The last day of Wreck-tember

I just love that insurance commercial (not sure the company), but the guy is like, "And then there's September, which I like to refer to as Wreck-tember." That's my kind of humor.

Tonight's entry is brought to you by the letter R and the number 4.

R is for random. It's all random. It's all good.
One more day to go on the cell phone fast. I'm like Hakeem Olajuwon during Ramadan over here. Or not like that at all. Whichever.

Went to Wal-Mart today after work. While looking at the toys, I remember pondering, "Is the Etch-a-Sketch the only thing Ohio Art ever gave us?" I mean, it was nice, but did they not try some other things? Well, I'm glad I asked. Here are some lesser-known Ohio Art projects:
1. Etch-a-tatoo
2. Etch-a-visa
3. Etch-a-diploma
4. Etch-a-blood-test
5. Etch-a-dollar

Bought a card and a couple of gifts for Mom today. Her birthday is Sunday. Then went to Rhino and finally bought Tecmo Super Bowl (Marv Albert voice:"Yes!!"), since I did get paid today :-) Hmm, I should take a picture of that and post a screen shot for your enjoyment.

Among the more disturbing things I could tell you about myself (and there are many) is that I actually called in Sunday night to vote on the new Danny Partridge on VH-1. Ugh. I did. I called in to vote. How sad is that. What happened to me? I used to be cool. Sure, not in a popular sort of way, but in an Eric Foreman kind of way.

A lot of songs get stuck in my head for no apparent reason. "Carol of the Bells" gets stuck in my head all the freakin' time, as those who know me will readily attest, I'm sure. For some reason, that "Time of My Life" song from Dirty Dancing or whatever also gets stuck in my head a lot, too. Weirdness.

Little Old Lady From Pasadena?
Finally, as I was turning into the BAM/Office Depot shopping center today, something frightening was awaiting me. For those who aren't from around here, let me explain how the parking lot is set up. There are two lanes going in and two lanes going out, and they are divided by a raised, grassy median with trees on it, so once you choose your side, that's it. Well, as I turned in, there was this little old lady coming right at me at 7 miles per hour, going the wrong way. I wish I would've had my camera to take pictures of the turmoil she caused, as it was about 3:30 PM in Decatur.

"If you hear teardrops, falling like rain on the rooftops. If you don't know what you're listening to, this is me missing you. If you see lonely, clear skies turning stormy. Lightning strikes and all you see is blue. This is me missing you..."

I'd store it in boxes...

I'll tell you what, if Microsoft had like a WeatherShare program or something, I would surely send you all a big file of the wonderful weather we're having here this evening. It's soo nice and cool, maybe the perfect time of the year. Nights like this just make me want to drive around for hours with the windows rolled down, thinking, listening to the radio, and singing along. Of course, gas prices of $1.89 per gallon make that unwise, if not unfeasible.

Coming home from church tonight, the 80's station played "Sweet Child Of Mine." So I did what I do everytime I hear that song. (Apparently, it is now part of my learned behavior.) I rolled the window all the way down, turned the radio up full blast, pulled out my air guitar, sped up about 30 miles an hour, and did my best Axel Rose imitation at the top of my lungs. What a perfect night for one of my favorite songs to come on the radio. I love it when little stuff like that happens. And even though I have the CD, it's just more enjoyable when the radio plays a favorite song. Why is that? I guess maybe because it's unexpected. A little surprise.

Anywho, the weather is here, wish you were beautiful ;-)
I have to be up in less than six hours. So, good night.

"There's something about this time of year, that spins my head around. Takes me back, makes me wonder, what's she doin' now?"

555-FILK and Incidental Milk?

"What's filk?"
"Filk's nothing."
"But 555-FILM is movie phone."

Greetings, salutations, shalom...
What does your phone number spell?
There's a neat little site to mess around on, or if you're getting a new number or business line or something. My number didn't really spell much. The last four digits of my home number spell HiFi. K's number was ###-PECK. Tee hee.

I've been searching around online. Looks like good ol' WalMart.com has the cheapest pre-order price for the Seinfeld DVD Gift Set. $77.86. Which is a few cents cheaper than amazon.com. They're $77.97. Plus Wal-Mart has the low price guarantee. Can't beat that. 80 bucks for the first three seasons, plus all the extras, is definitely worth it to me. Although some guy named Brody can supposedly cut me a deal on some bootleg copies. He's quite a character.

Speaking of Seinfeld, I just noticed this message yesterday on my Junior Mints: "Allergen Information: Manufactured on shared equipment with milk-containing products. Incidental milk may be present."

Incidental milk? What the crap? There's a new catch phrase. Try to work that into your daily conversation. "Excuse me, ma'am, but I believe you've got some incidental milk there on your shirt." Besides, I'm lactose-intolerant. (OK, not really.) But basically what they're saying is that we manufacture other things on the same conveyor, which is probably not really very clean in the first place, so there's no telling what's in your mints. That's probably what makes them so minty.

"I've been searching high, high, high. I've been searching low. Ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba ba, baby, don't forget my number. Ba ba ba ba, ba ba ba ba, baby, love is stronger than thunder..."

It's getting easier to stalk me...

Thanks to Deanna (I think), who submitted my photo to the Allison Fisher website. Well, it's up, on the fan page. Check it out.

I guess it's only a matter of time now. Or something.

"She rocked out to Wham! Not a big Limp Bizkit fan..."

Cell Phone Compton

If you know the difference between Slippery Pete and Prickly Pete, then we should be friends ;-)

How 'bout them Cowboys:
Not much going on around here. Enjoyed a relaxing evening at home last night. Watched the Cowboys beat the 'Skins 21-18! Wow, that first quarter took a little over an hour. Watched the second ep of "Listen Up" before that. It was pretty good.

15 Minutes To Go:
Why did I still get like five calls on my cell phone yesterday after blogging that I could not answer? lol I managed to only use one minute yesterday, so I have 15 with 4 days to go. Oh, go ahead, laugh it up. But this is how it was in the old days, before 1000 anytime minutes. Back in the mid-90s, my mother only had 30 minutes a month. Total! So that's how I grew up. It was like Cell Phone Compton. Sure, it was tough, but it has well prepared me for weeks like this. I can see me telling my kids, "When I was growing up, we didn't even have camera phones."

Misty May I:
I thought I would share with you a few chicks that I try to catch whenever they're on TV, some that maybe aren't so obvious, just because:
Misty May - Or Misty May I, as I like to say. (I'm not even sure what that means.)
Maria Sharapova - You already know about us.. er, her.
Olivia d'Abo - Ever since I saw The Big Green, I've been entranced. "Her bouquet cleaved his hardened shell, and fondled his muscled heart."
Stephnie Weir - I know most of you will probably think this is weird. She can look a little strange, but sometimes she looks really hot, and there's more to her than just looks. Plus, a chick with a sense of humor is hot anyway.

Are you offended when I say "chick"? Oh yeah, I picked up Springsteen's Born In The USA at Wal-Mart Saturday for $9.72. I only had the cassette. lol So, lots of Boss lyrics in the coming days, I'm sure.

"We just sit around talking about the old times. She says when she feels like crying, she's start laughing. Laughing about glory days..."

3.2 Minutes Per Day

No, that is not how much time I spend in deep thought. That is how many cell phone minutes I can spare. I have 16 daytime minutes to last thru Friday, so if you call me this week, I probably won't answer. Leave a message and I'll call you back from someone else's phone. If I do answer, talk fast! I don't plan on paying the $75/minute overage charges.

Whatever happened to Chili Davis?
I was playing Twins vs. Giants on RBI Baseball last night. (As disturbing as that is...) Man, that brought back a lot of Chris Berman nicknames. Bert "be home" Blyleven. Kirby "Union Gap" Puckett. Kent "buy a vowel" Hrbek. Jose "game-winning" Uribe. Good times.

Maureen McCormick, I love you!
Jess came over last night after church. We ordered pizza, watched the Brady Bunch reunion, and played Super Mario Bros. Good news! I found the warp to world 8-1! There's a vine on 4-2 you have to find. A vine! Of course! How did I forget that? In other news, why did/does blowing on the games make them work? lol

I'll be watching the Cowboys on MNF tonight!

And Seinfeld Returns To NBC For Thanksgiving Happy Thanksgiving To Me! DVDs come out November 23rd. Hint hint ;-)

Random funnies:
"You need to work on your Mario-control."

"You have serious video game rage."

"We went walking in the rain, talking about the pain, from the world we hid. Now there ain't nobody, nowhere, no how, could ever understand me the way you did..."

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia

Don't miss The Brady Bunch 35 year reunion tonight at 9:00 Central on TVLand! (Did I really just say that?) An all-day Brady marathon is on as well.

Blogging away from deep in the NFL badlands... Be thankful you're not here. We get stuck watching the Falcons every freakin' Sunday. Today, it's Falcons vs. Cardinals. What an intriguing matchup. And then sometimes the Saints or Buccaneers are on as well. Ugh. Fortunately, the CBS affiliate is usually showing the Titans.

I'm also very entranced by this Pete Rose movie they are replaying today on ESPN. Even though their movies (Bob Knight, Junction Boys) are generally exaggerated and you can't really be sure what is fact and what is just thrown in, it's still interesting to me to see any point of view of the Pete Rose story. So it looks like it pretty much comes down to Paul Janzen sold everybody out to save his own tail. That's a shame.

When I got home from work yesterday, the landlord was standing outside and was like, "I didn't know you were famous." I was like, "What?" He commenced to tell a story about his mother calling him in Virginia and telling him about the story that was in the paper. lol We talked softball a bit, and he said I shouldn't retire just yet, so I guess that means I'm not. You don't have to tell me twice.

The game was not fun. Things went OK for 3 quarters, then things fell apart. It's frustrating. My sister called last night. She was like, "I was gonna call earlier, but I didn't figure you wanted to talk to anyone after the game." So true. Clearly, it's gonna be a tough year with Croyle out. Add that to the fact that we're basically running the ball now 75% of the time, and it becomes predictable, if not boring.

Went up to Applebees to hang out for a bit last night. About 3/4 of the way thru my meal, you-know-who trots out. That makes me just want to walk behind the bar, stick my arm into the blender, turn it on high, and then drink it. We've seriously gotta start eating somewhere else.

Also ran by Books-a-Million. Ran into Debra yet again. Picked up a preseason basketball magazine. They've got Bama ranked 14th, 1st in the SEC West. We don't seem to do well with high expectations though. I do think Chuck Davis will surprise this year inside. He really blossomed in the NCAA tournament last season.

Random funnies:
"If I ever had a mind to go on a shooting rampage, this would be a good place to start."

"I feel violated."

"Call Charity over. You have something to talk to her about."
"What? I saw your video. Uhh... I don't know what to say after that."

"Nothing has been all right, since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna. Way before Nirvana, there was U2, and Blondie, and music still on MTV. Her two kids in high school tell her that she’s uncool. Cos she's still preoccupied, with 19, 19, 1985..."

Narcolepsy/Cable/DSL

Anyone know what narcolepsy feels like? Wow, I passed out again yesterday. Seems to be a recurring Friday night thing. K and I met up at Logan's around 9:30 last night for dinnuh. I haven't been there in several weeks, so I saw many people I haven't seen in awhile. One of the girls in my sister's wedding, Leslie, was up there eating. Another former Applebee's employee, Jennifer M. (aka Rainbow Brite) is now working up there. Shane's identical twin was working as well.

OK, I have a question. Let me start by admitting something that I'm sure will immediately open me up to scorn, ridicule, and great shame. I still have dial-up internet. OK, go ahead, deride. Deride, if you must. But I am now looking into DSL or cable internet. I was wondering which is better. What are the pros and cons of each? Is one more likely to go out than the other? Or are the differences pretty much negligible? I have heard good things about DSL, but more people that I know seem to have cable. Oh yeah, and is my TRS-80 compatible with high-speed internet?

Wow, I'm glad that's off my chest. I feel like Pete Rose after he admitted to gambling, like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm like a phoenix, rising from Arizona. Or something

Big game today. I am nervous as all get-out for some reason. This will be the first real test of the season, on the road at Arkansas. I'll probably go watch it on the big screen. New QB making his first start today. This one will tell a lot about the rest of the season.

This guy thinks the Tide will be 7-0 going into the Tennessee game, even after the Croyle injury. He lists Alabama as one of the teams misjudged in the preseason. Oh boy. Am I nervous. 2:30 PM on CBS. Don't miss it. Roll Tide!

"If I could make this old town new again, color other than blue again, I'd have something to do again, instead of thinking 'bout you again. But the people I know, the places I go, remind me of you. Won't somebody come around, and make this old town new..."

The Comeback...

"Oh yeah, Riley? Well the jerkstore just called, and they're runnin' out of you."

Like Michael Jordan in 1994... and again in 2001, Bone made his long-awaited return to the game of billiards Thursday evening, following a short hiatus due to injury. Declaring himself to be about 70%, Bone was able to shake off the rust during the first couple of games and return to the familiar form everyone is used to by the end of the evening.

Well, that was a lot of fun. After that, we headed up to Applebees. I told Donna I had finally seen the country music video that Charity and Holly are in on CMT. Well, she didn't hear me so well. It was like, "I saw that video today." She gave me this weird look when I said that. Kind of a "No one was supposed to see that video" look. Or a "I didn't know there were any more copies of that video still in circulation" look.

Last night's celebrity sighting: Eric and Lyle Menendez at the Decatur Applebee's. (Shouldn't they still be in prison?)

Oh, the free cable channels that I blogged about a few days ago turned out to be just a VHF mirage. I guess it was just some kind of trial thing, because they were gone after Monday.

And now it's time for everyone's favorite new feature here on IYROOBTY, the Friday Flashback. This week, we go back to January 2004 for this little gem from another trip to Nashville. (Why do all the fun times seem to happen up there?) Anyhow, I like to call this The Name That Tune story. Enjoy:

"Somehow we got to playing this "name that tune" game. And I was like, "What do you want me to hum?" Shane said, "Hotel California." So I started humming it and Tammy was like, "I know! Hotel California." So I was like, "Yeah, you're the winner." Melody chimes in with, "What was it?" lol It was funny. Maybe you had to be there. Of course, there was no room for anyone else in the car, so...."

NES funnies:
"I hate when that cloud starts spitting out those prickly things."

"Last night, I lobbed a grenade in the middle of the desert. This gas can looking thing popped up. So I get it, and a helicopter came and picked me up and took me to the end of the level."
"I never remember seeing that. You'll have to show me."

Oh, by the way, there is now one more Bama fan in the world. CONGRATULATIONS TO JACK AND PAIGE! Corey Jack was born Tuesday, September 21st. Now as scary as it is to think that Jack is now a father... Hmm, now where was I going with that? Seriously, congratulations guys! I know you read my blog often... or have never even seen my blog. Whichever.

"Cos I don't wanna see me leavin' in her eyes. And I can't stand to watch her watch me make her cry. I don't know a right way I can do her wrong. So I don't wanna be here in the morning, when she wakes up and finds me gone..."

In the news...

Here are some breaking stories we've been following today...
Bondage Barbie

In a related story, Ken has reported been pushing hard to reconcile his relationship with Barbie. No, seriously, it's not what you think. Thank goodness. Just what WERE you thinking, anyway?

Eat Mor Tweenkeez

Company execs blamed the financial troubles on the poor economy and Oprah going on a diet.

Golf Could Be Olympic Sport By 2012

(Cartman voice) "Oh yes, that sounds sooo interesting Mrs. Broflowski. Let's add golf to the Olym... zzzzz." No billiards, though :-(

"I laugh everytime I start to think about us. We sent that summer out in style. She's gone, but she left me with a smile, cos she was mine for a little while..."

Physical therapy with Molly Shannon

All week, I've been like a day ahead in my mind. Yesterday seemed like Thursday all day to me, and today seems like Friday. Maybe it's a sign that I need to take off tomorrow.

Went to the doctor yesterday. He was late getting out of surgery, so I didn't get to see him until about 2:45 for my 1:15 appointment. Had six more X-rays taken. Everything apparently looked the same. I basically had a torn ligament and two small avulsion fractures. I still can't move my toes hardly at all. He said if I have not significantly improved in two weeks that he will most likely get me started on some physical therapy. That should be fun. Maybe I'll have a cute physical therapist. Or maybe I'll see Molly Shannon trying to learn to swing her arms when she walks. I guess the good news is that it looks like I'm still going to be able to avoid surgery. He said that I had improved a good bit from the last appointment. I definitely messed my foot and ankle up pretty good though.

Stopped by Jessica's for an hour or two while I was in town. Got home and played some Nintendo last night (that sounds about right). Played about six games of RBI Baseball. Man, I can't remember where the shortcut to world 8 is on Super Mario Bros. I remembered the shortcut to world 4 on level 1-2, but I can't remember where the one to world 8 is. I know it's somewhere on 4-2, right? On a completely separate and unrelated note, it's quite baffling that I'm not married yet. A true conundrum, indeed.

After that, I grilled up a couple of hamburgers for supper. (Wow, this is really boring. It didn't seem that boring while it was happening.) I need something to spice things up. Maybe I should shut down and re-tool. ("What about a guest host?" "I'll pretend I didn't hear that.") How about a new format? Scandals and animals. (I hope someone out there is getting these Sein references, because they're gold.)

On another positive note, it looks like I could return to billiards action at some point this week. Of course, it will be purely an exhibition. Not ready for official, sanctioned tournament action yet :-)

"I want something else to get me thru this semi-charmed kinda life. Baby, baby, I want something else. I'm not listenin' when you say, goodbye..."

J. Alexander's

Well I was out Tuesday night, so I watched my tape of Jason Alexander's new show, Listen Up, last night. Considering my expectations had been lowered based on the premise of the show plus a bad review of the pilot that I read yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised. There were some good moments, although I'm not sure I see enough material for a long-running show there. Of course, they probably won't have to worry about that, considering Bob Patterson was cancelled within a month and the Michael Richards Show after like three months. But again, I'll be interested to see what ideas for episodes they have come up with. Seems to be a lot of man/woman/two kids sitcoms on these days, which also works against it. There was definitely some Seinfeldish stuff in there though.

In other good news, I drove my truck home yesterday. I haven't been able to drive it since I tore the ligament in my left ankle, and that is my "clutch" foot. But everything went OK yesterday. I have missed it. Don't get me wrong, I loved the Monte Carlo. 0-60 in like six seconds is nice. But it's kinda like dating a girl for a long time, then going out with a prettier girl with a better body for a few weeks. Sure, it's nice for awhile, but the new girl doesn't know all my nuances, my faults and imperfections. Or maybe it's not like that at all. Nevertheless, it was nice to have that short stick in my hands again, the worn shocks, the even more worn brakes, the slight vibration over 60 mph. It's good to be back home.

Otherwise yesterday, I got laundry done. Chef Jeno prepared a delectable sausage and ham pizza for dinner last evening. I ate in the west solarium, while watching Listen Up! Or I ate in the living room floor, whichever. Several of the Nintendo games weren't working, so I kept cleaning them. Finally got all of them working except for Mario Bros. Never could get it to come up. If you have any NES system/game cleaning tips, do share :-)

I have another doctor's appointment today. Hopefully, everything is healing OK. I'm gonna ask about possibly getting a smaller cast/brace to wear at some point, since I cannot get dress shoes on over the current one.

Here is the t-shirt I was given the other day. First, let me say I have never been to this place. If you're local, then you have possibly heard of it. I know some of you will get a kick out of this. I just wish Donna still had internet (or wasn't blocking my email), so I could send this to her:


I wish Donna could see this... 

"I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter. And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying. He said, someday I hope you get the chance to live like you were dying..."

That's me at the bottom...

I died shortly after this... 

It's difficult to snap a photograph and also avoid the attacking kamikazes and zeros. Pausing clears the screen, so that wasn't an option. I love my wingmen. Oh man, the game pad, the A & B buttons, start and select. It all came back so naturally. I also got a pic of the tshirt from Monday. I'll have to post that later.

New power adapter: $12.99
New RF modulator: $17.84
Used 1942 NES game: $7.99
Extra video cables: $6.96
Playing Nintendo on a Tuesday night in 2004... you got it ;-)

Now maybe one day I can save up $12.99 to buy Tecmo Super Bowl...

"There's a girl that's been on my mind, all the time. Su-sussudio. Now she don't even know my name, but I think she likes me just the same, su-sussudio..."

Today I shall play Castlevania!

I think all commercials for feminine hygiene products and male enhancement drugs should begin with a warning. That way, you could change the channel if you wanted. And it should be mandatory, too, like the surgeon general's warning on cigarettes. WARNING: The following could cause loss of appetite, yada yada yada...

Well, yesterday wasn't too bad for a Monday. An adoring fan brought a cake and a tshirt to work. I hope to post a pic of the shirt soon. After work, I crashed on the couch for about two hours. Decided to head into town. K showed me a couple minutes of their performance Sunday. What I heard sounded good. Looking forward to the launch of blackbart.com soon.

We headed over to Rhino Games so that I could exchange my defective power adapter. I got a new one, and also picked up three games, including 1942. The guy was like, "Have you ever played 1943?" What, was I raised in the Soviet Union or something? Of course I've played 1943. We commenced to get into a debate over which was better. I said 1942. He disagreed. At some point during this discussion, I cracked my 1942 game across his head. (Just kidding.)

After that, it was off to Applebees, land of tasty delights. Beth was like, "I haven't seen you in forever." For real, girl. We got there around 8:45, but decided to wait until 9:00 to order, because that's when the half-price appetizers kick in. Got home and realized I don't have something right with my RF adapter. Ugh. I guess I'll run to Wal-Mart today and see if I can find what I need."

Fun quotes:
"I have three Nintendos and over four hundred and fifty games."
"...and no girlfriend."
"What does he do, put all the games in a big lottery drum, crank it round and round, and pull one out? Ah, today I shall play Castlevania!"

"Communicating with chicks telepathically for thirty years."

"If I buy Dragon Warrior, I'll never be able to get anything done."

"Do you know any cheats for Commando?"

"And I don't want you to feel sorry for me. You never gave us a chance to be. And I don't need you to be by my side, to tell me that everything's alright. I just wanted you to tell me the truth. You know I'd do that for you..."

Crisp and Cool

Well, I saw my breath this morning. It felt sooo good when I stepped outside. The cool September morning air swept over my body like a tidal wave. It was as refreshing as a Junior Mint. Anyone else with me? I'm sure it will warm up later on, but this morning was sweet. I wanna go to a high school football game (even though I can't go to the local stadium anymore because of the incident... what?). I wanna drink some hot chocolate. I love autumn days, leaves changing, long sleeves... all that crap ;-)

Yesterday, I watched lots of football and a little of the NASCAR race. The Cowboys looked rough, but managed to pull out a 19-12 win over Cleveland. The Titans lost to stupid Peyton Manning. After church last night, Jess and I ordered Steak Out. They did their usual wonderful job. Those steak tips are so succulent, so tender, so juicy. Mmmm.

I have to take my NES adapter back to Rhino Games sometime this week. I let the guy talk me into getting a used one the other night, against all my instincts. I mean, who in their right mind would trade in a Nintendo adapter that worked? Exactly. No one.

Hey, don't forget to check out Jason Alexander's latest sitcom venture tonight. "Listen Up!" airs at 7:30 Central (I think) on CBS.

Congratulations to the new Miss America, Miss Alabama!

I wish they all could be Alabama... girlz.

Britney Spears Gets Married... Again

I suppose this would be the ideal time to reveal my true identity. Bone is only a nickname. My real name is Kevin Federline (:

Some random funnies:
"Are those Dippin' Dots?!!"

"Look, the Verizon guy is in the Bryant Museum!"

"The long distance thing was the hardest and we did as well as we could . We were together during a very tumultuous time in our lives. I will always have your back and be curious about you, about your career, your whereabouts..."

Final Thoughts On Ivan

I spent most of Saturday in Tuscaloosa. We won 52-0, but the victory was overshadowed a little by Croyle's injury. Looks like he is gone for the season with a torn ACL. That has to be a sick feeling for him. I know it seems trivial and silly, but it was really hard for me knowing I was probably done playing softball for the season. I can only imagine how many times worse this is.

Friday, I fell asleep after work and missed plans that I had made for the second Friday night in a row. What is the deal with that? I apologize to those I left hanging.

Just wanted to post some final thoughts on Ivan. Not as bad as it could have been. That's the phrase I keep hearing. Still, the death toll was at 40+ the last I heard, with billions of dollars in damage. Hundreds of thousands still without power. I guess in my self-centered universe, it seemed bad enough here. Definitely the strongest wind gusts I can ever remember on Thursday. Even here, it was humbling to see just a bit of God's power. But we never lost electricity. I can't imagine being where the real damage was. The pictures and images I've seen have just been incredible.

Many here were back to their normal lives on Friday. But even though it seems like Ivan is over, it isn't over. It isn't over for the people who won't have power for days or weeks. It isn't over for those whose homes and businesses were damaged or completely destroyed, for those who lost most of their possessions. It isn't over for those who will be weeks nad months rebuilding and repairing. It isn't over for the thousands of cleanup crew workers, utility workers, and others who have been and will continue to work long hours until there's no more work to do, whenever that may be. Maybe it will never be over entirely. For those who suffered losses, who lived thru it and saw the devastation will surely never forget Ivan.

Maybe I've had a distant view of and turned my head to other hurricanes in the past. But Ivan hit close to home. It cut a path thru places that are dear to me, places I've visited many times. Gulf Shores, Dauphin Island, Orange Beach, Mobile, Foley... I've walked those beaches, stayed at those hotels, eaten at those restaurants. Sea-n-Suds, Pink Pony Pub, Lambert's... I wonder how they look today. All these places hold so many memories for me, and that's why it hits so close to home. I know I'll be more sensitive in the future to those in other areas affected by such events. I am sure there will be relief efforts, food and clothing drives and such, set up around here. I encourage everyone will do what they can to help. That's one of the best things about America, and maybe even a little moreso in the South, helping your neighbor.

One of the most peaceful things in the world to me is sitting at the edge of the ocean at night, listening to the waves softly roll in, and feeling the breeze in my face. It's pretty amazing that the same peaceful, serene place can be the sight of such devastation and destruction. I know the people who live near the coast realize the risks. I know they will work hard to rebuild. They'll start over and they'll be OK. They're resilient. That's the human spirit. Keep all those affected in your thoughts and prayers.

"I'm only pretty sure that I can't take anymore. Before you take a swing, I wonder, what are we fighting for? When I say out loud, I want to get out of this, I wonder, is there anything I'm going to miss?"

New Sports Chanizzles

I think the worst thing about being a beetle would be knowing your whole life that if you ever get flipped on your back, that's it! You're finished. But I wonder if beetles even know this. I don't think that they do, because if they did, surely when they saw another beetle helplessly on its back, legs flailing, they'd be a lot more careful. I just think it would really be crappy to know that at anytime a gust of wind could come along, flip you over, and you're thru.

Well, I came home today to a nice surprise. New cable channels. This is one of the happier days in the life of a man. Charter has added ESPN News, Fox Sports World, Fox College Sports, NFL TV, Fuel (whatever that is), and a couple other Fox Sports Channels. Woohoo! I'm basking in the cathode rays, babee!

Stopped by to feed the dog on my way in today and found another little surprise. No, not that kind of surprise. The winds from Ivan had knocked like half of the tree down in the backyard at Dad's. OK, really it's just one gargantuan branch, but seriously, it's like at least a third of the tree. Time to crank up the ol' Husqvarna!! Sam was huddled up in his house. I think Ivan freaked him out. Poor thing.

Hey, I grilled up a couple of cheeseburgers last night for supper, since we never lost power here. They were pretty good, even though my stomach didn't feel so good later. Ugh. Looks like the Alabama game will be played as scheduled tomorrow night. There's a chance I may have a couple extra tickets to the game, for regular price or very close to it. So, shoot me an email or gimme a call if you're interested.

Oh yeah, here's one of the big stories of the day I guess. I'll leave the comments to you: Kobe admitted to having mistress in police interview

Random funnies:
J: "What's that old city that was underwater?"
K: "Atlantis."
J: "Yeah. I was thinking Acropolis for some reason."
K: "Acropolis? What's that from, Batman or Superman or something?"
J: "No, that's Metropolis."
(Does that not sound like it's straight out of a Seinfeld script?)

"Ninja Gaiden for $12.99! That's gotta be a misprint." (Lots of fun can be had at Rhino Games on a weeknight.)

"But you'll just sit tight, and watch it unwind. It's only what you're asking for. And you'll be just fine, with all of your time. It's only what you're waiting for..."

Ivan updates...

3:55 PM
Pink Pony Pub Survives Ivan

You know what that means, the David Hasselhoff-look-a-like bartender lives to serve another day! I wonder if their beach cam is still up.

3:16 PM
I-10 Bridge Washed Out Near Pensacola

This all hits so close to home. I made it home from work OK. The wind is really strong, making driving fairly dangerous. The power is still on here. I was pleasantly surprised. It has been out though, because my alarm clock was flashing. Looks like the storm did finally start veering northeast.

Current conditions:
Heavy rain
Temp: 71 degrees
Wind: NNE 29 mph

1:23 PM
Here's a frequently updated weblog from al.com with storm updates, damage reports, power outages, etc.

Looks like much of Birmingham has lost power. I'm sure that does not bode well for this area. The power at our tower site has already gone out twice this morning. I just got back from lunch. The wind has really picked up. No deaths reported so far in Alabama, so that is definitely wonderful news. The forecasters keep saying it is going to turn northeastward, but thusfar it seems to be churning almost due north. Blogging 'til the lights go out...

Current conditions:
Heavier rain
Temp: 72 degrees
Wind: NE 31 mph

"Go on. Go on. You were sayin' how a fool can only fool you so long. It's true. It's so true. When they do you like that, what else you can do but go on..."

Watching Ivan...

That's what most of us around here have been doing the past couple of days. K and I were out last night and saw several Florida tags. I can't imagine having to evacuate my home and go look for a place to stay 300-400 miles away. And some people have evacuated three times in the past few weeks.

Ivan did make landfall around 3:00 this morning near Gulf Shores. I've spent many a weekend there and a lot of time in Mobile as well, so those two places are near to my heart, almost like a home away from home. It's a little harder seeing them get slammed like that. According to the article, 12 deaths have been reported so far. Over 600,000 without power. I sure hope someone I know who was vacationing in Destin got out of there.

Current conditions here:
Light rain
Temp: 72 degrees
Winds: ENE 20 mph
Radar

The wind is picking up. According to the local weather people, we are expecting up to six inches of rain, strong winds, along with possible flooding, power outages, and tornadoes. I'm hoping to get home before it gets too bad. I guess I'll be blogging as long as we have power.

"Marry him or marry me. I'm the one that loves you, baby, can't you see. I ain't got no future or family tree, but I know what a prince and lover ought to be..."

A Gilligan theme

When did getting new furniture and home decor become so exciting for me? When did the first channels I check after ESPN become The History Channel and A&E? When did spending time with family become so important to me? What happened to my life? I wanna party like it's 1999. What?! It's already been 1999?! Nooooooooo!!!!

Today's blog entry has a Gilligan's Island theme. So just sit right back and you'll hear a tale...

A three hour tour nap...
The excitement began around 5:30 yesterday afternoon when I laid down in the bed to relax and watch SportsCenter. I woke up at 8:45 to 4 missed calls and the final table of the World Series of Poker. Wow, I must have been tired. Anyway, I got up, threw a frozen pizza in the oven, ate and watched Greg Raymer win the WSOP, another internet qualifier, just like Moneymaker. (I always think of Pennypacker when I say that.)

The weather started getting rough...
I-65 converted to northbound-only to help evacuation

Looks like Ivan is preparing to wreak havoc on our state. I-65 South is closed from Montgomery to Mobile. That is going to make getting to the beach quite a challenge. Seriously though, I hope and pray everyone will be safe and that it won't be as bad as they think. They are calling for flooding and possible power outages here, but nothing like those people who live near the coast. They may not even have a home left when they return. Hopefully, everyone will take shelter and be OK. Sure puts the few inches of rain that we might get in perspective.

The tiny ship kid was tossed...
Man Drops Baby Onto Highway During Chase

That was a scary video. I'm sure many of you saw it. The baby is OK, and the dude crashed into a roadblock and killed himself, apparently. It looked like he was just throwing the baby out to slow down police. Maybe he found a little decency and decided to let the baby go.

The millionaire and his wife..um, wives?
Stanford AD Apologizes To BYU For Halftime Show

I think we're all getting a little too sensitive here. If you can't make fun of polygamists, who can you make fun of anymore? Geesh.

"Ain't it funny how a melody, can bring back a memory, take you to another place and time, complete change your state of mind?"

A Bone's Life Soundtrack

I got this off some chick's blog about a week ago, but I can't remember who it was, so I can't link to her :-\ Anyway, I'm just getting around to filling it out. Not completely satisfied, but I got stuck on a few and just had to stick something in there... Milli Vanilli, Cameo, Vanilla Ice, AND Eric Cartman on one album? Pretty strong.

The Soundtrack to My Life:

Opening song: Girl You Know It's True - Milli Vanilli
Waking up: Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones
First date: The Promise - When In Rome
First kiss: Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon
Falling in love: The Longest Time - Billy Joel
Seeing an old love: I Didn't Ask And She Didn't Say - Tim McGraw
Heartbreak: Against All Odds - Phil Collins
Driving fast: So Sad, So Lonely - Matchbox Twenty
Getting ready to go out: Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
Partying with friends: Word Up - Cameo (Oh man, I'm old...)
Dancing at a club: I Can't Dance - Genesis (an easy one...)
Flirting: Yeah Yeah - Usher
Feeling sexy: Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
Walking alone in the rain: State of Mind - Clint Black
Missing someone: Bright Lights - Matchbox Twenty
Playing in the ocean: Two Pina Coladas - Garth
Summer vacation: Paradise City - GNR
Fighting with someone: The Good Stuff - Kenny Chesney
Acting goofy with friends: Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
Thinking back: Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen
Feeling depressed: Yesterday - Beatles
Christmas time: Swiss Colony Beef Log - Eric Cartman
Falling asleep: Please Remember Me - Tim McGraw
Closing song: Good Riddance - Greenday

Take The Soundtrack to Your Life Survey

"So what are you doing back? Well, I sat back and thought about the things we used to do. It really meant a lot to me. You mean a lot to me. I really mean that much to you? Girl, you know it's true..."

Two One guy and a truck

Yesterday was moving day. Well, in a sense. I was blessed to get a new couch, as well as a washer and dryer. Woohoo! The moving guy (yes it was just one guy) got there around 4:30 yesterday. I'm not sure flipping the couch over end-to-end is the best way to get it up the sidewalk ;-) Anyway, before he left, I offered him a soft drink. Nice etiquette, huh? Well, I learned that from The Couch episode of Seinfeld:

K: Did you offer those guys a drink?
J: Uh, no. Should I have?
K: What kind of a person are you?
J: I don't know.
-------------
J: So anyway, when they were in my house before, I didn't offer them anything to drink.
E: Well, they're real men, Jerry. They get sweaty.
J: So, anyone sweaty comes into your house has to be offered a drink?
E: Yes.

You have no idea how nice it is to have a washer and dryer. It's the first time I've had one since I moved out many years ago. So my clothes should smell much better now, huh ;-) After that, Jess came over and we went to eat at the steak house. And who should I run into up there but Davina Divine. I have not seen her in so long, so we caught up for a minute.

Next, it was rearranging time. Jess had to go to a visitation at the funeral home. Mom came over. We got the living room moved into the big front room, which is where the pool table was, until I sold it a couple of weeks ago. Then, we moved my bedroom into the room where the living room had been. Got all the big stuff moved. Just have a few things to straighten up and put away. I had some good help. I am so thankful.

One interesting thing happened with the moving guy yesterday. He was saying how he couldn't find his cell phone, and he was going to have to go back to work and look for it. He said, "I've been calling it all day though, and no one has heard it ring." I said, "Well, that's not good. Hopefully, no one picked it up and walked off with it." (Keep in mind, I was in the store earlier yesterday.) So a moment later, my phone rings. It's in my pocket. As I reach for it, I notice he reaches for his pocket, as well. So when I get off, he said, "When I heard your phone ring, I was reaching for mine, because I have that same exact ring." Hmmm. So anyway, before he leaves, he was like, "Do you mind if I use your phone to call the store and let her know I'm done and I'm on my way back." I said, "Sure." So when I give it to him, he's like, "This is exactly like my phone." lol He probably thinks I stole his phone.

In closing, I just have to share this, which I just recalled from a couple of weeks ago. When I was going thru stuff for the yard sale, came across this note in my closet that read: "I stole your Celine Dion CD. Love ya, Meredith." AAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAA!!! I knew it!! In memory:

"If I kiss you like this, and if you whisper like that. It was lost long ago, but it's all coming back to me..."

Listen Up!

I've been sitting here all morning waiting for my 3 Musketeers bar to rise off the desk, like it does in the commercial...

Jason Alexander's new sitcom starts a week from today, Monday, September 20, on CBS. I saw a promo for it yesterday during one of the football games. Malcolm-Jamal Warner is gonna be in it! Just when I was ready to put him on the next season of Surreal Life. I tell you what, is it just me, or is he looking a bit like Lennox Lewis these days?

We watched Serendipity last night. It was on TBS. I really like that movie. What I didn't realize until last night was that the book in the movie is "Love In The Time Of Cholera." Longtime readers of IYROOBTY will immediately (or not) recognize that title from this blog entry. That was my result when I took the What Book Are You quiz. It was a little eerie for some reason. As soon as he opened the book in the movie, I remembered that quiz and got chills. Man, I love New York. I wonder if stuff like that really happens.

After that, we watched a bizarre Whose Line Is It Anyway. They had this one skit where they switched personalities. One of them was Elvis, one was Richard Simmons, and one was Scooby Doo. I tell you what, when they started doing that dog voice, I lost it. I could barely breathe, I was laughing so hard. Then, Drew brought out the real Richard Simmons, and they used him in a couple of skits, which led to utter hilarity, as one might imagine.

On a bad note, the 'Boys lost yesterday, 35-17, which happened to be the biggest blowout of the day in the NFL. Ugh. I'll leave you with these:

Woman Fired For Having Kerry Sticker On Car

How totalitarian of you. That's a local story, too, right here in my hometown!

Bad Tipper Arrested

"I think you got a piece of my heart on your face. What a shame to let it waste. How does it taste?"

Land of the Living

Like a lot of bloggers, I didn't really blog yesterday. Just a mention, a few words, and that's it. I think it's kinda nice. When I think about that day, it just seems right to put the usual meaningless minutiae on hold. But I think it's nice, whatever way you have to remember and show respect. At the Alabama game yesterday, rather than running onto the field jumping up and down and yelling, the Bama players walked out, single-file, with their helmets off.

So yes, I did go to the Bama game last night. Felt like I was back in the world again. Yes, I was hobbling and a bit slow, but I did not have too much pain, so I'm thankful for that. Kim and I went. She drove and she was very patient with me. We sat next to these people from Ripley, Tennessee, who apparently had bought Jack's tickets off Ebay. It's funny the things I notice now. I noticed at least 4 or 5 people with some type of cast or brace on their ankle/foot at the game. I never would have noticed that if I hadn't been injured. Bama won the game 28-7. Our defense was in control pretty much the whole game. Looks like Ole Miss may be in for a down year, but it's still nice to be 2-0. We got in about 2:00 AM.

On the way home, we stopped at a store to use the bathroom, which is where I noticed the following blogworthy item. There was a vending machine on the wall, which I'm sure many of you have seen before in public restrooms. For seventy-five cents, you could purchase various prophylactics and other paraphernalia. OK, that's nothing new, I know. But the sign on the machine said, "Family Planning Center." What? Well, you could go in many different directions with this. But I'm thinking, if that is the extent of your family planning information, well, maybe that's the problem. Always sharing those daily items that I find humorous with you. I tell you what else is funny, the second I saw it, my first thought was "That's going in the blog." My, how the blog has changed my whole thought process.

Heard this Wilson Phillips gem today, and it made me think of someone who is most likely soaking up the rays in FLA...

"Someday somebody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. Until then, baby, are you going to let them hold you down and make you cry?"

Let Us Never Forget...

May we always remember, not just on this day, but everyday.

September 11 News Archives

"Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones, and pray for the ones who don't know? Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble, and sob for the ones left below? Did you burst out in pride for the red white and blue, and the heroes who died just doing what they do? Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer, and look at yourself to what really matters?"

Joey and Troy

No, that's not what Maria and I are going to name our twins... unless that's what she wants. What? But that pretty much sums up my evening. I watched the series premiere of "Joey." Pretty much what I expected. He's the same. I thought we'd meet more family members, but I guess they'll be brought in later. It was enjoyable enough. "Hoping things will stay the same... that doesn't work." How profound. What did you think?

Then I watched the Missouri/Troy State football game on ESPN. I had turned over there earlier and Missouri was winning 14-0. When I turned back, Troy was up 17-14. Tiny little Troy State over #17 Missouri! So I pulled for them the rest of the time, and they ended up pulling off the upset 24-14. Only their 3rd year in Division 1-A. That was pretty cool. I was really impressed by Troy's line play. They ran the ball well on offense and got decent pressure on Smith on defense.

Now, it's time for another new feature here on IYROOBTY, called Friday Flashback. Since nothing ever happens anymore, I figured I would go thru the archives and repost stories from the past. Today, we go back to last November for what has come to be known as "The Defroster Story." Enjoy:

"Got to ride in Shane's Passat for the first time. There was one funny moment when he said "Turn defroster on" and for a split-second, I thought it had these voice-activated controls, and I thought, "Oh man, this is gonna be cool." Then Melody reached over and turned on the defroster and I was like, "Oh, he's talking to Melody. That's not quite the same." ROFL I shared with the group and we all had a big laugh."

Have a great weekend! I'm still not sure if I'm gonna try and go to the game tomorrow night. I will be there if at all possible.

"If I need some other lovin', give me more than I can stand. When my smile gets old and faded, wait around I'll smile again..."

Musings From Atop The Butcher Paper

Just when you thought there was more to life than getting free beverages from cute waitresses...

I was sitting in the doctor's office yesterday, waiting for the doctor to come in, and I started thinking. Every doctor's office I have ever been in is pretty much exactly the same. You've got your bed with the pull-out white butcher paper. There's always some type of poster or brochure or chart with some kind of random medical information on there. It's not even advanced medical knowledge. It's like a diagram you'd see in an 8th grade health book or something. And I find that rarely, if ever, does the information on the chart have anything to do with what I'm in there for. Therefore, I think I'd like to see them put something a little more entertaining on the wall. How about one of those 3-D pictures? Those are neat. Anyway, next you have the little mini-stool that the doctor always sits on. One thing I always wondered was if it was just a tiny stool, or if it was a regular- size stool that was lowered all the way down, and maybe no one could figure out how to raise it. There's usually another chair or two in the office, but for some reason, he always sits on that little foot-high rolling stool. Finally, you've got your token tongue depressors and cotton swabs. Every doctor's office I can ever remember has been exactly like that. That must be the first day of medical school. "OK, when you get your own practice, the first thing you want to do is make sure your office looks like everyone else's. Page one of the syllabus lists all the things you'll need in the examination room: Old-looking bed, butcher paper, one-foot high stool with rollers, tongue depressors, and cotton swabs. That's about it for today. When you complete this class, you'll each receive two brochures with random medical information to hang on the wall."

Anyway, to my appointment. Prognosis? Well, he basically just told me to keep elevating my leg. He thinks the redness and soreness is just some severe swelling. He sent me to get 3 more X-rays yesterday. More than two weeks after the injury, and they are just now X-raying the top of my foot for the first time? He said it looks like some more bone fragments on the other side of my foot, so there was definitely an avulsion fracture in addition to the torn ligament. I asked about it possibly being infected and he said if it got worse or started spreading up my leg that he would put me on some antibiotics. No! I want to get it all taken care of today. Each visit is costing me a $30 copay plus time off work. I want to minimize the number of visits. Oh well. I'm done griping. I'll let him doctor and I'll do the blogging. My doctor kinda reminds me of Robert on Everybody Loves Raymond. (Wow, I sure hope he doesn't read my blog.) It's clear that I banged it up pretty good, and it's going to be awhile before it heals. I have another appointment in two weeks.

What else did I get into yesterday? Well, after that, I went by DQ to get a chocolate dipped cone. After ordering and sitting in line about 15 minutes, I got tired of waiting. So I pulled out of line and hopefully screwed up a bunch of orders. Decided to go to Cardinal to get a strawberry shortcake. The lady who brought it was like, "Hey Jeff. How are you?" I still have no idea who she was. Dinner at the steak house with the K-Man. He suggested I change my URL to little hobbler (instead of little nibbler). lol I think I've heard every broken leg joke in the book these past two weeks. Some guy called work today and was like, "How's your leg? You gonna sue it for lack of support?" Ran into a couple of people from church and one of my cousins also up there. There's a really cute girl that works there that I've always had a thing for. She was there last night. (sigh) And... that's pretty much all of that story. lol

I guess I'm gonna go and watch "Joey." Then the Patriots/Colts are on at 8:00.

Random funny:
K: "I hope she's not pregnant."
J: "Yeah, that wouldn't be good for you... or would be completely inconsequential for you. Whichever."

"Those days are gone forever. I should just let 'em go. But I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun. You've got the top pulled down, and the radio on, baby..."

In The News

I came across this article today in the local paper.

"Suicide kills more people in Alabama each year than homicides."
"Alabama recorded 515 suicides and 416 homicides in 2002, the latest statistics available."

Wow, I had no idea. So I did some searching and found another article: More Killed By Suicide Than War

"World Health Organization figures show a suicide takes place somewhere in the world every 40 seconds. The numbers are highest in Europe's Baltic states, where around 40 people per 100,000 commit suicide each year."

That's sad. I know a lot of people who are depressed a lot, but I guess I never really seriously think they would take their own life. I'm sure the family members of most who do never thought they would either though. On to other, better news:

House Committee Calls NCAA Hearing

"The NCAA's repeated failure to adopt meaningful reforms that afford even the most basic due process makes it apparent that this problem will not be resolved by the NCAA unilaterally," Bachus said Wednesday in a statement.

Clearly. Well, this is a bit overdue, but good to see something happening anyway.

Ivana Trump Will Have Her Own Fox Reality Show

"Ivana Trump will choose eight young bachelors to compete for the affections of a single but successful older woman, probably in her 40s, who will then rely on Trump to help her winnow the group of suitors to two finalists before picking the winner."

WOOOOO, I know some people who would be all over that right there. Or, I'm all over that myself. Whichever.

"We took one more trip around the sun, but it was all make believe in the end. No, I can't say where she is today. I can't remember who I was back then..."

Billions and billions served

I am reminded of the bit Seinfeld does about McDonald's. To paraphrase: "Why is McDonald's still counting? 40 billion. 50 billion. 99 trillion. We get the idea. You've sold a lot of hamburgers. We're all very impressed. How about just putting on the sign, McDonald's, We're Doing Very Well?" Earlier today, If You Read Only One Blog This Year welcomed its one millionth visitor. Wait, no, it's one hundred thousandth visitor. No, that's not exactly right, I believe it was the ten thousandth visitor. Yes. Congratulations to IP address 134.78.110.14. You were the ten thousandth visitor here at IYROOBTY. (I gotta shorten the name to something else.) I wish I had a prize to give you, but I don't. Other than the FBI now has your IP address. What?

I know it's not a lot, but numbers don't really matter anyway. I just enjoy blogging. I appreciate you reading, and I really look forward to your comments about what I post. That just makes it more fun. I was looking back thru the archives today, from last November. Sometimes I think I blogged better and was funnier then. I dunno. The first full month on blogspot, I got a little over 700 visitors. Last month, it was nearly 1400. Which brings me to my other point, and question:

How did you first come across my blog? I know some people came over from the link on al.com and some from my AOL page. But I was just curious as to how you found it. What were you searching for? I'd be very interested to know ;-)

"And we always say, that it would be good to go away, someday. Yeah but if there's nothing there to make things change, if it's the same to you, I'll just hang. The same to you, I'll always hang..."

Do you like to watch?

Being cooped up most all weekend, I watched more TV than I have in a long, long time. The best football game I saw was the LSU/Oregon State game on Saturday night, but it was also the most heartbreaking. Oregon State played a great game. I can't believe their kicker missed like three extra points. That's absolutely pathetic. LSU needs a QB. Everyone was saying they were going to win easily, but I kept telling them Randall wasn't any good. I remember a couple of years ago when someone got hurt and he had to play, he struggled. So either he's got to find some confidence fast and prove himself or the freshman, Russell, is gonna have to play.

Other interesting things I watched this weekend:
-Allison Fisher vs. Karen Corr WPBA Finals from Peoria, Illinois. (Alli won 7-2!!)
-The movie "The Great Gatsby" was on Sunday. Mia Farrow was supposed to be in it, but I didn't see him ;-)
-"Riverman" last night on A&E. It was about Ted Bundy and solving the Green River killings. The guy who played Bundy was the same guy who played David Lookner on Seinfeld (Cary Elwes).
-There was a blogging forum on C-Span the other day. Seriously. I watched a few minutes of it. It was quite geeky, though.
-The ESPN 25th Anniversary Special last night. I love how Chris Berman never does SportsCenters anymore, but anytime something special is going on, he gets to come back and be the main guy. Anyway, it was great seeing the bloopers and highlights of all the old anchors, and the old This Is SportsCenter commercials.

Speaking of that, I got like 8 or 9 hits from searches for Tom Mees last night, after they aired that piece on him. So apparently, lots of people were watching. I think that has now surpassed the Miss Universe Wardrobe Malfunction as the top search string for my blog over the past week.

In other news, I got my doctor's appointment moved up a day, to tomorrow at 1:45.

"Freedom's just another word for nothing to lose. Nothing ain't worth nothing, but it's free..."

Leaving Labor Day behind...

Poignant title, doncha think? Well, the summer days are fleeting. Hope everyone had a nice Labor Day. Summer doesn't officially end until later this month, but it more or less runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Part of me just wants to reach out and grab these long, beautiful days, and save them. But part of me is ready for the falling leaves and the chilly air. Fall is a time of change.

I missed grilling out today. Mom's family used to always get together for just about every holiday somewhere, but they seem to do that less and less the past couple of years. I miss those times. As soon as I'm better, I'm going to grill me some burgers! TBS had a Seinfeld marathon on all day, so I watched a few of those. Thank you, Ted Turner. I have enjoyed watching football most all weekend, as well. Bama won easily Saturday night, but it's hard to know much until they play some tougher teams. A few of us went in and got the game on pay-per-view. It was just good to see those crimson jerseys on the field again. I see Miss Memphis is talking trash already. I believe that one comment was directed at me. lol

OK, last question: Does anyone have any foot knowledge? Any podiatrists out there reading this? I think I may have an infection in my foot. The swelling in my ankle has gone down a good bit and my ankle really doesn't hurt too much, but the top of my foot burns like fire. And I had a little fever earlier today, so I'm thinking it's some kind of infection. Almost anytime I stand up, the top of my foot just burns and burns, and sometimes it starts burning while I'm just sitting here. Can you even get infection in your foot? Well, my doctor's appointment is Thursday, but I may call tomorrow and see what they say. I have to be better by Saturday. Can't miss another game ;-) I'm tired of being laid up. My sister had to bring me some groceries by the other day. What am I, 80 years old?

"Gonna do my dreamin' with my eyes wide open. I'll do my lookin' back with my eyes closed. We can do some living, or spend our whole life hoping, but in the end we're left with the one we chose..."

BH12

Well there's a Beverly Hills 90210 marathon on FX today. Of course, I haven't been watching it or anything. What do I care what happens to Steve, Brandon, Kelly, Donna, David, Valerie, and Dylan? But that did make me think of a good character for the next season of The Surreal Life: Ian Ziering (aka Steve Sanders). He would be perfect. Then throw in your required rapper, maybe Tone Loc this time. Round it off with Malcolm Jamaal Warner, Donna Rice, and some reality show reject. I don't watch many of them, so I'd have to leave that up to VH-1. Maybe I should write them a letter. As for today's blog title, back in the day, some friends and I shortened the name of the show to BH-twelve, by taking the initials of the city then adding the five digits of the zip code together. It was cool. I wonder if anyone else in the entire world did that. Surely, somewhere. Don't you wish you had thought of that?

Well, I have a special photo for you today:

This is what I did last night... 

Yep, I loaded my tweety bird pez dispenser. If you've ever tried to load a Pez, you know it's a tough task, much tougher than it looks. But, mission accomplished. Back to base, Joe. Let's see, I ate reheated pizza leftover from Tuesday night. Watched a little of the Titans/Packers preseason game and watched some of the Washington State/New Mexico game. There are five college football games on at this moment, but nothing real great:
South Carolina at Vanderbilt
Bowling Green at Oklahoma
Cincinnati at Ohio State
Central Florida at Wisconsin
California at Air Force

Slim pickins', as you can see, but it's the first full Satuday of college football, and I'm excited. Looks like someone is going to get the Bama game on pay-per-view tonight, so I'll most likely be going over to watch that. Football's here!!! I think I'm about to hop (or crawl) in the shower, then grab a bite of lunch. Roll Tide!

"Scars are souvenirs you never lose. The past is never far. Did you lose yourself somewhere out there? Did you get to be a star? And don't it make you sad to know that life is more than who we are?"

I thought Sean Elliott was The Peacemaker...

There is apparently an infinite supply of personality quizzes online, and I apparently plan on taking every single one. This one's pretty good, and just 20 questizzles.

What Am I Like? The Personality Test

"Your answers suggest you are a Peacemaker.

The four aspects that make up this personality type are:
Value personal freedom
Particularly sensitive to the feelings of others
Think of themselves as steady, gentle and sympathetic
Others may mistake their quiet nature for weakness

More about Peacemakers:
Peacemakers focus on the present and enjoy helping others in practical ways. They are sensitive to the world around them and take quiet joy from people and nature, particularly animals. Peacemakers value close relationships, but it may take time for others to get to know them.

Peacemakers live by a set of personal values, which they work hard to reflect in their everyday life. They would rather support an activity than organise it. When they do find themselves in leadership positions, they observe quietly and lead by example.

In situations where they can't use their talents or are unappreciated, Peacemakers may withdraw and become self-critical. Under extreme stress, Peacemakers may become even more critical of themselves and others and make harsh judgements about minor issues. Peacemakers tend to show someone how much they care about them by helping them in a practical way rather than putting their feelings into words.

Peacemaker Careers:
Peacemakers are often drawn to jobs that allow them to serve others and require close attention to detail."

So, what do you think? Am I a peacemaker? lol I think the description is quite accurate. I like animals and nature, and can be very self-critical and self-deprecating. I definitely hate controversy or confrontation, whether it involves me or is between others. (Note: The title for this entry is a bit of an inside joke from a couple of years ago when K and I were watching an NBA telecast and Sean Elliott was one of the announcers. I don't remember if we were trying to think of his nickname or what, but I just blurted out The Peacemaker for some unknown reason, and it seemed to fit. So we've always referred to him as The Peacemaker ever since. Now, aren't you glad you know that?)

"Man, I don't know where the time goes, but it sure goes fast, just like that..."

When does a nap become a coma?

"...considers all moments, big or mundane, as fodder for his blog." I like that statement. That pretty much sums it all up right there.

Hard to believe it is already Thursday, huh? I don't know what got into me yesterday, but I fell asleep on the couch around 4:30 and didn't wake up until 8:30! I've been getting in the bed at a decent hour. I think maybe I'm not resting great at night or something.

On my way home from work yesterday, I caught the very end of "She Drives Me Crazy" by Fine Young Cannibals. Crap! They should really send out the bat signal or something when they play that song, so I won't miss it. That would be neat if you could pre-program a list of songs into a device which would continaully scan all channels and alert you when one of your pre-selected songs came on the radio. Or way too complicated. Whichever.

This week has really flown by. Jess has been a big help this week. She cooked dinner Monday night, red beans and rice. Mmm... cajun! Then she cleaned my entire apartment, like cleaner than it has ever been. I should probably move now, while I can get the entire security deposit back. I just feel pretty helpless these days. I'm ready to be back on my feet. Sorry I've had to lean on you way too hard.

Ordered pizza Tuesday night. Got to watch Trading Spouses. Many of you know I pretty much can't stand reality TV, but for some reason, that show intrigues me. Doesn't look like I'm gonna be healed enough to go to the Bama game Saturday. My sister called today and said she found one of her friends who wanted to go. You have no idea how bad I hate to miss the first game, but it's a lot of walking and a lot of steps and well, maybe I'll be able to go next week.

Random funnies:
"Shane, can't you take a few minutes and google her for me?"

"I think of you everytime I see a Zoloft commercial. Stupid thing has eggs and butterflies. What's up with that?"
"When you take one, you'll understand."

"Come stand a little bit closer, breathe in and get a bit higher. You'll never know what hit you when I get to you. Ooo I want you, I don't know if I need you, but ooo I'd die to find out..."

Taking blogging to the masses

Here is the article I was interviewed for several weeks ago. It appeared in our local paper today.

There. See? That wasn't so bad. Very nice job, Emily. Although I think I defintely would've chosen someone else for the picture.

"She stayed up all night and cried into her pillow, and fought off the urge to just break down and call. Last night to find the fault seemed so darn easy, but now who's to blame don't matter much at all..."

Charlize injured

Theron Injured On Movie Set

Pay attention, people! I was injured last Tuesday. SHE was injured a few days later. Things like this don't JUST happen. Well, I guess I'm flying out to Berlin tonight... or just checking google for news updates. Whichever.

"Whatever I said, whatever I did, I didn't mean it. I just want you back for good. Whenver I'm wrong, just tell me the song and I'll sing it..."