Where were you?

 

Lest We Forget

 

  Where were you on September 11, 2001? What were you doing? What thoughts went through your mind as you heard the news?

  I am asked this several times, and I remember it as clearly as the day that I got my first car. Back then I was working at a Pep Boys in Delaware. I was a relatively new father and new husband, just trying to make a living for myself and my family. I remember going by the store on that day.  It was my day off, however I had to get some work done on the car. My wife and my daughter were with me, and had planned walking to the restaurant a few blocks down from the store to have some brunch after we dropped the car off.

  Little did I know what was going on in the world not to far from where I stood at that very moment. My service manager had a look of distraught and surprise on his face as I walked through the doors leading into the service desk. And there, on the TV bolted to wall in the waiting area, they were telling of the attacks on the local news. Immediately my thoughts went to my 2 year old daughter. What is this world that I have brought her into? Will she forever have to fear terrorism and attacks. As my service manager and I began to pray my family and he all gathered close together, needing the comfort of a hug from this cruel act that some madmen had performed.

  As you go throughout your day, remember not only the victims and their families, but also the servicemen and servicewomen who have died defending our country so that this never happens again. And those who are still serving, pray that their lives may be safe. I have kept this short, as it still brings tears to my eyes as remember the events of that day. May God bless our Country, and those that have fallen.

Are you ready for some football?!?!?!

 

Yes, it’s finally here. As the Summer season slowly wanes into cooler temperatures, shorter days, and less people at the beaches, in comes my favorite time of the year. Second only to the Christmas season, the beginning of football season has to be, by far, the most exciting of all for me.

  It brings back childhood memories of  my Dad and his friends, sitting around, drinking beer. As a child, I always wondered what those old people were doing, sitting around drinking out of those funny looking cans, watching some people on TV running around and throwing such an odd shaped playball. I wondered not only what was in those cans, but why it always seemed that after the old people had had a few of those cans to drink, they got even more into the people running around on TV, and acted even more funny.  What was this obsession they had with the TV every Sunday? I mean, I could understand an obsession with my new bicycle with the cards that hit the spokes to made noise as you traveled down the road. I could understand the obsession with my new Daisy BB gun that you went around the neighborhood, shooting tin cans and strutting around like John Wayne. But an obsession with TV and a bunch of guys running around like crazy? Man old people are strange.

  Now, just a few, maybe quite a few :) years later, as an adult, I now understand the obsession. After learning all the terms as I aged, and fully understanding  this wonderful concept of football, Man I love this game!! It has to be, by far, the greatest sport in the world. Granted, I like NASCAR Racing, Basketball, and Hockey, but nothing pumps me up more than the Pre-Season heading into the Football season. NASCAR ,Hockey, and Basketball serve as substitutes for my Football addiction, after the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl are complete and I go into Football Withdrawal.

    Other than football, about the only thing else he watches is Baseball. He could care less about NASCAR, hates Basketball, and never really understood Hockey. For me, I never could get into Baseball. It just seems like such a boring game to me. It is good to have on during a lazy Sunday afternoon. It helps me take a nap. :) But, I am sure, once I get a little older, I am sure I will be an old man sitting around with a funny looking can in my hand fully into watching those guys hit a small white ball with a funny looking stick.

 

This season is going to be great I think, as I am Miami Dolphins fan. If my team can show me just a little bit more of what I saw last season, I believe we can go All…….The……..Way!!  Coming back after a horrid 1-15,  2007 season, we rallied to an 11-5 2008 season, winning our first AFC East title since 2000.  Let’s go Fins, 2009 is our year!!!

  In closing, make sure you watch the game tonight if you are a fan. And if your not a fan, watch anyway, you may catch the fever. :)

  Man I Love This Game!

My Labor Day/Birthday Weekend

  Well, well. Another year has come and gone and I don’t feel a year older. In fact, I get better looking the more the clock ticks. Ha! Not full of myself, just self-confident. :) And no, my name isn’t Benjamin Button.

  This year was a little extraordinary. A major milestone was marked in my life this year, as it was the BIG 4-0. Yes, 40 years on this earth, and not too many scratches.

  It’s always been great to have a B’day date such as mine, September 4th. Usually Labor day falls right around that time, so I know I will always have a long weekend somewhere close to my birthday. Such was the case this past weekend. And what a weekend it was!

  I started out festivities by fishing on Friday, my birthday, night. Ended up fishing all night and catching some of the biggest Catfish I have ever seen. Being from the South, if you don’t get to go fishing on your birthday, well its just not a birthday. :)

  The highlight of my weekend, though, was the………………

Angel Oak

 

The Angel Oak stands in a wooded area along Bohicket Road of John's Island outside Charleston, South Carolina. It is such a huge and beautiful tree. Many estimates age it to be 1,500+ years old. Just imagine, a little acorn sprouted around the year 509 A.D. and has been growing big and strong ever since. You never will get the full magnitude and overwhelming awe of this tree until you bask in it’s shade and natural wonder for yourself.

  The Angel Oak is thought to be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River. Acorns from the Angel Oak have grown to produce authentic direct-offspring trees.. Live oaks generally grow out and not up, but the Angel Oak has had plenty of time to do both, standing 65 ft high and with a canopy providing 17,000 square feet of shade. Its limbs, the size of tree trunks themselves, are so large and heavy that some of them rest on the ground (some even drop underground for a few feet and then come back up), a feature common to only the very oldest live oaks. It has survived countless hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and human interference, so there's a good chance it will still be there waiting for you.

  It was just a marvelous sight, and to amaze at just one of God’s many glorious creations. Sure, I had turned 40, but I was just an infant compared to this aged wonder of the nature.

  Sunday my family and I wrapped it up with Church and Sunday dinner. And a cake for my Sister and I. My sister’s Birthday is on September 1st, so we celebrate together. Kathy was born on September 1st and came home on my 8th birthday. Funny thing I always say, it was the worst birthday present I ever got. She’d kill me if she saw I posted that. :)

  Monday, I just relaxed around the house and grilled out. Worn down from the weekend, I was ready to get back to work. :) I had a very wonderful Labor Day/Birthday weekend, as I hope you did the same. BTW, is it Friday yet? I’m ready for another weekend.

  Take care and if you get a chance to visit the Angel Oak, do so. With pending development going on all around the area, we don’t know how much longer she will be with us. Have a good Wednesday.

9-9-09 An Omen, or Just Wednesday?

  Ooh, Spooky! With the number 9 being the number of Death and endings, does the numbers aligning on this particular day signal the end of the world? A possible catastrophic event such a huge swine flu outbreak, a worldwide earthquake, the earth being sucked into a black hole? If it does end to today, I am ready, and it’s been one heck of a ride!

  But doombringers aside, I don’t see any relevance in the numbers, and feel it is just another Wednesday. I mean we got past 9am, so blah! Oh, but wait, 9pm is still to come……….

  Anyway, no one can predict the end of the world. Let’s look at another set of numbers that aligned, oh, say, a little over three years ago, and nothing happened on that date. Yes, I am talking about the infamous set of three 6’s. (I’m not going to post the full number here, as I do have an ominous feeling about that) :O  On June 6th of 2006, there were no mass floods, no major anomalies in the earths rotation, no significant events that the harbingers of total and massive earth destruction bring.  That day, just like today will, came and went with a butterfly flutter into the somber night.

  So, on the lighter side, some people are putting this day to good use…….and living life!! :) Several people, in Las Vegas, and around the world are getting married on this day. With many hotels, resorts, and casinos offering special pricing.

  Remastered  versions of the Beatles catalogue will be released, and of course,  The Beatles™: Rock Band™ for XBOX 360, Playstation 3, and Wii is released. So get your John, Paul, George, and Ringo Beatlemania on.

  On the electronics side, there have been rumors of the Leica M9, and The Diablo 3 game being released today, but none confirmed as of note.

  In closing, go off to work and school and treat today as any other day. And Carpe Diem –Seize the day! Have a great Wednesday.