4/24, and I asked him what he got Mel for her birthday. He said, "When was her birthday?" I said, "April 24th, same day as mine." He had TOTALLY forgotten about it. Good times.

Well, time for bed.

Talk to you tomorrow.

All The World's A Stage...

Not much happened today. I was off work today, and I spent it relaxing knowing full well that I could do something nice for myself like cleaning this place up.

I did watch 'Smoking Aces' today. Very entertaining...my kind of movie.

We are now 0-6 in softball after tonight. At least we look good in the new uniforms.

And actually, I thought it quite funny tonight at the ballpark that a couple of people came up to me *very* disappointed about be missing yesterday's post. While I was hoping to make it through, my humanity caught up with me. I do plan to finish out the month on schedule.

Birthdays for April 23 include Shirley Temple, Roy Orbison, Lee Majors, Joyce DeWitt, Michael Moore (UGH!), Jan Hooks, Valarie Bertinelli, Timothy McVeigh, John Cena, and William Shakespeare.

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players.
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages."

--From As You Like It (II, vii, 139-143)

Forgot One...

Yeah, I unintentionally skipped an entry for yesterday.

So, my fans get two entries today.

Sweet.

While stuffing my face with catfish and shrimp at Logan's last night after church, the Red Sox - Yankees game was on. The pinstripes were up 3-0, and then rookie Chase Wright got schooled when the Sox hit back to back to back to back home runs (that's four home runs for those of you in Farmington).

Welcome to the majors, kid.

Birthdays for April 22 are Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, Robert Oppenheimer, Eddie Albert, Charlotte Ray, Glen Campbell, Peter Frampton, Courtney Friel, and Jack Nicholson.

"If you get an impulse in a scene, no matter how wrong it seems, follow the impulse. It might be something and if it ain't - take two!"

"I'm very contra my constituency in terms of abortion because I'm positively against it. I don't have the right to any other view. My only emotion is gratitude, literally, for my life."

"I don't believe in God now. I can still work up an envy for someone who has a faith. I can see how that could be a deeply soothing experience." (1992)

The Joker: Tell me something, my friend. You ever dance with the devil by the pale moonlight?

Batman: I'm going to kill you!
The Joker: You IDIOT! You made me. Remember, you dropped me into that vat of chemicals. That wasn't easy to get over, and don't think that I didn't try.

The Joker: [fuming] Batman... Batman... Can somebody tell me what kind of a world we live in, where a man dressed up as a *bat* gets all of my press? This town needs an enema!

Life Is Gawgis

Today is one of the most beautiful on the planet, and I am stuck inside, working. Actually, I haven't had too much to do today. Light setups and strikes with lots of nosepicking in between.

One of the movies that opens today is called Vacancy, starring Luke Wilson and Kate Beckensale. The synopsis: When David (Luke Wilson) and Amy Fox's (Kate Beckinsale) car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, they are forced to spend the night at the only motel around, with only the TV to entertain them... Um, excuse me, but if I am ever stuck in a room with Kate, forget the TV, that's all I'm sayin'.

Mark Mathis. If you haven't heard of him, he used to the a weatherman in the Charlotte area. Total nutball. Check his site out, scroll down to the Wacky Weatherman portion. You won't be disappointed.

Finally, has anyone heard of Ultrasonic Ringtones? It is all the rage with the kids (or soon will be). You can go here and check your hearing.

Birthdays for April 21 are Anthony Quinn, Dr. James C. Dobson, Iggy Pop, Tony Danza, Jesse Orosco, Andie MacDowell, Ken Caminiti, Ed Belfour, Vincent Lecavalier, and Reginald Denny.

The old TV show 'In Living Color' did a spoof on the Rodney King/Reginald Denny beatings. IIRC, it went something like this:

[King and Denny are sitting side by side at a TV studio]
King: Hi, I'm Rodney King.
Denny: And I'm Reginald Denny.
King: Take our advice:
Both: STAY IN YOUR CAR!

Random Things

NBA on CBS 1985 NBA Draft Lottery is on YouTube. There has always been a conspiracy theory that the lottery was rigged that year (a frozen envelope), and the Knicks ended up with the first pick and they ended up choosing Patrick Ewing. The proof may be in this description from The Sports Guy:

"When an accountant from Ernst & Whinney throws the seven envelopes into the glass drum, he bangs the fourth one against the side of the drum to create a creased corner (we'll explain why this is relevant in a second). Then he pulls a handle and turns the drum around a couple of times to "mix" the envelopes up. At the 5:23 mark of the clip, Stern heads over to the drum, unlocks it and awkwardly reaches inside for the first envelope (the No. 1 pick). He grabs three envelopes that are bunched together, pretends not to look (although he does) and flips the three envelopes so the one on the bottom ends up in his hand. Then he pulls that envelope out at the 5:32 mark ... and, of course, it's the Knicks envelope.

Now ...

A reader (I'd give you his name, but I don't want him to be randomly found dead in his bathtub tonight), pointed this out to me: If you look closely right at the 5:31 mark, right as the commish yanks that Knicks envelope out, there's a noticeable crease in the corner of the envelope. You can see it for a split-second -- as he pulls the envelope up, it's on the corner that's pointing toward the bottom of the jar.

There's a giant crease! It's right there! The same one the accountant created as he was throwing the envelopes into the drum!

So you're telling me that, out of the seven envelopes in that glass drum, during a lottery when the NBA desperately needed the most ballyhooed college center in 15 years to save the league's marquee franchise, the commissioner coincidentally pulled out the envelope with a giant crease in the corner that happened to have the Knicks logo in it? This is the Zapruder film of sports tapes, isn't it?"

Oh, if any of you need some new practice targets for various weapons of semi-possible mass destruction, try this on for size.

Today's birthdays include Adolf Hitler, Steve Spurrier, Jessica Lange, Luther Vandross, Clint Howard, Donnie Baseball, Andy Serkis, Crispin Glover, Allan Houston, Carmen Electra, and Joseph Lawrence.

The Preds lost 3-2 tonight...so, for them, Bananarama:

Hot summer streets
And the pavements are burning
I sit around
Trying to smile but
The air is so heavy and dry
Strange voices are saying
(What did they say)
Things I can't understand
It's too close for comfort
This heat has got
Right out of hand

It's a cruel, (cruel,) cruel summer
Leaving me here on my own
It's a cruel, (it's a cruel,) cruel summer
Now you're gone

Enjoyed the season, guys. See you next year.

Pred Funk

What is up with one of the best regular season teams in hockey this post season? Other than game two against the Sharks, the Preds haven't been able to keep up/match up/step up to the challenge for whatever reason during the first round of the playoffs.

Western Conference, Central Division. We beat up on the likes of Chicago, St.Louis, and Columbus this season. Teams that aren't as big and skilled as arch-rival Detroit, Dallas, San Jose, and Anaheim. If the Preds had to play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference, I would hate to even think...is the Central just too darn easy to get points?

Vokoun is still playing with a brace for his used to be injured thumb on his stick hand, and hasn't really regained the form that he had at the beginning of the season. I do think that Vokoun should be in net if he is healthy because he is the No 1, and gives us the best chance to win. Mason has played great as well this season, and the Preds were lucky that he likes it here, gets along with well with Vokoun, and was willing to stay. Where would the Preds be without Mason this season? He may be a number one somewhere sooner than we think.

We pick up Jason Arnott, JP Dumont, and Mr Peter Forsberg (trade deadline) to try and get bigger in the offensive zone this year. Arnott missed time with injuries, Dumont was on fire the first two playoff games, Forsberg missed some time since he has been here, but when he is in the game, his presence is huge. All are playoff veterans and two of these guys have held the Cup.

Steve Sullivan? Who is he again?

While offensive skill guys and role players are important to any pro hockey club, small guys like Karyia and Sullivan (skill) and Nichol and Tootoo (role) have to find a way to get it done in a different way during the playoffs. Surely there are two guys out there that are bigger than Nichol and Toots that the Preds could spend the same money on that provide more production than they do. I am not against either of those guys, but if the Preds need agitators, lets get bigger agitators.

Faceoffs...the Sharks are killing us on faceoffs. Last year, we had the leader in faceoff percentage watching from the sidelines. Perrault has a career year last year, did well this year for the Coyotes/Leafs, and he didn't play in last year's playoffs becasue he was too old or something lame like that? Well, we all remember how the first round last season turned out, don't we?

Penalties...sheesh. Time for some reverse psychology Preds coaching staff: Tell the players to take all of the penalties they want. It won't hurt the team in the least. And since Friday could very well be the last game of the season (hey - I'm a realist), might as well live it up one last time before everybody departs for summer vacation. The Preds need to drop the gloves on the very first puck drop. Everybody takes a man, everybody gives a beating. The Preds proved in game 2 that if the Sharks are distracted and unfocused, they will fold, period.

Vitaly Vishnevski is a D-man that the Preds acquired near the trade deadline this season. He has 37 games of playoff experience, stands at 6'2", 215lbs. Why hasn't he been playing? As much as I like Dan Hamhuis, Dan has made a couple of very recent blunders in the zone that have gone for goals against. How about giving VV a shot? He can't play any worse than Dan has at this point. I'm not a hater, just calling it like I see it.

I thought I would feel better getting all of this out, but I still feel frustrated that they haven't been able to get the job done in the post season. Will the good guys bounce back or fold on Friday night? Only time will tell...

Today's birthdays for April 19 include Eliot Ness, Jayne Mansfield, Dudley Moore, Tim Curry, Al Unser Jr., Marion 'Suge' Knight, Ashley Judd, Jesse James, Shannon Lee, Hate Hudson, Maria Sharapova, and Hayden Christensen.

Anakin Skywalker: Ray shields.
Obi-Wan: Wait a minute. How did this happen? We're smarter than this.
Anakin Skywalker: Apparently not. I say patience.
Obi-Wan: Patience?
Anakin Skywalker: Yes. R2 will be along in a few moments and then... he'll release us from the ray shields.
[R2 comes skidding across the hallway and bashes into the opposite wall]
Anakin Skywalker: See? No problem.

Anakin Skywalker: I sense Count Dooku.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: I sense a trap.
Anakin Skywalker: Next move?
Obi-Wan Kenobi: [smiling] Spring the trap.

General Grievous: Anakin Skywalker. I expected someone with your reputation to be a little... older.
Anakin Skywalker: General Grievous... you're shorter than I expected.

Ahem...

Sorry, had to clear my throat.

Birthdays for April 18 go something like this: James Woods, Geoffrey Bodine, Eric Roberts, Conan O'Brien, Maria Bello, Derrick Brooks, Melissa Joan Hart, and Suri Cruse.

'Cause I'm The Taxman

Let me tell you how it will be
There's one for you, nineteen for me
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Should five percent appear too small
Be thankful I don't take it all
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

If you drive a car, I'll tax the street
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat
If you get too cold, I'll tax the heat
If you try to walk, I'll tax your feet

Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes
'Cause I'm the taxman
Yeah, I'm the taxman

Today is the day folks. Your taxes have to be postmarked by midnight tonight to make the deadline. That is, if you haven't already asked for an extension. Mine has already been sent in and I am looking forward to a fat check.

Some of you out there might be interested in what a typical day consists of here at the hotel where AV is concerned. Today can serve as an example.

6:20am - Whoops! Set my alarm for 6am, but didn't actually turn it on. I have this problem sometimes where on the weekend, I will just turn the alarm off, and the day I have to go in early to work, sometimes I don't make sure to turn it back on after I check the alarm time. Come to think of it, I have had this alarm clock since 1989...my first year at college. Dang, I'm old.

Note: Somebody out there needs to manufacture an alarm clock that you cannot set UNTIL you turn the alarm function ON. Maybe they already do, and if they do, why don't I know about it?

7:45am - Finally get into the office. The traffic wasn't too bad getting in today, although it had it's moments. I grab the clipboard to see what is happening today, only one meeting with AV. Will have to prep during the day for two events happening tonight, one big, one small.

8:05am - Get a call from the operator to go see the client upstairs. Their projector is totally freaking out. It seems like the sensor that detects signal for a laptop or other device is bad. It keeps flickering, then to standby, then it just shuts down. Boots back up after five minutes. Bummer for them. The lady tells me that it has already been through one round of repairs. I grab one of ours, and all is right with the world. Maybe sales can get some money out of it.

9:30 - Oooohh...a client ordered breakfast this morning and the leftovers are in the breakroom. Sweet! Eggs, sausage, and a diet Coke to start the day right.

10:00am - Start the dual fast fold screen setup in the big upstaris ballroom for tonight. Two big screens, two projectors, podium mic, video splitter, and DVD playback. Everything actually works. Sometimes you don't know what you are going to get with some of the gear around here. Luckily, I had a DVD handy today to do some testing with.

12:00pm - Set up a screen package in the Crescent room. It is called the Crescent room, uh, because it is shaped like a square, heh. A screen package includes a screen, AV cart, and power. The client is responsible for their own projector, laptop, and other peripherals.

1:00pm - Lunchtime. What a great perk this is: the kitchen staff prepares lunch and dinner for all of the hotel staff, every day. Most of the time it is good enough to eat, but there are a few dishes that I just can't handle. Sweet and sour pork (Chinese buffet), cabbage wraps (ground beef on the inside), and the chicken wings (like buffalo wings) are three of those that I can't do. Today, it is sliced pork loin with kraut, veggies, and roasted potatoes. Today has just become either a salad day or I will visit Wendy's across the street.

1:30pm - Just found out that the big event for tonight has gotten smaller. They chopped out one section of the room, but they still want the dual screens, which is fine. It takes about 30-35 minutes to assemble and raise a fully draped fast fold screen by myself. Sometimes I can get the banquet guys to help, but if I don't, then I have 'The Stick'. Tested everything again and it is all working just as it should. Dreamy.

3:30pm - I finally get to the break room. I didn't eat lunch and didn't go to Wendy's. I held out for two pieces of chocolate pie and a glass of milk, while watching CNN broadcaster Wolf Blitzer interview the father of a girl who got shot yesterday. It is incidents like this that give responsible gun owners a bad name. One of the English/Writing Professors at the school evidently became alarmed at some of the recent writings of the shooter (who was on medication for depression), and warned the school admins about it, and they blew him off. Tragic.

4:00pm - The banquet captain asks me to come and meet the client in the big event room. He asks me about the setup and whether anyone will be here. I tell him that somebody will be here, whether it is me, Bryan (my evil twin), or my boss. Turns out that my boss will actually be making an appearance tonight.

4:25pm - This is a warning...a complaint is forthcoming...skip it if you aren't interested. I have been walking like an old man with a bad leg today. Somehow, I strained the ball of my left foot behind my big toe last night at the softball game. It isn't a case of me being out of shape or anything, I just figured that my body wouldn't start to break down at age almost 36. I was hoping for another ten years at least. It could be the cleats that I am wearing, but they were fine during 2006, so I am not sure what is up.

5:00pm - Here at the hotel, we have the occasional 'Pop Up'. Basically it is an event that gets scheduled 24 hours or less in advance. Today, we have a pop up for a conference speaker phone in the boardroom. There has been a group in there for the day today, and 5pm is their exit time. Generally, the engineering department handles the patching of phone and network lines to the ballrooms and meeting spaces. And since nobody has shown me the specifics of the patching here, if it doesn't work, I will be on the radio to the boys in engineering for some assistance.

5:05pm - Just got a call from my boss, he isn't coming in tonight, so it is just me. The good news is that I don't have to be in tomorrow until noon. I think I will be making that Wendy's run after all.

6:30 - All events are running smooovely. Vandy is having their awards banquet here tonight, and I can immediately tell the basketball players from everyone else.

7:05 - Ummmm...Wendy's.

7:30 - Went walkabout. The Vandy folks are doing fine. Struck and reset a couple of rooms downstairs for tomorrow. Now the wait really begins. The Vandy group will end at 9:30, and both screens have to come down tonight because of other groups using the rooms tomorrow.

8:20 - Ummmm...YouTube.

9:20 - Strike time. The Vandy event has broken up. It doesn't take long to pull and wrap cables and get them out of there with projectors in tow. The banquet guys helped me lay down the screens, and I set a room for tomorrow.

10:45 - Time to go home.

So, that's it. A day in the Life of Bryan.

Birthdays for April 17 include "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Sean Bean, Boomer Esiason, Liz Phair, Terry Schiavo, Victoria Beckham, and Sydney Bristow!

Sydney: Who am I talking to?
Vaughn: Your invisible friend.
Sydney: Good. Where are you?
Vaughn: Satellite relay station back in L.A., watching you from a 200 mile orbit.
Sydney: My guardian angel.

[Syd and Vaughn are about to approach a source for information]
Vaughn: How do you wanna play this?
Sydney: You wanna be rough, or you want me to be rough?
Vaughn: You're always rough.
Sydney: No, I'm not.
Vaughn: Yes, you are.
Sydney: That's not true!
Vaughn: Yes, it is.
Sydney: Are you talking about at home, or on Ops?
Vaughn: Both. Hey, I'm not complaining!
Sydney: If I'm rough, it's because you like me to...
[pauses]
Sydney: Are we on coms?
Agent Jack Bristow: Yes, you're both on coms right now!

Agent Marshall Flinkman: Syd, this guy buried you alive.
Sydney: Yeah, but he cheated, he hit me with a car first!

Sydney: You've lost weight.
Agent Eric Weiss: Yeah, I stopped eating all the foods I like. I'm miserable, but I look really good.

Guns and Ammo

Wow. The things that have gone on today at Virgina Tech are pretty mind blowing. It will be interesting to hear stories of how it came about and what actually happened. I immediately thought of the 1966 incident where a crazed sniper killed 13 and wounded 31 at the University of Texas in Austin. After police shot and killed Charles Whitman in the university's bell tower, they discovered he had earlier killed his wife and mother. While I wasn't alive then, I have seen the re-enactment on the History channel. That is good enough I suppose. Very tragic all the way around.

Week two of the softball season has ended poorly. At least we have new jerseys! They are nice UnderArmour jerseys that are lightweight, cool, and very confortable. Much better than the old cotton shirts that we have been wearing for years.

The Predators are playing game 3 tonight of the first round of the playoffs against the Sharks out in San Jose. I am listening to the Sharks radio guys on the internet.
Suter scored to make it 1-0 at the end of period one...time for bed.


Birthdays for April 16 include Charles Chapman, Henry Mancini, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Belichick, Bruce Bochy, Bonnie Bernstein, Peter Billingsley, and Martin Lawrence.

[Mike walks into the room, wearing a new purple suit]
Marcus Burnett: Are you a model or a cop?
Mike Lowery: Hey, man, I like lookin' good, that's all.
Marcus Burnett: For who?
Mike Lowery: Hey man, don't hate the playa, hate the game.
Marcus Burnett: Hate the tailor!

Halfway Home

Today marks the halfway point of the 30 days blog. I haven't missed a day yet, but I have come close once or twice. This exercise has also confirmed something else: my skills of daily observation and writing really need some work. I seem to find inspiration and creativity around other folks that I know. The problem is that I can't remember what the conversation was when I get around to writing about it. I'm not quite sure that I am or can ever be comfortable writing about what my day has been like and whether my knee is bothering me or that I am still suffering from the ravages of the common cold (why can't some smart someone fix the common cold by now? Science is totally letting the human race down). I do know why actually: MONEY!

Before and after church today, I have been listening to Julia Fordham. I have a number of her CD's that I have ripped to mp3, and it has been what the day has needed. She isn't really a mainstream artist and hasn't ever really been promoted in that way. I first heard one of her CD's in college, and she has this sultry alto vocal that is unlike any other. I am also two of her CD's behind...less fatalistic than Joni Mitchell and more personality than Norah Jones (sorry Jodi!).

In compliance with a conversation that I started at dinner tonight, ever wonder what happens to the 10 people a year who die mid-flight on a commercial airline? Well, if you're flying British Airways, you get the final upgrade. Corpses fly first class.

Guess who was born on April 15th? How about Leonardo Da Vinci, Corrie Ten Boom (she also died on April 15, age 91), Emma Thompson, Jason Seahorn, Emma Watson, and Dodi Fayed.

Do you know what Dodi Fayed's last words were?
"Can't you outrun a stinking moped?!"

Another Day, Another Entry

I am really ready for this crappy "Blade Runner" type of weather to go away. I also seem to have acquired another cold that has kept me away from a progressive dinner with the singles tonight. I have always thought that PD's were a great way to see other people's houses just to see what they are like. And to take stuff when nobody is looking. Uh, just kidding. Really.

After packing in 40 hours in four days, I am off until next Tuesday.

Oh, and as a quick followup, I ended up not being the father of Anna Nicole Smith's baby.

I still have thoughts to write on the Sandman's engagement, and I promise I will get to it, when I am not sleepy anymore.

On with the April 14th birthdays: Loretta Lynn, Pete Rose, Brad Garrett, Cynthia Cooper, David Justice, Greg Maddux, Anthony Michael Hall, Amy 'Lita' Dumas, and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

I'm Gonna Tie You Up

It is still cold here. Hopefully this will be the last weekend of nasty weather for a while.

The Predators won tonight! We need to get Vince and Amy to sing the national anthem more often. The teams combined for 25 penalties as the referees tried to keep the game from getting out of hand. Peter Forsberg's playoff resume is as advertised. JP Dumont is on fire scoring a total of four goals in the first two games. Now it is off to the west coast for games three and four.

April 13 birthdays include Thomas Jefferson, Don Adams, Ron Perlman, Garry Kasparov, Caroline Rhea, Rick Schroder, and my longtime friend, Matthew D.

My parents and Matthew's parents grew up together. Therefore, uh, we grew up together as well. He has always been a great friend, and now he is a dedicated family man. And if you put enough money in his pocket, he might even play some piano for you. We grew up with the same pastors and piano teacher, played on different baseball teams, sang in choir together, played church softball together, collected baseball card sets...what a life. So, I will use this forum to just say thanks for your friendship. You and your family have always meant so much to me, and I hope to see you soon.

After a very late night at the Nashville Arena, I went to bed today around midnight. Back up at 6am to go back to work, and I was propping my eyelids open by 2pm today to keep from passing out.

There really hasn't been much to report from today. Well, other than I am just tired. It has turned into a really long week, and while it will produce the well needed/deserved paycheck, I am definitely not as young as I used to be or feel. To quote Mick Jagger, "What a drag it is to get old."

No, wait, I have found something. This whole Don Imus getting fired business over the "nappy-headed-ho's" remark. Al Sharpton is a complete hipocrite. There is a TON of rap music by african american artists that use those terms and worse in their lyrics. And he is going to crucify a white guy for saying what the rappers have been saying for years?? I obviously don't advocate Imus' remarks. But, it is amazing that this has only become an issue BECAUSE of Imus.

Meredith vs. Al

On with the birthdays for April 12th: Charles Napier, Herbie Hancock, David Letterman, Tom Clancy, David Cassidy, Ralph Wiley, Andy Garcia, Vince Gill, Shannen Doherty, Claire Danes, and Ed O'Neill.

Al Bundy: You think I'm a loser? Because I have a stinking job that I hate, a family that doesn't respect me, and a whole city that curses the day I was born? Well, that may mean loser to you, but let me tell you something. Every day when I wake up in the morning, I know it's not going to get any better until I go back to sleep. So I get up. I have my watered-down Tang and my still-frozen Pop Tart. I get in my car with no gas, no upholstery, and six more payments. I fight honking traffic just for the privilege of putting cheap shoes onto the cloven hooves of people like you. I'll never play football like I wanted to. I'll never know the touch of a beautiful woman. And I'll never know the joy of driving through the city without a bag over my head. But I'm not a loser. Because, despite it all, me and every other guy who'll never be what they wanted to be, is out there, being what we don't want to be, forty hours a week, for life. And the fact that I didn't put a gun in my mouth years ago - that little fact makes me a winner, baby.

Al Bundy: Can I have a "Whoa Bundy."?
The Bundy's: Whooooooooa Bundy!

Old Lady: I'm still not sure I want these shoes. What would you recommend to go with them?
Al: A bubbling cauldron?
Old Lady: You've got a lot of nerve.
Al: To get this close to your feet, yeah.

I Am For Sleeping Now...

What a day.

Wind.

Rain.

Sunshine!

Worked a full day.

The Preds lost to San Jose 5-4 in 2OT.

Peter Forsberg is AMAZING!

I am gathering thoughts on the pending nuptuals of the Sandman...stay tuned.

Birthdays for April 11 include Joel Grey, Chris 'Jesus' Ferguson, Bret Saberhagen, Trevor Linden, Jason Varitek, Tricia Helfer, and Joss Stone.

Partly Groggy

I don't know why I didn't get much sleep last night...it feels like I woke up every half hour. Sucks for me. Last night's softball game has only reminded me of how I am not in any kind of shape other than out.

My longtime friend, the Sandman, has finally found a woman.

Congrats on the engagement, my friend.

The saga of the noise in the church audio system has finally come to an end. The back of the equipment rack looked like Don King's hair. So after pulling all of that out, cleaning connectors, and rerouting cables, it actually looks good and you can actually see what is going on versus trying to sort through the gobbeldygook of cords. The piece of gear that was causing much of the problem has also been removed and most everything is as quiet as it can be. YAY!!!!

My parent's kitchen is getting remodeled after minor changes here and there over the last 30 years. All of the cabinets are in, and the countertops should be arriving soon. They were going to try to save the flooring and replace it at another time, but I don't know if they will be able to do that or not. Looking at it today, I would say probably not.

I am working 12 hour days for the next three, and will try to survive a Predators playoff game within that time as well. Should be fun.

Birthdays for April 10 include Max von Sydow, Omar Sharif, John Madden, Don Meredith, Ken Griffey Sr., Steven Seagal, Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds, Brian Setzer, Orlando Jones, Sean Avery, Mandy Moore, Haley Joel Osment, and Peter MacNicol.

John "The Biscuit" Cage: Love. We all want it. Don't all get it. I remember telling my mother in high school I wanted to wait for the perfect girl. And she replied, "Idiot! Even if you found her, she might be holding out for the perfect man." She also said I wouldn't recognize love unless it bonked me on the head. And I retorted, "Well, why don't you come along with me, mom, and if you see love, you hit me on the head so I'll know." It was difficult as a young man taking my mother on dates. And then, one night, not a date night, but just one evening, I turned to my mom and, as i looked into her eyes, I could see... she was dead. She'd passed on quietly from an aneurysm, right there at the table. All she said was, "Ip." Sitting in a chair: a quiet little "Ip". It was her request to have her last words put on her tombstone. And I see people at the cemetery snickering when they read: "Joanna Cage. Beloved Mother. Ip." I miss my mother. Even though she's not here... I know she's still with me, smiling down on me... hoping I'll find love.

Well, today has been a pretty good day.

I met this dude named Mark up at church today. Mark is the sound engineer for the Oak Ridge Boys. I had asked him yesterday after the service if he had time to come out and try to help me solve this ground loop kind of noise we are experiencing in the church sound system. After doing some plugging and unplugging, bypassing, and having general discussion, we think it boils down to a maintenance issue. Audio contacts oxidize over time, and if the ground doesn't have a good connection, it will seek out another ground with a better connection. The more it seeks, the more noise can be generated. So, hopefully sometime this week I will go back with contact cleaner in hand and see what happens.

The other thing that we actually figured out (like most of you will care) is how to patch in one of the 1/3 octave EQ's on the digital mixer AND actually get it to work. I have been totally stumped for three months now. Of course, the manual shows you both ends, and leaves out the middle, which is really what you need. After some extrapolation, we finally got it figured out and now there is something new to play with again!



After my first season of fantasy hockey, I am the champ! In the interest of maturity, I don't really feel the need to gloat or talk any kind of smack about this season. NAH NEE NAH NEE BOO BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Whew! Glad that's out of my system. Let's just move on.)

Tonight was the beginning of the new season of church softball. We played both games pretty good...had a few errors...scored a few runs...but still got beat both games. Our new guys did a really good job. We seemed to match up with tonight's opponent pretty well, so the rematch later in the season should be fun.

On to the birthdays! Hugh M. Hefner, Carl Perkins, Michael Learned, Peter Gammons, Hal Ketchum, Lisa Guerrero, Paulina Porizkova, Keshia Knight Pulliam, and Dennis Quaid.

Lt. Tuck Pendleton: When things are at their darkest, pal, it's a brave man that can kick back and party.

Well, easter Sunday has come and gone. I got to spend time with my uncle, aunt, and cousins on the other side of Nashville this afternoon.

There isn't really anything else going on today.

Yep, you guessed it...birthdays for April 8 are John Havlicek, Catfish Hunter, Tom DeLay, Jim Lampley, John Schneider, Julian Lennon, Biz Markie, Robin Wright Penn, and Katee Sackhoff.

Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama: So... um... that bum knee of yours is looking pretty good. And the other one's not too bad either.
Lt. Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: Lee, if you want to ask me to dance, just ask.
Captain Lee 'Apollo' Adama: You want to dance?
Lt. Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace: Me in a dress is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Rites Of Spring

If you had been inside looking outside today, you would think that it was 75 or 80 degrees today. You would also be dead wrong. Try freezing this morning, and getting up to maybe 45 degrees today with variable 10 to 20 mph winds.

In other words, a great day to practice softball! Hopefully I won't be too sore tomorrow. Monday night is our first two games, at 6pm and 7pm, so come on out and support us. Uh, bring a blanket.

This evening was a choir and orchestra rehearsal for tomorrow's Easter services. Getting to set mics and mix the audio is one of my favorite things to do, and having a digital mixing console to do it on is totally amazing. I am still so grateful to have a tool like that to not only make what I do that much more fun, but also to make the mixes that much better.

My neice went and visited the easter bunny. It looks like she isn't scared at all. Diana is 15 months and some change, and is one of the happiest babies that I have ever been around. I can admit that I am not around small kids much, but hey, I'm her uncle, I have a right to be biased.

Bunny, bunny, bunny, you're so funny with your twitching nose (wiggle nose)

Bunny, bunny, bunny, you're so funny from your head (point to head) to your toes (bend over and touch toes)

Bunny, bunny, bunny your ears are funny (make bunny ears with hands on top of head) they're too big for you...

Bunny, bunny, bunny, you're so funny...
everyone loves you (kids hug themselves)


Notable birthdays for April 7th are Billie Holiday, James Garner, Wayne Rogers, Francis Ford Coppola, Stan Winston, Jackie Chan, James "Buster" Douglas, Russell Crowe, Bill Bellamy, Ronde Barber, Tiki Barber, and William Wordsworth.

Lines Written in Early Spring - William Wordsworth - 1798

I heard a thousand blended notes,
While in a grove I sate reclined,
In that sweet mood when pleasant thoughts
Bring sad thoughts to the mind.
To her fair works did nature link
The human soul that through me ran;
And much it griev'd my heart to think
What man has made of man.
Through primrose-tufts, in that sweet bower,
The periwinkle trail'd its wreathes;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes.
The birds around me hopp'd and play'd:
Their thoughts I cannot measure,
But the least motion which they made,
It seem'd a thrill of pleasure.
The budding twigs spread out their fan,
To catch the breezy air;
And I must think, do all I can,
That there was pleasure there.
If I these thoughts may not prevent,
If such be of my creed the plan,
Have I not reason to lament
What man has made of man?

Reprinted Without Permission

Rattle and Hum

There must be some way out of here
Said the joker to the thief
There's too much confusion here
I can't get no relief
Businessmen, they drink my wine
Ploughmen dig my earth
None of them know along the line
What any of this is worth

No reason to get excited
The thief, he kindly spoke
There are many among us
Who think that life is but a joke
But you and I, we've been through that
And that is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now
Because the hour is getting late

Today was a day. A cold day. A partly sunny day.

Today I tried to fix a problem. Something that has been bugging me for a few weeks now. I feel as though I have been beaten like a red-headed step mule. I am exhausted mentally, only because I feel as though I have run out of options.

It is frustrating for me, as an audio guy, to have a problem with some gear that just won't cooperate. I have gone step by step through the troubleshooting process, and yet that process has not afforded the expected resolution. And while the thought of taking a whack with a big hammer has been considered, "percussive maintenance" isn't something that I really like to do.

So, I continue to ponder the problem in the hope that a solution will present itself.

Birthdays for April 6 are Billy Dee Williams, Marilu Henner, Michael Rooker, Sterling Sharpe, and John Ratzenberger.

Cliff: Well ya see, Norm, it's like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. That's why you always feel smarter after a few beers.

Woody: What's a Freudian Slip?
Cliff: That's when you say one thing when you're actually thinking about a mother.

Cliff: Did I ever tell you kids about the first Thanksgiving? It took place between the ancient Egyptains and aliens from a distant galaxy.

Cold And Slo

That cold snap that I predicted (to somebody) is here. Reason #358 to love/hate living in Tennessee. Atmospherically, the state has bipolar disorder, no doubt about it. At least it is sunny.

I got my car tested and my tags renewed today, so I am driving legal again. Do any of you ever fell like you are playing catch up in life? That is me right now.

And now, a YouTube double shot!

Any of you remember the old elementary school song, "Circle circle dot dot now you got your cootie shot" for all of those icky girls in your third grade class? Well, guess what I found on You Tube!

This video by the band OK Go gets the award for best use of eight treadmills in a music video.

Birthdays for April 5th are Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Albert R. Broccoli, Gregory Peck, Frank Gorshin, Colin Powell, Mitch Pileggi, Diamond Dallas Page, and Elodie Bouchez.

Finally for today, I saw in the news today that Bob Clark, the director of A Christmas Story died in a car crash yesterday. In memoriam:

Ralphie: I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!
Mrs. Parker: No, you'll shoot your eye out.

Mr. Parker: Fra-gee-lay. That must be Italian.
Mrs. Parker: Uh, I think that says FRAGILE, dear.
Mr. Parker: Oh, yeah.

Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] Some men are Baptists, others Catholics; my father was an Oldsmobile man.
Mr. Parker: That son of a gun would freeze up in the middle of summer on the equator!
Mother: Little pitchers!
Mr. Parker: Thanks... hold it!
[the furnace conks out]
Mr. Parker: It's a clinker! That blasted stupid furnace dadgummit!
[he walks down a few stairs and falls the rest of the way down]
Mr. Parker: Darn skates! [coughing]
Mr. Parker: Oh for cripes sake open up the damper will ya? Who the hell turned it all the way down? AGAIN! Oh blasted!
Ralphie as Adult: [narrating] In the heat of battle my father wove a tapestry of obscenities that as far as we know is still hanging in space over Lake Michigan.

The God Debate

While I was killing some time at work yesterday, I popped over to Newsweek looking for something in particular, and another article caught my eye, and I knew I had to link to it for today. A debate between atheist Sam Harris vs Christian pastor Rick Warren to hash out life's biggest question — Is God real?

On some levels, I find intellectual vs faith battles are usually played on a non-level battlefield. People who aren't born again believers in Jesus Christ only have the intellectual avenues to pursue, while Christians rely on faith. I thought that the moderator, John Meacham, did a great job asking questions to both men and letting them answer without too much bias for either man's views, which is refreshing. I also thought that Rick really stood up for the born again Christian way of life and challenged Sam on some things that Sam couldn't refute. Please check the article out. While it is frustrating to read Sam's words, it is fantastic to hear Rick speak of the hope of Jesus Christ.

Work was an early day today. Last night, I couldn't set up for today because banquets were going on. After getting there at 6:30, I finally sat down at 8:45.
WHEEEE!!!

On the fantasy hockey front, I am now up 7-5, just ahead in goals, assists and penalty minutes. On the real hockey front, the Preds lost in OT last night. They will have a chance to clinch the conference title if they win the last two and Detroit loses their last two. Stay tuned...

Last night, I cracked open a couple of the old MJCA videotapes and gave them a look. Both were sports related. One was a team vs faculty and staff of the church and school at Immanuel Baptist Church in Lebanon that I didn't play in. I was sick that day, but I could have gone to school if I hadn't whined about it so much. The other tape was girls and boys basketball games at Webb School in Bell Buckle. The funny thing is that we played that game in a closed gym. No fans or cheerleaders were allowed. Just the teams, coaches, managers, scorekeepers, etc. Oh, and refs. The reason the gym was closed was because of some antics by some of the Webb students from the first time we were there, like throwing rocks at the bus (classy), and some kid/student following the bus with a blue light flashing on top of his car. To this day, I am amazed that we actually went back for another game. I miss the 80's. The girls lost by one point, we got smoked, and the younger guys were getting garbage time minutes for the whole 4th quarter (I was sitting on the bench in sweats during the 4th).

Notable birthdays for April 4 are Muddy Waters, Clive Davis, Craig T. Nelson, David E. Kelley, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Perkins, Nancy McKeon, David Blaine, Dave Mirra, Heath Ledger, and Hugo Weaving.

Agent Smith: It seems that you've been living two lives. One life, you're Thomas A. Anderson, program writer for a respectable software company. You have a social security number, pay your taxes, and you... help your landlady carry out her garbage. The other life is lived in computers, where you go by the hacker alias "Neo" and are guilty of virtually every computer crime we have a law for. One of these lives has a future, and one of them does not.

V: Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

Blast From The Past

Well, earlier, while I was putting some thoughts down, IE gakked on me, and I lost everything for today.

Bryan's 30 Days Blog - Take 2. SNAP!

Didn't sleep late today, and I didn't get my tags renewed. Will have to do that Thursday. Before going to work, I dropped some tax info to my advisor (Mom), and stopped by MJCA (more on that later).

For all of you puzzle freaks out there, check this place out: Stave
They make puzzles by hand and they were featured on the last episode of CBS Sunday Morning.

After last night, my fantasy hockey team is down 4-3, and there is a full slate of games scheduled for tonight, including the Nashville Predators vs Chicago. The Preds have had a really great year, although they haven't played very well of late. Hartnell is supposed to return sometime this week, while Sullivan and Erat are still MIA. Hopefully they will be able to return and contribute to the playoff run.

A week or so ago, I got an email from Tina who is the development coordinator at MJCA. She said that they had been going through some closets and had found some old videotapes that someone had wanted to throw out(!). She wanted to know if I was interested in looking at them to see if any were salvageable. Of course I said yes. Most of the tapes are from the 80's and a handfull from the 90's. I am sure that I am in a few of them, so it should be an interesting trip down memory lane.

Also, please note that I have just added some new links on the left of some other friends' blogs. Check 'em out!

Notable birthdays for April 3 are Doris Day, Wayne Newton, Tony Orlando, Alec Baldwin, David Hyde Pierce, Eddie Murphy, Sebastian Bach, Picabo Street, Jennie Garth, and Marlon Brando.

Don Corleone: I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse.

Jedi Mind Trick

March 11, 2007 signaled the end of regular season fantasy hockey and my team, Uncle Crosscheck, finished first! Definitely a better outcome than my fantasy football team (ugh, don't even want to think about that). Then again, it always helps to have names like Crosby, Brodeur, Brind'Amour, Karyia, Shanahan, and Gaborik skating on your team producing a combined 140 goals and 239 assists. The autodraft was very good to me. "Thank you Autodraft, may I have another?"

I think my team peaked a bit early though. Through the middle third of the season, my team won seven out of nine games in that stretch that put enough distance between me and the other teams to keep my team comfortably in first place. The last six games of the season produced two ties and three losses, not the way i wanted to go into the playoffs, but the losses were only by one point, no blowouts.

I had a bye during the first round of the playoffs, and for the second round my team beat OddManRush 9-3. Right now, I am playing Agents Of The Ice to determine the champion. I thought that it was one week and done, but today I found out that it actually goes over two weeks! That is great because I am down 5-1 right now, and thought I had lost last night. I guess I should have read the rules before now.

Today has been a recharge day after working 50+ hours last week. The sun is out, but I haven't been outside. Ooh, and I just remembered that I have to get my tags renewed! First thing in the morning for sure.

I watched Hollywoodland today. It is about the death of George Reeves, the original television Superman. It was an interesting movie since I really didn't know anything about him or his life. And it is watchable.

And finally, notable birthdays for April 2 are: Buddy Ebsen, Emmylou Harris, and Sir Alec Guinness.

Stormtrooper: Let me see your identification.
Obi-Wan: [with a small wave of his hand] You don't need to see his identification.
Stormtrooper: We don't need to see his identification.
Obi-Wan: These aren't the droids you're looking for.
Stormtrooper: These aren't the droids we're looking for.
Obi-Wan: He can go about his business.
Stormtrooper: You can go about your business.
Obi-Wan: Move along.
Stormtrooper: Move along... move along.

This Is Not A Joke

Today marks a new adventure in my life: blogging for 30 days straight (or, for the entire month of April, whichever comes first).

No ideas are original, and I must admit that this idea wasn't mine to begin
with, but the more I have thought about it, the more I want to give it a shot. Plus, some of this will probably be quite random, which should only add to the confusion.

I also don't know if quantity will equal quality, but I hope to get something
out of it, although I guess that portion is entirely up to me.

Also, just because anything can happen, random movie quotes or song lyrics will magically appear at any time I feel it is necessary...like right now:

Reuben: Look, we all go way back and uh, I owe you from the thing with the guy in the place and I'll never forget it.
Danny: That was our pleasure.
Rusty: I've never been to Belize.

Here at work, when all of the gear is set, and the clients are doing their thing, there isn't much to do except hang out (can you say Gamecube on a 32" plasma? I KNEW you could!), and fix something if an issue comes up. This is also the first Sunday that I have had to be here because of clients being here. On one hand, the extra money will be great, but on the otra, I am currently in a Sunday School class that is studying how to find your S.H.A.P.E.

Spiritual Gifts
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experience

Last week was really good, and I was looking forward to today's lesson about finding out what my spiritual gifts are. I have taken surveys before on spiritual gifts, and the thing that I am most intrigued about this time around is whether or not I have gotten stronger in some areas and weaker in others, or whether they will basically be the same from what I remember from last time. After the class was over last week, I really wished that this would have been available a year ago, because I feel that it would have helped me overcome some things that I was going through then. Now though, there are other things that I am working through, and I am looking forward to rediscovering my SHAPE to be a better me!

Note: the previous sentence is not an endorsement of any weight loss plans, past or present.

One final note for today. I was able to leave work a little before 2pm...packed my bag and headed to the parking garage. Ding! 4th floor please. Ding! As I am making my way through the garage to my car, I noticed something very strange. My car was nowhere to be found. Huh. I always park on the 4th floor, so what is going on here? The synapses in my brain quickly rewound to this morning, my memory cleared, my mouth opened and said, "Idiot! You parked out front because the garage gate is broken!"