Hi, guys. It is me, the
NON-ALL-STATE LOSER.
that is right..
I can now admit it and feel OK as a person…
as a MAN.
Anyhow,
here is a picture of
Wesley at rehearsal.
Yes, I am a proud Dad!
He really is quite good.

Well, our Samuel isn’t going to live somewhere else like William is, and he didn’t really change his name, but – in keeping with a long tradition of writing Day names backwards (starting with Serca Elppa Snosrettap) he created his first email address. And, for those of you so inclinded, he would love to correspond (new email acct and nobody to email!)

His email is: leumasyad@yahoo.com

So, ydnic, gerg, enniad, yrral, mot, yar, and yelrihs – welcome another backwards boy – leumas. By the way Adam’s address is madayad2@yahoo.com

I survided my weekend, but on the way home from church on Sunday, my power steering pump went bad – which, I found out yesterday, is because the rack and pinion unit had gone bad (even though it was a brand new unit). Of course the useless extended warranty wouldn’t cover the power steering pump because it was “consequential damage” caused by the aforementioned rack and pinion. They raised my blood pressure as I attempted to pry out of them what I felt I had paid for (i.e. COVERAGE), but those insurance-nazis didn’t listen to reason. So, I took what I could get (which did cost over half of what I paid for the insurance) but, I really wanted it all taken care of.

Today…a “wintery mix” as they call it locally…that is rain, snow, ice. And it will be 70 in a few days I’m sure. But, if that storm keeps rolling across the nation that was in Kansas yesterday…VT will probably get more than a “wintery mix”…probably get a couple of feet of snow!

Did I mention that we went skiing last month? We went to Banner Elk, NC. Had a blast! I hadn’t been skiing since I was a kid! We had friends from Pensacola who offered to share a big house with them at Sugar Mountain Resort – which had been given to them for a week. So, we took it! Marilyn wasn’t feeling well and didn’t ski but, the boys were ski machines. I started them on the bunny slope…and tried to teach them how to stand up, then how to stand up after you fall down, then how to walk up to the J lift (boys kept going backwards in line…knocking people down like bowling pins).

After a half a day of mastering that…we went up a notch and got on the lift. This was frightening to me…as it had not drop down bars and I had a 10 yr old and a 7 year old with heavy skis on who had never been on a lift chair…and you’re 40 or 50 feet in the air with nothing in front of you. Fortunately my friend’s kids were more experienced so he helped me by riding with one of my boys while I got them used to it.

It was interesting to watch because for the first time in his life Samuel (you know him as Leumas) could do something better than his big brother. He was a fish to water (probably due to a low center of gravity…). Adam was somewhat intimidated by the speed…and the crashing (which he did frequently). Samuel, however, just FLEW down the hill scaring the living daylights out of me. On his first time down the intermediatte slope he just went into a tuck position and went straight down the hill. It became apparent that he was not going to make any attempt to slow down…and in a couple of minutes would burst throught the Ski Lodge windows traveling about 50 miles an hour.

So, I got behind him and starting yelling, “Sit Down!! Sit Down!!” And he did. But, he sat right down on his skis…and continued picking up speed. So, I got up beside him and yelled….”Lie down!!!” (Seven year olds can do this….)…he just lied straight back until his back was on the snow…arms straight out…snow flying everywhere and he came to a powdery stop. I came up to him to see him covered in snow…lieing on his back, staring straight up at the sky. “Are you okay”, I asked? “Cool”, was his one word response.

Thus we began learning about inertia. Adam never gave up and got much better. But, the first time we went to the top of the mountain Adam, Samuel and myself stood there looking at the valley WAY down there…Samuel just goes into his speed skiing stance and bolts down the mountain…so, I had to send my friend after him. Adam, however, stood there going…”Dad, I don’t think I can make it!” ” You HAVE to make it”, I responded…”we can’t sleep up here, and there is no other way down”.

I can still remember the first time I went on a “real” ski slope in VT as opposed to the hill beside our house. I was probably in third grade…it was at the Snow Bowl…and I can still remember my sense of inimidation when I got off the lift…turned around and saw how high up the mountain I was, and realized that I had to ski down the whole thing! It can be intimidating. And, so it was for young Adam.

So, off we went down the mountain. Ski 15 seconds and then Adam would fall down (usually mostly on purpose as the speed would begin to scare him). Of course then trying to stand back up again took 5 minutes. We had been doing this for a while and not even 1/3 of the way down the hill when we hear yelling from above and to the right. It’s samuel (with my friend) on his way up for his second run down. Samuel made it down three times to our once.

So, we had a little 3 day break doing something that we had never done before. I was a tad apprehensive too…hadn’t done this forever…when I fall will my bones bend…or SNAP!? Never found out. I just didnt’ fall down (well okay…once coming out at the top of the lift…Adam drove into me and we wiped out…they had to shut down the lift cause we piled up in the middle of the area where everyone exits the lift).

I WAS, however, REALLY sore! At night time we went “tubing” (flying saucer bottoms like we had when we were kids…with inner tupe sides….very comfy and very fast). That was really fun.

Our first night, we brought the boys (it was our boys and the other family’s boys – they have a 10, 12 and 15 yr old) to a Japanese Resturaunt which amazed them (we don’t get out much…).

So, then we came home to Thompson’s Station and I walked around like an old man for a day wondering if that discomfort was worth the fun. But, it was.

That’s what I did on my winter “vacation”?

Don’t forget to email Samuel…

Hi, everybody. No witty post today (as you wonder, when did he EVER have a witty post…) We were granted two more days with William

when Adoption Services decided we should meet with William’s new family on Saturday for an hour or so,; they will then leave and come back and take him home with them on Sunday afternoon. So, we are going to enjoy tonight and tomoorw night with this sweet little boy that you have all had the chance to meet. We did find out today that his new name, after adoption, will be Wesley. They don’t know that we have a child named Wesley. Kind of funny.

We are going to miss William very much, and continue to wonder why (or how) we wer chosen to do this job. We covet your prayers as we (the family) must watch him go. We covet your prayers for him, as he starts a new life. And we all covet your prayers as a child somewhere is getting ready to start their life….with us.

Have a good day, and hug your kids.

Well, it’s 6:15 a.m. and I’m getting ready to head up to Cincinnatti (sp?) with Lindell for a worship service up there tonight, and a Q&A session with folks tomorrow morning. Home by 9PM Saturday. Then, up at 5:15AM Sunday to go schlep all the gear we need for church into the YMCA gymn before I teach an 8:30 class…which will go for an hour and fifteen minutes. Then we have a 2 hour service…over around noon afterwhich I oversee the reverse schlepping of all the sound sytem, chairs, children’s church stuff, signs, banner etc…back to a warehouse around the corner.

Then, I’ll meet the family and a weekly special guest (someone that we don’t know from church but, want to get to meet and talk too a little) for lunch…around 1:30-1:45ish. Do lunch, get home around 4:00…and crash. At this moment, as I type…THAT is the moment I’m looking for…planning for…savoring. It is my goal. If I can just make it until Sunday afternoon…I might be able to do nothing — but wait, the lawn needs to be mowed, aerated, over-seeded, mulched, my attic needs more flooring, and I can’t find my office from the clutter in it. Thank God for a day of rest eh? Okay, maybe I’ll aim my sights for Monday, when I can go back to work.

Have a nice weekend everyone!

There are no leprechauns in Travelers Rest. I’m serious. I searched this tiny town last night for one silly T-shirt that I could wear to work today and remind everyone that the Irish rule. Nothing! Nothing at CVS, nothing at Eckerd, nothing at Family Dollar or Dollar General. No cutsie earrings with green dancing leprechauns, no rainbows with pots of gold. Now there was plenty of green, don’t get me wrong. There was green grass (and purple and blue and pink) for the easter baskets. Now I ask you, WHO grows purple grass? There were plenty of live plants too. I’d have a tough time at work with ivy covering me from head to toe, though. After getting quite frustrated with my shopping failure, I settled on a boring green T-shirt from WalMart. (At least I won’t get pinched all day) I’m not sure it’s enough. I think I’ll stop by Bilo and buy shamrock shaped cookies covered in green sprinkles and super glue them to my boring green T-shirt. I bet they have leprechuans in Easley! Happy St. Pat’s Day to you all!

I’ve read that is totally acceptable to make small talk regarding the weather. This was written by an expert in the field. Not in weather, but in small talk and other pieces of useless information. It was Ms Manners in a newspaper column.

So, the weather here was strange over the last few days. After 3 weeks of our coldest weather this year (the low was in the teens…with a 0 wind chill…and only for a day), Sunday afternoon was 81 degrees! What’s with that!?

Then, on Monday a violent storm front came through (washed away most of the grass reseeding and lawn work that everyone was doing — us suburanites do that…we work on lawns and things pertaining to beautifying our .1862 acres). Then last night (Tuesday night) it was down to 23 degrees again).

I was glad to get natural gas as a heat source when we purchased this home almost a year ago. That was before Katrina. My first monthly gas bill this year was $375. So, we didn’t actually use our two gas fireplaces after that, or allow the heat much over 67…unless we had company over…which we didn’t – because we still haven’t furnishe the downstairs of our house yet. That’s another blog in itself.

So, I’m ready for spring! turn off the heater…let my wallet recover…open the windows! But, 3 days later close them – cause it’s too darn hot! Turn on the AC and the ceiling fans…and pay the inflated electricity bill.

Global warming is a bummer.

Mom and Dad did indeed come down for a visit last weekend, while Greg’s sons were playing at All-State (something Greg himself never got to do. I, of course, did).

I immediately put Dad to work and we stapled my television to the wall. We also managed to hang three sets of mini blinds, cook raw hamburger (well, it started out frozen and ended up raw), visit Jenny and eat Greek food.

My friend Dave Willard died last week, so Jenny and I drove up to G’ville for his memorial service on Friday. I had an unofficial wake for him here last night with a couple of my camping buddies from the UFFP.

They are currently dead to the world on my couches. Guess the thought of sleeping in my guestroom was too much for them. I have no idea what they did all night – I went to bed at 11:00.

Miss Cynthia – I’ve put in for the first two weeks of July and the week around Christmas this year. That work for you? I think you said you’d be at Ahmic starting on the 7th. If that’s correct, I’ll probably join you on the 7th or 8th and stay until the following Thursday or Friday. And if Chez Tall is open on Christmas week, I’ll see you then too!

This is, naturally, assuming that I still have a job in July and December. If not, I’ll be living in your garage.

For the intrepid travelers among you, the Georgia Brass Band will be playing at the NABBA championships in Louisville on March 31 and April 1. Someplace called Indiana University South or something. I’m hoping to make the trip. From what I’ve heard, the band has gotten incredibly good since I quit it. I’m thinking about rejoining it in the not-too-distant future and bringing it back down to my level.

My current winning streak on Playstation NCAA football is approaching 200 games.

And I was in All-State.

I can’t believe I actually got to where I could post a note on this prestigious (sp?) blog page. After getting precise instructions from Greg (or as precise as Greg ever gets) I still amnaged to get lost a couple of times, but hey, here I am for better of worse.
Got back a short while ago from a visit with Tom. Hadn’t been down there in quite a while and was impressed with his handiwork. The cruiser ran well, found that the air conditioning works (it was 82 degrees on the way home) and got over 24 MPG on the trip. Makes me feel a little better. By the way, in the past two months I’ve washed the new car 2 times. In the past ten years I think I’ve washed the van 3 times.

I woke up in another deep sweat. The director kept reading the list of those who made All-State, and I was not on it…again. Then, he read the name of my sons, and I realized that I needed to share with the world…. I NEVER MADE ALL-STATE BAND!!!

And now, my family is teasing me about it!

I feel so small.

All-State concert tomorrow…I will be, once again, only listening.

I want the DVD package of Larry’s sermon, and perhaps, edited in, the special music could be the guys from the artistic showcases,,,I think that would sell!

Larry, I couldn’t even THINK about preaching a sermon, I can’t imagine trying to give others insights on how to live their lives as Ihave a daily struggle to live mine the way I think it should be…how do you do it? Once again, my big brother sets a very high bar…when is your next scheduled sermon? I might want to come visit the church!

By the way, I never made All-State.

Dad makes it in with only a minimum of curse words.