A Few California Pictures

These are just a few pictures from my camera. We have both of our pictures in an album that we look forward to showing everyone.

California Pictures (The House)

Next Stop California

As I'm sure everyone knows by now, we will be headed to Newport Beach on Saturday for a full week of relaxation. Julie's parents have been kind enough to let us use their house and vehicles while we are out there, thus making it a relatively inexpensive vacation.

The weather looks perfect with highs forecast in the low 70's with plenty of sunshine for the entire week. I am bringing shorts and sweatshirts, so hopefully I'll have enough room in the suitcase. I don't plan on swimming much, but I'm bringing trunks along as well.

Our friend Marilyn will be on the same flight going out Saturday by pure coincidence. She hopes to meet us one night for dinner, although she will be headed to Burbank. She is going with a friend of hers to hopefully spend a little time in the Hollywood area (and apparently see Leonardo DiCaprio at the "Inception" premier).

I have spent the work week creating a to-do list for my staff to keep them busy next week (though I'm sure other stuff will pop up to keep them from working on the list). I have also tried to keep up with paperwork because I know I'll have a huge stack when I get back.

I may post via mobile uploads while their, but I will have plenty of pictures and stories when I get back.

A Busy, but Fun, Stretch

It has been busy for Julie and I the past week or so and it looks like it will stay busy for the month of July. A big chunk of the month will be spent in southern California, so I'm not complaining.

• Work has been a madhouse with the day camps and pools being filled beyond capacity. This combined with major management changes has put everyone to the test. It beats working the long hours at the stadium, but it has been stressful.
• I have just about finished staining the deck. I need to buy a pint of stain/sealer at Lowe's today to finish touching up a few spots, but the deck looks a hundred times better. With the sanding, cleaning and painting, it took me a total of about 12-14 hours...not counting the 10 minutes I have left to touch up. I wanted to have the deck finished before our cookout with friends on Saturday. It will be a good test run for when we have family over.
• It seems everyone has a birthday in July. We are going to Outback tonight for our friend Natalie's birthday (which is today), then we will be celebrating Mark, Kevin and Julie's birthdays at Mom and Dad's on Monday. On July 9th, a few of us will be going out for Julie's birthday dinner (Julie's birthday is July 14th). I am sure she'll get a birthday celebration while on vacation, too. Geez, talk about a birthday season!
• Friday night we will be attending Night Racing at Churchill Downs. We are trying to score a few free box tickets. I think we may have a few, but it looks like we will be buying a couple more tonight in advance.
• I will finally get out and play golf again Sunday morning at Seneca with Dad, Uncle Mark and one TBA (Kevin, if you read this, let me know if you can play...I left you a voicemail). I haven't played Seneca for awhile because I'm still bitter about the changes they made to holes #1 & #10. However, the course looks in good shape and I always enjoy playing golf with my Dad and Uncle.
• Blues Traveler is giving a free concert at Fourth Street on Saturday, July 17th at 8pm, but our flight doesn't get in until 11:30. If I wasn't coming home from a marvelous vacation, I would be more upset about missing it.
• The Saturday after we get back from vacation, a group of us will be attending Hullabalou at Churchill Downs. I can't say I'm real excited about going. The headliner is Kenny Chesney and I can't name one song he sings. All I know is that it's "redneck noise" and it's not really my cup of tea. I am, however, looking forward to seeing Gov't Mule and a few other bands.
• The last weekend in July, my best friend Sparks and I are looking for a weekend trip. We thought about golf and a beach, but neither of us will be wanting to spend a lot of money. We may just take a trip to Cincy and catch a couple of Reds games. If so, I will try to get some free tickets. We may end up taking a day trip to Chicago in August to catch a Cubs game. Southwest offers cheap round trips, so we'll see where that goes.

A Disappointing Round of Golf

I played Nevel Meade again last evening. My score of 35-39 =74 would lead you to believe I'd be happy with it, but I'm not.
I played the Par 3's +3 (1 par, 3 bogeys)
I played the Par 5's +2 (1 birdie, 3 bogeys)
I played the Par 4's -3. (3 birdies, 7 pars)
I played the last 6 holes 4 over par.

I was fairly happy with the front nine except for the bogey on the par 3, #5th and on the par 5, #7th. I hate having a 6 on my scorecard, especially when it comes from a mental mistake on one bad shot around the green.

I opened the back nine with a birdie and a couple of pars, then the wheels fell off and I had to hitch a ride on the bogey train. I bogeyed four of the last six holes, including two par 5's. Maybe the heat got to me, but I still feel I have a sub-70 round in me soon.

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Additional Note: I wonder if I've ever played another round of golf without taking a 5 on any hole. That's tough to do...all I have to do is bogey a par 4 or par a par 5

Northern California Golf Association Auction

The Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) is auctioning off the scoring sheets from the U.S. Open. They have several golfers with starting bids ranging from $20-$200. Right now I have a bid on Lucas Glover's (who started at a minimum of $25) and Tiger Woods (who started with a minimum of $200). My max bid on Glover's is $50 and I put $202.50 down on Tiger's. I believe I was the first person to bid on them, so that's neat. I am sure The prices will go way beyond what I'm willing to pay, but I will keep an eye on the lesser know n players to see if I can nab one for under $50. It would be an extremely unique item to add to my collection.
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Late note:
(I've already been out bid on Tiger's, but I still have the only bid on Glover's)

More on the U.S. Open

I have a gut feeling this will be one of the best U.S. Opens in recent memory. Pebble Beach is one of the prettiest courses in the world and great to watch on TV. The U.S. Open is also the most difficult setup of any other tournament. Thick rough, narrow fairways and small greens allow for memorable shots and infamous collapses. Most U.S. Opens are also extremely hot. The course usually gets baked and by Friday the greens treat golf balls like a horse's tail treats flies. This year will be different. The course may still be very firm, but Pebble Beach is unlike most Open venues. The temperatures will be in the upper 50's and most likely the sun will only be seen in the late afternoon once it finally burns through the fog and mist.

The U.S. Open at Pebble Beach is not know for one hit wonders winning their first and only major (the exception is Tom Kite in 1992, but he was not really a surprise to win a major). The other Pebble Beach U.S. Open winners: Jack Nicklaus (1972), Tom Watson (1982) and Tiger Woods (2000).

This brings me back to my earlier post's prediction of this year's champion being a past major winner, or like a Tom Kite, expected to win one. So, I'll take these five golfers and you can take the field:

1. Tiger Woods
2. Phil Mickelson
3. Jim Furyk
4. Padraig Harrington
5. Lee Westwood

World Cup & U.S. Open

Like Kevin, I have tried to give the World Cup a chance. I watched a large portion of the U.S vs. England match as well as Italy vs. Japan. I have caught bits of other games as well, but I don't get it either. The highest scoring game I have seen is 2-0, or 1-1. It seems like there is only 2-3 legitimate shots on goal (is that a hockey term?)per game.


The U.S. Open starts Thursday and I'm excited. I know some of you think golf is equally boring. The difference is that in golf, every stroke counts. Plus, the Open is being played at Pebble Beach this year, one of the prettiest courses in the world. It will be another busy weekend, but I'm sure I'll find time to watch. Plus, my DVR will be set just in case. I don't have any crazy prediction, but I do think the victor will be a former major winner and not a first timer. I'll be pulling for the local guys, but I would love to see a big group around the lead on Sunday as everyone falls apart.

Sheldon Gets Leonard Nimoy DNA

No Snowmen During the Round, But I Saw One After

I started my round at Nevel Meade with a limp by bogeying the first two holes. I steadied things through the majority of the round, then went a little crazy towards the end. Here is how my round played out: bogey, bogey, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, par, birdie, birdie, double bogey, double bogey, eagle.

For those of you keeping score at home, that's a 75. Not bad for my first round in over a month. I noticed I have picked up a little yardage since I've been working out, too...almost a full club, or 10 yards. I'll keep on working at it, but I also need to concentrate on flexibility.
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After the round I went to Moe's to grab dinner. As I was ordering, I noticed a guy and his wife walk in. The guy looked extremely familiar and it only took me about ten seconds to remember his name. It was this guy:









Or in his action figure form:

I know most of you probably have no idea who this is, but I watched Al Snow on WWF about 10 years ago. Plus, how often do you bump into a guy who has his own action figure?

For more on Al Snow: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Snow

or his wife, Cynthia Lynch: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynthia_Lynch

Round...ummmmm...5 of the year?

I am playing golf at Nevel Meade tonight with a few guys from Slugger Field, Randy, Tony and Neil. This works out really well because not only is it cheap golf, but it is now pretty close to home. We always have fun and there are usually plenty of insults hurled around as we attempt to one up each other in gamesmanship. I haven't played since the scramble on May 8th, but I always seem to play well at Nevel Meade. I'm sure it will be cart path only due to the rain, but maybe that will keep the course open and we can get around faster.

This is a picture of Randy on Nevel Meade's #6 a couple of weeks ago. That is a rat snake they found stretched across the tee box.

Superman vs. Muhammad Ali

I have always enjoyed superhero movies and cartoons, but never really got into the collecting and reading of comic books or superhero collectibles. However, I do enjoy browsing through comics at stores and enjoy looking at all the posters, t-shirts, action figures and various other collectibles. After hearing Mark talk about reading the graphic novel Watchmen (I thoroughly enjoyed the movie), I picked up a cheap copy at Half-Price Books. It has been a fun read so far and I will probably read more graphic novels in the future. I have been looking online trying to find recommendations for various other comics I might enjoy and were to begin. Obviously picking up a Superman issue #1 is a little out of my price range, but I did find a scanned copy online that I have enjoyed reading when I get a little down time. While searching, I came across this issue, Superman vs. Muhammad Ali. I started thinking it would be awesome to a get a copy of this and have it signed by Ali, framed and put on display. Then I figured it would be tough to come by and expensive if I ever did come across it ( I will do some research and see if any copies are available online and how much they are selling for. Plus, getting Ali's autograph would be another obstacle). Then I found out this comic is being reprinted this Fall by Action Comics. Now if I could also get Superman's autograph on it, that would be worth something!


(*The bottom asks you to pick out the celebrities in the crowd. People like Lucille Ball, Cher, Sonny Bono, Jimmy Carter, The Jackson Five, Johnny Carson, Phylis Diller, etc.)

Guatemalan Trip Fundraising Scramble

I played in a scramble Saturday morning at Shawnee with my friends Jeff, Nate and Nate's sister Emily. While I was definitely the A-player, everyone pitched in and we shot -7. I am happy with that score looking at our group. There were nine teams and we tied for first, but lost in a scorecard playoff. I also won closest to the pin on hole #4. I was the first person to hit the green and I didn't think it would hold.
For the second place finish we each got a trophy (I will take a picture later and post it) and a dozen golf balls. For the closest to the pin, I received another dozen golf balls.
It was fun and hopefully whomever is going to Guatemala will have a safe trip.

Iceland Volcano

I am beyond fascinated with the volcanic eruption in Iceland. Apparently the ash plume has now crossed Russia and the northern Pacific and is now entering western North America. This afternoon the plume had dropped from 50,000 feet to 15,000. However, the late news tonight is the eruption is strengthening again. The impact on the economy and air travel is crazy, but I am extremely curious to see the area around the volcano after the eruption subsides.
I would love to get a bottle of the ash to add to my collection. So if any of you know any volcanic ash dealers, give them my number.

Ten Things That I've "Had it Up to Here" With

1. Sarcastic comments regarding global warming. As in "heh heh, 12 inches of snow in March, so much for global warming." I don't care what your views are or what you think is fact or not, the same worn out lines for the past decade are getting tiresome.


2. American Idol. It's not the show (because I've never watched it), it's the constant updates on the radio and newscasts as well as being made to feel I should know every contestant and winner. Hey "Idol," just die already!


3. Breaking News Alerts. I used to stop what I was doing when I saw breaking news flash up on the screen, but now it seems every mindless fluff piece is breaking news. "This just in, breaking across the wires now, 'American Idol 'updates are coming up next."



4. "Creation Science" or "Intelligent Design." It's not a science. There is no other side in the scientific community, just a few disagreements with the mechanism of evolution. Don't give me this balance bull crap. If this was the case, they would also go after other disciplines like physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy and all their related scientific theories.


5. People who name their kids with the same first letter. Nothing personal, I just find it annoying and very unoriginal...and I have close friends (and a girlfriend) that come from families that do this, but I had to let it out.



6. Bed Bath and Beyond coupons in the mail. Ok, we get it. I get 20% off on my next purchase, but do I really need three coupons a week in my mailbox. How many beds, baths and beyonds do you think I have anyway?


7. Dick Vital, Bill Rafftery, Tim McCarver, Chris Berman, Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Laura Ingraham (and many many more I'm sure). Blah!


8. No water in restaurants: Most restaurants used to bring you water when you sat down, but now you have to ask for it in most places. Jeez, you'd think with global warming we'd have plenty of water to go around Mr. Al Gore! (See #1)


9. Discovery, TLC and The History Channel. These used to be my three favorite channels. But now unless I want to watch stuff explode, follow a family of dwarfs or watch cryptozoologists track el Chupacabra in the Central American rainforest's it all pretty much sucks.


10. Cigarette Butts. Whether they are flicked out of car windows and bounce off my car, piled up on the median at the stop light or laying on the green at the golf course, I've had it. I have had to resist the urge on several occasions to get out of my car at a stop light when I see someone drop a butt and flick it back into their car. I rank this right up there with dump trucks that have the sign posted on the back "Not responsible for falling gravel."

Straws and Nuts

I eat fast food (especially McDonald's) more often than I should and try to keep my trips infrequent. However, I have noticed a few odd wasteful habits McDonald's has when it comes to the drive through. About once a month I will stop and get a sundae from the drive through. Every time they ask me if I would like nuts with the sundae. I always say "no thank you." However, they always give them to me. I usually tell them to keep them, however, if I happen to get something else, they put them in the bag and I end up throwing them away. Why ask if you are going to give them to me anyway? And why is it when I order sauce for my nuggets, they always forget that?
Another waste is the straw I get in my bag even when I don't order a drink. Sometimes they give me two. If all I order is a cheeseburger, why do I need a straw? Is it so I can use it to by-pass a clogged blood vessel?
While on the subject of fast food, I am a big fan of Chic-Fil-A. The food is good and the service is better than any fast food place out there (even better than White Castle). However, it's almost too good and the service too polite. It seems almost "cultish." But as long as they're not asking me to hitch a ride in the spaceship behind the comet, I'm finewith it.

The Dumb One

Looking at my older brothers and their endless creativity through art, writing and general wittiness, I have come to the realization (and I am sure I am the last one to come to this conclusion) that I am the dumb one.

"Is that your oldest son?"
"Yes, that's Mark. He is an amazing artist, not to mention extremely bright and uncommonly funny. We are so very proud of him! Here is some of his work"
"And this one? Who is he?"
"That's Kevin. He is a very witty and creative writer. Not only that,
but is very well educated and informed. It's hard to pull one over on him."
"And who might this be? Your youngest?"
"Yeah, that's Brian. He likes to hit a ball with a crooked stick and chase
after it. Then find it and hit it again. He's special."

Indianapolis/Butler University

Julie and I attended her old college roommate's wedding Saturday in Indianapolis. It was a nice weekend and I had a chance to meet some of her old college friends. Everyone was friendly and full of frivolity (Maybe that's because everyone took advantage of the cocktail hour and open bar during the reception. Hopefully, everyone took advantage of the shuttle service back to the hotel as well). The dance floor was packed up until midnight at the Ritz Charles. The food was excellent and the stories were plentiful.

Sunday morning we had breakfast in the hotel (compliments of the wedding) and then drove down to Butler's campus so Julie could show me around. It is not a huge campus, but it is spread out enough not to feel claustrophobic. Most of the buildings are made of stone, however some look like they are made of huge slabs of concrete, with high windowless walls. They reminded me of the castle in "Shrek." I saw Julie's old house just off campus (you can see Hinkle Fieldhouse towering overhead), then saw her dorm building and finally her sorority house (the picture of her with the rock is out in front of that house).The houses surrounding the campus are old mansions, the type you would see around an Ivy League School. The fraternity and sorority houses on campus are by far the nicest I've seen, but like ant campus, you can always tell the sorority houses from the fraternity houses simply by the number of beer cans, over turned chairs, sofas and over flowing garbage cans in front of the fraternity houses.

Our last stop was the campus store where we did a little shopping. I bought a navy blue Butler hooded sweatshirt and a t-shirt with the basketball team's 2010 resume on the back.

It was a beautiful day to walk around campus and can definitely see why she loved it so much.

One the way back to Louisville, we stopped in Edinburgh at the outlet malls. I didn't get much, but I think I will probably go back in the not so distant future the next time I need to buy a few items.

(The stone house above is the Kappa fraternity house, not Julie's sorority).

The Masters

I haven't been(and won't be) home much this week to watch The Masters, so I am very thankful for my DVR. I watched it when I got home from playing golf last night and will probably watch the rest of it on Sunday when I get home from Indianapolis.
I like watching Tiger Woods play golf, I admit. However, I think this would have been one of the best first rounds of The Masters even if he wasn't in the field. Anytime you have Tom Watson, Fred Couples, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood on the leaderboard, that is a heck of a start. Throw in Tiger Woods and it is definitely the best first round i have seen in a long time. Plus it's Augusta National, and that looks pretty damn good in HD TV.

First Round of the Year (and first since November's Turkey Scramble)

I played Nevel Meade yesterday with a few guys from the Bats. It was our usual foursome. For any of you that have never played Nevel Meade, the entire course basically sits on top of a hill out in Oldham County(with no trees because it is a links course). Even on calm days, there always seems to be a breeze. The temperature yesterday was cool when we teed off, about 55, and the winds were gusting over 20 mph. Add to this my lower back had been having spasms (I was walking like...well...like Dad) and it was my first round in almost 4 months, I wasn't expecting too much. I ended up surprising myself by shooting a 36 on the front and finished 2-over through 16 on the back. I hit the ball fairly well considering I didn't feel like I could make a complete turn. My short game I was most impressed with. From 100 yds and in I played very well and only missed two putts inside of about 6 feet.

Oaks

We bought our Oaks tickets last night on Stub Hub. I checked Churchill's website yesterday afternoon and found 4 seats together for $70 each. Last night, they were gone. I went to Stub Hub and found 4 seats in the same section for a few bucks cheaper (Mom/Dad, they will be delivered via FedEx to your house in my name. I figured there was a better chance of someone being home. They should arrive in 2-3 weeks).
Julie and her friends have the dresses ready and are now working on the hats. I don't think I'll be wearing a suit, but I will probably at least sport a tie. I'm sure I'll have pictures to post afterwards.

First Swings of 2010

I took a ride to the driving range on River Road yesterday so I could finally get in a few swings. While I have definitely hit the ball worse, it was frustrating to feel so out of rhythm. It's the first time I've touched a club in months, so I didn't expect perfection, but still...

I have always had an unorthodox swing. Sometimes I get things to come together and work while other times it's like watching a monkey hump a football. Most times I feel I can pin point one motion or mistake and at least make an adjustment. Yesterday, however, I noticed I wasn't releasing my left side, my balance was poor, my back swing was hitched (as usual), my alignment was off, the angle of descent was either too deep or too shallow, my transition was too fast, my grip felt uncomfortable and my posture was inconsistent. That is way too much to feel when trying to simply swing a golf club.

Here is what I plan to do this year to improve my game (besides eventually getting new clubs). I have always felt watching oneself is the best lesson. Feeling your way through the problem or having someone else tell you what they see is very difficult way to dissect the issue. Being able to correlate what I feel with an actual image is priceless (that's why golf academies charge so much). I now have a laptop with a web cam, so my goal is to set this on a chair behind me a record my entire practice session. Sounds simple enough. This way I can get instant feedback and see if changes I am making are actually occurring, and if so, working.

The good news is I know what to look for. I have been around golf long enough, and know my swing well enough, to make an educated diagnosis. Many have told me they wouldn't change a thing about my swing, but the usually only tell me that when I play well. I am looking for more consistency, and hopefully, lower scores. I want a swing I can rely on even if I don't quite have the feel. Hopefully this approach will work, or at least it will be fun trying.

Updates

I haven't posted much about what is going on with me, so here is an update on all the "stuff."

• Work - I've been very busy, and a little stressed out, trying to get a handle on all the projects we need to get done at the center. On top of that, finding the money to do them is always fun. The good news is we have a few shutdown days coming up: March 30 -31, April 5-6 and May 19-20. We will use these days to get projects done we can't get done when members are around (i.e. retiling and grouting the women's steam room, retreading and painting steps, fixing leaks that requires shutting off water to the entire building). On top of all this, we are trying to get our pools up and running while at the same time going through the renovations to bring each pool into compliance with the Virginia Graham Baker Act...an extremely costly renovation. The worst part is we meet federal guidelines with flying colors, but Kentucky's law is twice as strict. Thanks Kentucky for making us spe nd an extra $100,000+. The good news is I get a PTO day for each shutdown day I work, so I can add 6 more days to my total.
• Julie is recovering from her surgery and is back at work, although she really shouldn't be. It seems the issue has been taken care of and she is extremely anxious to get back to feeling good and going back to her personal trainer and spin classes. I think we are even going to start running and hiking together when she's back to full strength. We need to get our beach bodies in shape for California in July.
• I am avoiding basketball right now because I'm still bummed out from UK's loss on Saturday. It was an extremely fun year, especially compared to the last several. Now I can turn my focus to golf and baseball for the next several months. I'm sure I'll get out and at least hit some balls this week with the nice weather. I can't wait.

That's all for now...I cranked this out in a about 5 minutes, so I apologize for any spelling errors.

Why It's Important to Me: Better Than I Could Ever Say It.

Funny Q & A from Kentucky Sports Radio

From KSR's Website:

FAQ: The NCAA Tournament
by Tomlin @ 12:30 pm. Filed under Blue Blooded Opinions

Friends,Well, here it is. And it’s pretty much the situation we all hoped for. Following our 44th SEC Title and a brand spankin’ new SEC Championship title, the Cats glide into their rightful number one seed and prepare for the inaugural weekend of NCAA Tournament play.
But perhaps you’ve never heard of this “NCAA Tournament.” Perhaps you only learned about the stellar Kentucky Wildcats this very year, and perhaps you were surprised that there was more than the SEC Championship yet to come. You must be incredibly surprised, then — but also somewhat confused by this new, next step. For you, you fresh-faced innocents, Need-to-Know Wednesday brings you Frequently Asked Questions About the NCAA Tournament. As always, you’re welcome.
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What is the NCAA Tournament?
When many people refer to the “NCAA Tournament,” they’re referring to the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s annual men’s basketball tournament, which is played at the end of each regular season after individual conference tournaments. It originated in 1939 and generally consists of 65 teams.
I would like to enter this year’s NCAA Tournament. I will play in San Jose on Friday.
Sorry, but the NCAA Tournament is by invitation only. You must qualify for the tournament by at-large bid or by winning a conference championship. Many times, you will have to have a national ranking to be invited.
I am nationally ranked at my local Applebee’s Golden Tee game.
That does not count.
I am also currently ranked fifteenth among my peers in concrete sales in a national competition to sell the most concrete.
Again, this does not count.
I don’t think you realize how hard it is to sell concrete. You think you’re so good, you try it. It’s really hard.
No one’s arguing that. These sixty-five teams play in a single-elimination tournament, ranked numerically based on their regular and post-season play and advancing to rounds known as the Sweet Sixteen, the Elite Eight, the Final Four, and eventually the tournament’s championship game.
What’s the clever, cute little same-letter nickname you’ve given to the championship game?
It doesn’t really have one.
I would like to know who will win this year’s tournament, please.
That’s very tough to call, since part of the excitement of the NCAA Tournament is the opportunity for teams of similar skill levels to play each other for the first time. It also allows smaller teams the opportunity to play against more storied teams.
But by your rationale, whoever is number one will win the tournament, because they are the best. Who is number one?
Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Duke.
You are a terrible counter. That’s four teams, stupid.
There are four number one-seeded teams: Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Duke. They are the number one seeds in their respective brackets.
How many seeds are there per bracket?
There are sixteen seeded teams per bracket.
But you said there are 65 teams. You really suck at math.
One game is a play-in game to take place before the tournament begins.
I would like to go see this tournament. I will be traveling to Spokane, Washington and will be enjoying the 32 games of the first round. How exciting!
Actually, you’ll only get to see four games of the first round.
You said there were 32 games in the first round.
The first round takes place in several different cities.
I am going to need to speak to someone in Spokane, Washington about a refund. Do you have that phone number?
No.
This is madness.
Yes. It’s March Madness.
You and your damn same-letter nicknames.

The Warm and Fuzzies - The Best Thing Eddie Sutton Ever Accomplished.

Buckle B's Best Bet Bracket Busters

I know this is the day before one of the best sports days of the year, the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and this barely gives you time to use my prognostications to complete your perfect bracket. For those of you, however, that like to wait until the last possible minute to throw away $5 in your office pool, I offer these first round upsets.

• It seems everyone is picking Siena to beat Purdue now that the Boilermakers are without Robbie Hummell. I have thought about this for awhile and hate to jump on the bandwagon. Therefore, I am picking PURDUE to beat Siena. I understand this is not technically an upset based on the seeding, but it seems picking Purdue is going against the grain, therefore acceptable as an upset. Plus, I don't see Siena winning a first round game 3 years in a row.
• Georgia Tech over Oklahoma State: A 7 over a 10 is not earth shattering, but the Big 12 is THE conference this year, while the ACC is having a down year. Derek Favors is a major plus for the Yellow jackets, but he's not the deciding factor. Oklahoma State, coached by former UK PG Travis Ford, who took over for the Suttons now that the father/son duo is "Betty Ford-in it," also starts Billy Gillispie recruit, Matt Pilgrim. How could you not pick Tech?
• Missouri over Clemson: Don't really know why, so I am mailing this one in and saying "have I ever let you down before?"
  
• Two quick notes:

1. Everyone is talking about how dangerous Cornell is this year. Buckle B says don't listen to the Ivy League, it's poison for your bracket. Temple will put an end to the pretender contender Andy Bernard's Alma Mater in the first round.

2. I have gone through the bracket several times, and as much as it pains me to say this, I do not see Louisville losing to California or Duke. Louisville has proven they can play with the worst of them, but I see at least a sweet 16 run from UofL. At least if it is UofL v. Duke, somebody will lose and I'll be happy.

Titanic Survivors

Here is a picture of the Titanic survivors from the exhibit at the Louisville Science Center back in January. Notice it's all the women who survived while us guys went down with the ship. Women and children first. Bah!

"Zombie in My Pocket"

I am posting this for you Mark. I have heard it is a fun game, but have not printed it out yet because I don't have any card stock. It is a solitaire game you can play in 5-20 minutes. http://files.boardgamegeek.com/file/download/39dklh6vg3/Zombie_in_my_Pocket.pdf?

UK/Georgia & Ghost Hunters 100th Episode

I am a little concerned about the UK/Georgia game tonight, but not as worried as I would have been if Kentucky had beaten Tennessee this past weekend. Georgia is undefeated at home this year in conference play and will have added motivation tonight against Kentucky. I don't have much more insight than that, but I'm looking forward to it as usual.

I saw in the TV lineup this morning that "Ghost Hunters" will be having its 100th episode tonight on SyFy Channel (formerly Sci-Fi...I guess they thought the change made it zippier). It will be a 2 hour live broadcast from Alcatraz. I have my DVR set just in case I get too sleepy to watch it after the Kentucky/Georgia game. The broadcast starts at 9pm. I have been a little disappointed in the show the past few seasons because I feel like more of it is staged . I guess I should know when I watch a channel called SyFy it may have a little bit a fiction sprinkled in. However, it will be neat seeing them at Alcatraz. I'm sure the show will be ruined by a "celebrity" guest investigator they usually pull out for the live episodes.

2 Feet of Snow

Dream

Several days have passed since I had this dream, but this is the gist. I was in a church awaiting the mass to start. Several people were still filing in through the doors when I noticed I had a couple of minutes before it started. I sprang from my pew and ran to the back of the church where a book store  was getting ready to close. I ran from isle to isle looking for a good book to read during the mass, but all I could find were greeting cards, party decorations, calendars and various other peripheral items one finds in a chain book store.

This is all I remember, but I think it may have to do with Julie mentioning having to spend some time in a Christian bookstore the day before while her friend shopped for sheet music.

(By the way, I'm not happy Blogger did away with the spell checker. If I am missing it, please tell me where I can find it in this new updated version. Guess I'll have to check the old fashioned way).

Google Yourself

I "Googled" my first, middle and last name separately to see what the first entry would be for each one. "Brian" and "Joseph" (of Yosef) were Wikipedia entries, not surprisingly. "Tabler" was a website for the Tabler Company based in Louisville. Not real interesting, I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Griffin

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_(Bible)

http://www.tabler.com/

Ohio River

I was thinking today about the Ohio River come March and April. With the enormous amount of snow states to our northeast are getting, the snow we have been receiving and the amount of rain we usually get in March, this could be interesting. Is it time to break out my Indiana poem again?

From Us Hoosiers Keep!

The great Iroquoian river erodes
carving Ken-tah-ten
dividing this land of tomorrow
from land of native men.
North of the muddy ribbon
parasitic towns emerged
oh' only if tomorrow
had purged this festering scourge
And now the lights of winter cast
bleak shadows on our face
as we gaze o'er the river
and ponder wasted space
Glaciers past devoured, scoured
a once proud pristine land
but now our hope rides in rain drenched skies
to use what is close at hand
Oh river, oh river swell thee wide
depths deadly deep
quicken your current, reclaim your road
and from us Hoosiers keep.

("Ken-tah-ten" is Iroquoian, translated as Land of Tomorrow)

Snow

I went to bed last night at 10:30 and had my alarm set for 12:30 so I could get up to see if the snow had started. When my alarm went off, I looked out my window and saw the snow falling fast with the parking lot and cars covered. I reset my alarm for 3am so I could get up and make a decision on the opening of the center, which is normally scheduled for 5:30am. JCPS and the catholic schools had not made a decision (which is what I go off of concerning our day cares). I drove into work about 4 and salted out steps as the maintenance guys plowed the parking lot. I checked online at 4:30 and saw they had closed the schools. I made the decision to cancel the day cares and open the center at 11am.

So now I am sitting in my office at 7:13 wondering if we will be able to open at 11am. Our facility will be fine, it's just the roads around town and how much more snow we will get that concerns me. But I think we will be fine.

I am tired and hoping to get out of here a little after Noon.

Snow days aren't as fun as they used to be.

Meteorite Custody Battle

Here is a story out of Virginia concerning the proper owner of a meteorite.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/28/AR2010012804235.html?hpid=artslot

Spin Class/Exercise

I joined in on the hour long spin class at the LAC last night. Once again, it was very tough, but seemed to go by faster than last time. I'm a little sore and tired today, but feel pretty good overall. I think I might take a power nap when I get home today...they usually help quite a bit.

I am trying to ease myself into a work out routine. I ran about two miles on Tuesday night along with doing push ups whenever I get the chance. My goal is to stay after work a few nights a week and take advantage of my membership at the community center. My goal is to see a noticeable difference, in both body and energy level, by the time I go on vacation (to California, it appears) in July. I seem to always be fatigued and sleepy. I know winter has something to do with it, but I also know it's due to my lack of exercise.

Lack of sleep is another reason for the way I feel. I am a "night owl" and force myself to stay up, even when I'm sleepy. I think if I get into my bed at a set time each night to read, instead of reading on the couch, I will be more likely to turn the light off earlier and go to sleep. I'll try this for a week or so and see if it helps.
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On a totally unrelated note, "Zombieland" is now out on DVD. So Mark and Kevin, we need to find another movie night soon!

Happy President's Day! (a little early)

Which is Funnier?

Which of these videos is funnier?

Mr. Peanutbutter Boy


Or Mike Seaver and his buddy Ray "Boner" Comfort

I don't know whether to laugh or cry after watching these.

Technical Difficulties/License Plates/Super Bowl

I have been having issues with the formatting of videos so I can upload them to Youtube. I will keep tinkering with it until I figure it out. Basically, It will happen when it happens. Until then, I'll just keep on typin'.

____________________________________________________________________

I'm sure you are probably tired of my diatribe concerning religious issues, but I need to write about what interests/infuriates me. I read an article in the C-J this morning saying the House had approved the "In God We Trust" license plates, as standard issue, by a vote of 93-1 (Mary Lou Marzian was the only one to vote against). This now moves on to the senate.

I understand I don't have to get this plate. It wouldn't bother me (as much) if the plates were sold like other specialty plates. What does bother me is that a standard issue government license endorses a religious belief (I almost wish they would try to give me one so I could raise a stink. That would be fun!). I understand some people will purchase the plate early instead of waiting for the current license to expire, but I don't see this offsetting the cost of producing the license.

Question: Because the "In God We Trust" motto has been placed on our currency, should the government offer alternative money without the motto (assuming we can't get rid of the current currency motto all together)? I'd be curious to find out what everyone thinks about this idea. What are the problems or benefits (socially, economically, etc.) it would render? Please discuss.
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Apparently this Sunday is the Super Bowl. I am once again looking forward to ignoring it and not being able to participate in "what was your favorite commercial" discussions. I love college football, college basketball, Major League Baseball, golf and various other sporting events, but the NFL bores me to tears. The best thing about the Super Bowl is that it means the season is over (although we will still have to endure "NFL Tonight" on ESPN all the way through the summer.

Video Blog

I have been thinking about making some video blogs to throw in with the regular blog. I think I can upload some of the shorter ones, but will need to embed any longer videos I make. My plan is to create a youtube channel so I can do this. Not sure when I'll get it done, but it should be fun to play around with.

For anyone who has been keeping up with the forecast (I go as far as reading the computer models and all that jazz), this has been one of the weirdest storms for the meteorologists to predict. Some models show 1-3" in Louisville at the same time showing 6-8" in Shepherdsville! A little wiggle to the North can make a big difference in the snow totals. I guess we won't know until it's over.

Homer: “This gun had a hold on me. I felt this incredible surge of power, like God must feel when he’s holding a gun.”

The recent discovery of Bible verses etched into the scopes of Military rifles had me thinking it would be funny if they started putting random or weird Bible verses on each scope (or at least ones that were funnier given the context).

• "[...]though they turn to other gods and love the sacred raisin cakes." Hosea 3:1
• "Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths." 2 Kings 2:23-24
• "Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!" Psalm 137:9
• "[...]the Israelites killed one hundred thousand Aramean foot soldiers in one day." 1 Kings 20:29 (sounds like the gauntlet has been thrown).
• "But as for you, your carcases, they shall fall in this wilderness." Numbers 14:32

Maybe the Army can keep the engraved scopes and start using Jules from "Pulp Fiction" in their "Army of One" commercials.

"An Army of One...and he's a mushroom cloud layin' mutha'....!

"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of
the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of
charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he
is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike
down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

One Giant Christian Middle Finger to Haiti

"Amid the massive effort to ship tons of food, water and medicine to
quake-ravaged Haiti, one U.S. religious group is rushing in hundreds of
solar-powered Bibles.
The Bibles, sent by the Faith Comes by Hearing organization, can broadcast the holy scriptures in Haitian Creole to 300 people at a time.
Jon Wilke, a spokesperson for the Albuquerque-based group, says 600 audio Bibles, called "Proclaimers," are en route and there is an "immediate need" for another 3,000 Proclaimers."We want to equip short-term groups, disaster relief teams, church teams and other ministries with the Word of God in a format the people can use," Wilkes says in a statement on the group's website.
(Posted by Doug Stanglin)"

100,000+ dead. Over 400,000 homeless. Thousands more in desperate need of medicine, shelter, food and water. Good call on the Bibles.

Really Nothing to Write About

I have been itching to blog, but really have nothing exciting to say. I guess I'll take Mom's approach and just list some random thoughts and happenings.

1. I'm still reading "The Power of One." It has been nearly 6 months since I started it, but I have read 3 chapters in the last few days. I'm on a roll. Poor little Peekay just can't catch a break.
2. I picked up "Letter to a Christian Nation" by Sam Harris last week. It's only 115 pages and I read it over two days. It is basically preaching to the choir (I chose this on purpose), but I would be curious to know how many Christian's have read it.
3. I think I may start reading the Hitchhikers Guide trilogy next. I have several books I have yet to read. I need to get going and quit buying new ones.
4. Work is a money pit. Here are just a few of things we've had to pump money into in the last month: New gym roof (and smaller roofs); a wrecked bus; a broken down passenger van; two major renovations to the men's/women's spas; various pumps and HVAC unit repairs, parts and services for our grounds equipment (for the Spring); new water fountain; new control panel for a convection oven; etc. etc. etc.
5. I have cabin fever. I'm looking forward to getting on the course, metal detecting or just doing some general hiking. My back is killing me and I think it's due to lack of exercise. Maybe I should take advantage of my free health club membership, huh?
6. Julie and I saw "Avatar." The 3-D was neat and I liked the animation. The movie itself was kind of crappy. And long.
7. Heath bars may be the best candy ever made.
8. I bought "The Life of Brian" and "28 Days later" at Half-Price a few days ago. I'm looking forward to watching them. I don't remember giving permission for a biographical movie, but I'm sure it's good! How can it not be?
9. I have given up using my CD travel cases and have gone back to storing my CDs in the original cases. If anyone has extra jewel cases, I'd be happy to take them off your hands.
10. Julie and I had a discussion a few nights ago about what we found scarier; earthquakes or tornadoes. She argued tornadoes due to their nature. Plus she said spending half her life growing up in California caused her to get used to earthquakes. I, of course, argued earthquakes because they effect a wider area, offer little warning if any and a real big one can level an area for hundreds of miles around (especially in this area). What do you think?
11. The guy who worked here before me has a son in the daycare down the hall. The first few weeks I was here he would stop and give me the evil eye while I sat in my office. He would even ask, "what are you doing in my daddy's office?" Now he just waves, but I often hear the other kids saying, "Carson, there's your dad!" And he always says, "that's not my dad! My dad has a new job in a new office!"
12. I am going to stop on 12 because it feels like a good one on which to stop.

Earth-quack Coverage

I am no expert when it comes to earthquakes and seismology, however I consider myself more educated on the science than the average bear. I am fascinated by seismology and have read several books concerning the subject. I even break out old text books from time to time. So it is only natural I get a little "rattled" when I hear a national news outlet give wrong information concerning earthquakes, no matter how trivial it is.

CNN's coverage of the quake in Haiti has been non-stop the past two days. During this time, they have interviewed everyone they can round up. The first night of coverage, they kept going to CNN's chief meteorologist to discuss the earthquake and to get his expert opinion on what Haiti can expect in the coming weeks. This is where my problem begins.

First, why is a meteorologist the in-house expert on earthquakes. Shouldn't they find a seismologist to speak with. I understand it is all "Earth Science", but I wouldn't call the fire department when someone was breaking into my home. They may all be emergency services, but unless the Wicked Witch of the West is busting into my flat, that fire hose won't do much good.

The meteorologist began discussing the type of waves created during and earthquake; P-waves and S-waves. He used an analogy for P-waves, comparing them to train cars bumping into each other. The first car bumps the second car, which then causes that car to bump into the third car, and so on. Fine. P-waves, or primary waves are also called compression waves.

The problem I had is when it came to describing the S-waves. He again used an analogy, but this time he used a jump rope. If you lay the jump rope on the ground, grab one end, and swish it side to side, you create a 'S' type wave. He said the wave is called and S-Wave because it looks like an 'S.' I admit, I yelled at the TV when he said this. In the grand scheme of things I understand this is isn't important, but this was a paltry explanation that sounded as if he made it up on the spot. S-waves, or transverse waves, are secondary waves. So, in review, a P-wave is a primary wave and a S-wave is secondary wave. It's not called 'S' because it looks like an 'S.'

I know this is trivial and doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, but it bothered me.

Crappy to the Max

I spent this past weekend with Julie and several of her friends (a few who came in from out of town). Saturday we went to the Louisville Science Museum to see "Ghosts of the Abyss" at IMAX and then check out the Titanic exhibit. We ended the evening by having sushi at Sapporo on Bardstown Road and then heading to Flannigan's.

• The IMAX film was awful. The point of going to see a film in the IMAX format (for me) is (A) to experience the cinematography. I want to have a physical reaction to the motion on the screen. And (B) I want o to learn. After all, it is a science museum -- a place for learning and exploring. "Ghosts of the Abyss" had decent moments, but overall failed miserably. It was interesting to see the sunken parts of Titanic overlaid with recreations of that part, and"ghosts," or images of people, to give the audience an idea of what it would have looked like while in use. However, the majority of the film focused too much on actor Bill Paxton, who narrated the documentary and hitched a ride on one of the submersibles. Too many shots of his face, or Paxton looking out over the Atlantic, reflecting on how amazing and humbling he found the experience, made for a frustrating hour. I wanted to yell "show me the wreckage! Show me the expedition equipment! Show me something other than Paxton's four story face!" A 9/11 reference was thrown in too (because it happened during the filming), but seemed strangely out of place and forced.
• The exhibit was interesting simply because it was a chance to see recovered items from the wreckage. If you have never seen this type of exhibit, I would recommend going. Parts of the ship, personal belongings, paper money, coins, letters and postcards, pieces of various parts of the ships interior, china, a champagne bottle still half full, etc, etc. etc. are all on display. Seeing these items so remarkably preserved considering they were 2 miles below the North Atlantic for 100 years was a neat experience.
• Sapporo was good, but I can still say I don't crave sushi like I was told I would. I like it enough that I don't mind eating it and I like exploring different types. At least my chop stick skills are getting better.

"Poor Horatio"

The first winter storm watch of the season has been issued for Louisville a full 36 hours ahead of the estimated arrival time. The ground is indeed cold enough for the snow to stick immediately and the forecast is for blowing snow. It doesn't sound like it will be a good 'snowman' or 'snowball' making storm. Too dry. Except for the added hours at work, I'm looking forward to the first storm of the season. If it must be 15 degrees, it might as well snow. If not, bring on summer.I'm curious to see how close the local stations are on the forecast this far out. I believe them that it will be all snow, because this is coming from the North...bringing more cold air with it. Right now the prediction is 2"-4". Nothing major, but can cause a few problems. The normal ratio for snowfall is 10:1 (10 inches of snow for 1 inch of liquid precip). However, I have heard some national meteorologists give numbers as high as 40...even 50:1 ratios due to the intense cold. I think the local gurus are saying about 20-25:1, but only forecasting .25 of precipitation.

What it comes down to is this. It will snow...some. It will be cold. Dad, watch out for those icicles. Mom, keep your quilting/reading gloves handy. Kevin, if you take a walk in your neighborhood, watch out for falling tree limbs. Mark and Kim, get the sleds ready for the girls. I'll be out throwing snowballs at salt trucks.

Buckle B's Log: Day 1

Following my duties as the designated driver for last night's New Year festivities, I find myself a few short hours later sitting in my office at work. Two small issues have come up this morning, both requiring that I be here, but not urgent enough to feel like my time isn't being wasted.

I also don't feel too tip top and the last thing I want to do is start the new year sick. My throat is a little sore and my head hurts, but I'm hoping it's from having to yell in conversation over the band last night. If I can sneak out early today, I will try to nap when I get home.

• I'm looking forward to the UK/UofL game Saturday. I hope I'm still excited about it after it's over. I feel good about UK winning this game, but it's a rivalry game against a Pitino team. If they hit 3's, it could be a long day.

• And it looks like the ground will be frozen this weekend, so no metal detecting. Looking at the extended forecast, the cold temperatures appear to be hanging around for awhile with the potential of snow next week. I think I might detect around my patio tonight inside the fence line so I can give my detector a workout.

I'm sure I'll post again today amongst all the action happening here at the J. Until then, I hope your New Year isn't as creepy as that "2010" baby....yikes!

Funny Metal Detecting "Clad"

I came across this site while doing some research on my lunch hour. I thought a few of these shirts were funny, especially the evolution of metal detecting and the anti-pull tab shirts. Don't be surprised if I do some 2010 Christmas shopping on this site.

http://shop.cafepress.com/metal-detecting?page=1

Buckle B's Year End Review

Personally, 2009 was a year I may not be able to fully wrap my mind around for awhile. You know the details, so I won't go into them. But the year has ended on an extremely positive note and I am excited about 2010.

Here are a few things that stand out in my mind while looking back on the events of the past year, in no particular order:

• The August 4th rain storm was impressive. Being the weather geek I am, it doesn't take much to impress me, but rainfall rates of 9" per hour in some areas around Louisville? That is something you usually only hear about in hurricanes, in the tropics or on top of some mountain in a remote rain forest. Plus working at Slugger Field gave me a different perspective.
• The hiring of John Calipari at Kentucky: I was a little nervous about the "baggage" Calipari brought with him. Currently I'm blinded by the early success. I just hope the aura presently surrounding UK basketball doesn't go the way of Tiger Woods. And speaking of Tiger Woods...
• I am more disappointed than the average person concerning the Tiger Woods issue. Not because my opinion of him as a person has changed, because it really hasn't, but because this could take him away from the game of golf for the foreseeable future. I enjoy watching Tiger Woods play golf. He is the best in my favorite sport and I hate the fact I may not see him play for awhile. I will still watch golf (and enjoy it), but I will miss watching the best golfer on the planet.
• Barack Obama becoming President of the United States. This does not stand out because he is the first black president (sorry Slick Willy), but because I can't believe a man named Barack Hussein Obama was elected President of the United States just 7 years after the 9/11 attacks. The general population (i.e. red states) were so terrified of anyone with a middle eastern sounding name. Politics aside, I find it ironic and fascinating he was able to win the election (but then again, look at his competition).

I would like to hear what everyone else remembers about 2009. It can be anything at all: personal, news, sports etc.

A Heart Warming Message from a "Christian"-Merry Christmas!

"This is a sickening display of the atheist agenda at work. I pray that we
can get some leadership to round-up these people and give them a taste of their
own medicine. If they don't believe is [sic] God, I say we send them a one-way Express ticket to meet their Creator. As someone said, as Christians, we only need to turn the other cheek TO OTHER CHRISTIANS. Everyone else can go die for all I care. PS. MERRY CHRISTMAS."

How Not to Fix a Pool Chemical Pump

One thing I have learned during my short time at the JCC is the big things usually break in the last hour of the day. Out of the four workers on my maintenance staff, one is on vacation, one is still out sick since a heart attack in November and the other two leave at 3:30 each day because they get in very early.

I received a call from aquatics (as usual) and was told the chlorine pump "center tube" was not working, therefore no chlorine was getting to the pool. I didn't even know where the chlorine pump was located, much less what a center tube was or how to fix it.

I called the maintenance guy that is on vacation (something he told me to do if I ever needed anything) and told him what the problem was. He directed me to the pump and gave me step by step instructions over the phone of where to find the part and how to replace it. The repair itself was easy, so I know how to fix at least one thing on a pool if it every happens again.

However, the worst part was not the repair, but the smooth move I pulled while repairing it. I unplugged the pump like I was supposed to so no chlorine was being pumped through the tubing. However, when I pulled the small "broken" tube off, it still had drops of chlorine in it. While pulling it off, a few drops of chlorine flipped out and went straight into my left eye. I flushed it out with water and then finished the repair with basically one eye. Looking in the mirror last night I had a chemical burn on my eye...a little raised nodule I could feel when I blinked.

The redness went away and the burning stopped last night. Today it feels almost as good as new, except my left eye seems to be over actively "making sleep" throughout the day in an attempt to completely heal itself.

Bottom line is, even if everything is turned off and looks dry, wear goggles, genius.

"Ugly" Sweater Party

I'm a man who takes great pride in his appearance, so when it comes to parties I like to look my best. This is why I was humiliated and broken hearted when I won second place in at an "ugly Christmas sweater" party on Saturday.

Apparently there were drunk people judging who wouldn't recognize high fashion if they unwrapped it on Christmas morning.

I thought having Julie by my side would only make me look that much better, but apparently it backfired and everyone just assumed she was with me out of pity.

It's nice to know I wasn't voted "ugliest" at the party, but I didn't appreciate having to pose in the line up of 1st, 2nd and 3rd like it was the stinking Olympics!

Anyway, I had fun at the party and I am willing to auction off the sweater after the holidays. I'm sure it will fetch a pretty penny in Milan or Paris. I guess such beauty is lost here in the United States.

This Ain't Your Grandma's Spin Class

I participated in a "spin class" at the LAC last night with Julie and her friend Dala. Basically it's an hour long intense workout on a stationary bike. I should be doing the classes at the JCC, and I will, but I have four free guest visits at the LAC, so I might as well use them.

I was told last night's class was more intense than most. Over the course of an hour, we never stopped and constantly pushed ourselves between 60% -100% maximum effort (except for the first 5 minutes we spent increasing the heart rate and getting warm). It was fantastic cardio work plus we did hills and stretches of standing up on the bike doing runs and sprints. I usually don't sweat much, but I had sweat pouring off my face the entire time. The instructor did a great job of pushing us to our limit. Just when you think you couldn't go anymore, he would make you go another 30 seconds. My legs are like Jell-O today, but it was definitely a great workout. I'm not saying I look forward to the next time, but I think I'll be back.

Ho Ho Holy Hell He's an Atheist!

The article linked below is about a man in North Carolina who was elected to the city council. But, because he is an atheist, according to the North Carolina constitution, he is not eligible to serve. The U.S. Constitution, obviously, trumps this. It will be interesting to see how many lawsuits are filed just to give him grief (to be fair, the guy may be a complete idiot, but he did win the election).

http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091208/NEWS01/912080327/Critics-of-Cecil-Bothwell-cite-N.C.-bar-to-atheists

I've copied and pasted some of my favorite reader's comments below...you know...the ones that give me that warm fuzzy feeling.

"It is difficult for a person without faith and accountance to have
character and be accountable for their actions."

"I am curious what moral beliefs an atheist has and what guides their belief. Since the ten commandments are irrelevant in their beliefs...Are atheists able to be selective in choosing the ones that apply to them and the situation?"

"When he is in the hell he denies and desires to call and check on the city he once served, it will be a local call." -basically saying Ashville will become hell if they start electing atheists to office.

"On his/her deathbed, no one is an atheist. We want to live like the devil, but be saved from death like an angel. It's okay. God knows how you feel. He was once in human form, and knows exactly how you feel."

That Was a Rough 12 Hours

Around 3 o'clock Monday afternoon while at my desk I started feeling sore and tired. By 3:30 I had broken into cold sweats. I knew then I should probably head home. By 4:15 I was in bed with a comforter and a quilt, my body pillow and two regular pillows with the heat cranked up in my apartment. I was drenched in sweat but couldn't get warm. I was miserable. My leg and back muscles had a strange tingling sensation and felt like rubber. I slept until 9pm and felt I needed to get up. I was feeling extremely nauseous and wanted to sit up for a bit. Walking into the living room was a chore and I collapsed on the couch out of breath. My plan was to sit up and watch "Big Bang Theory," try to eat a little, drink some juice and then go back to bed. A few minutes after being in the living room, I knew my reputation for hardly ever getting "sick" was in jeopardy. I went to the bathroom for a good half-hour and sat on the edge of the tub. To make a long story short, I need to start a new streak. I went back into the living room and watched my show (I love having a DVR), ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup and drank a small glass of juice. I went back to bed around 10:30 and slept soundly until 3am. I noticed then I was still very tired, but felt better. When I woke up for good at 6:30, I felt great.

All I can figure is it was an intense 12 hour bug or food poisoning. Very strange.

"Blue Jesus" John Wall Photoshops

Addendum to My Christmas List

I thought of a few more things to add to my Christmas list if needed (all Harry Potter related). I still need "The Sorcerer's Stone" and "Deathly Hallows" (book 1 & 7) in the Harry Potter series. I would also like to have the "Half-Blood Prince" movie since it just came out on DVD.

Thanks. And please don't have Aunt Bethany wrap any of my gifts or I'll wind up getting green Jell-O or her cat.

"Is This the Airport, Clark?"

Ok, so it's not as beautiful as the Griswold's house at Christmas, but I blame it on not having enough lights. Julie asked me to hang lights outside her house because this is her first Christmas being settled in. When I get a better picture with a real camera, I'll post it. But for now you'll just have to look at one from my Sprint POS.

Uncle Leo Would Be Very Disappointed

I have noticed for the past several years how often I say hello to someone in passing and never get a response. I don't say hello to everyone I pass. For example, if I'm in a crowd or if the other person is talking on the phone I won't bother. If I'm in an empty stairwell or hallway, however, and I pass someone, I will say at the very least "hello." Sometimes it is followed by "how are you today?" Simple and cliche, I know, but it's just being polite.

I've also noticed I often don't receive a "thank you" when I hold a door open for someone. I have found myself plenty of times biting my tongue to prevent myself from giving a sarcastic "your welcome!' But this is beside the point...

While thinking about this I have noticed one peculiar constant. The offenders usually seem to be older. Is this because it's unexpected coming from someone younger and they are thrown off? Is it because they are just getting crotchety? Has the Bel-tone been turned down and they just can't hear it? Who knows... but if anyone has any insight into this, I would love to hear about it.

Buckle B's Christmas List

I have been asked to provide a list of a few small items I may want for Christmas besides the wonderful gift Santa already has for me. While I can't compete with Dad's list, here are a few things I have been thinking of.

• DVD-Any season of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"(Half-Price & B&M Exchange have them).


• Book-"Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal" by Christopher Moore (would like to have the black cover with the gilded edges).


• Any game for Nintendo Wii would be nice; NCAA football or basketball, NFL, MLB, Mario Kart (yes...I know...but it's Christmas and video games just come with the season).


• Any St. Louis Cardinals or UK apparel (you can never have enough)


• pizza cutter (for all the pizza I order that's already pre-sliced)


• cast iron skillet (for all the cooking I won't be doing)


• small bottle of CK One cologne (almost out) -you think I smell this good naturally?

Hope that helps.

"They can't all be winners kid."