I'm a Big Kid Now!

Got my web site up and (finally) sent business card designs off to the printer last night. This is the back. I didn't post the front because it has my phone number and I wanted to be safe on the off chance some non-family troll is stalking our blog.

Am working on a web site that, sadly, I will not put in my portfolio unless something changes drastically. I presented the clients with a design that was, IMO, a vast improvement over what they had, which was pretty bad. They liked some things about the new design but they pretty much want me to start over and create a design that looks like someone did it in 1995. Sad. But they will pay for it. And I charge extra for ugly.

Have a couple of other irons in the fire for paying gigs so hopefully I'll have a steady - if somewhat small - source of income for the next few months.

Angela & Me @ KC & the Sunshine Band

Fun show. Harry "KC" Wayne is 58 but still shaking his booty (not to mention his beer gut) all over the stage.

UPDATE:



Christopher got us after-show passes. We met some really friendly people but unfortunately Mr. Casey was not one of them. There was a long queue of people being filed in to have their picture taken with him - no chance or time for any personal conversation. He worked his ass off putting on the show and he had to have been exhausted, plus the AC in the reception area had very little effect (you can see the sweat on his shirt in the picture) because the doors were wide open. Not sure why he agreed to do these photos when he really didn't feel up to it.

Goinz On

I have been so bad about posting, I know. Sorry : (  There's been a lot going on but perhaps things will slow down a bit now that I'm all married and stuff!

I have posted pictures from our wedding on Facebook. If you want to see them but aren't on Facebook and don't want to be, e-mail me and I'll send you a link to them.

Not quite two weeks ago I had sinus surgery, which technically included a nose job (ha ha). They put me under, ripped all the crappy sinus tissue out and fixed my nose so it could actually drain if I get any congestion. And given that I have allergies and I live in Georgia, that's inevitable. Recovery has mostly been okay but breathing only from my mouth the first few days was the worst.

Brandon is now on the track team at his new school and they are wearing him out. Last night I went into his room around 8:30 and he was out cold. I can't wait to see him do his thing at a track meet.

Michelle is resisting the pressure to pick up an extracurricular activity of her own. It's not that she's unwilling, exactly. She just doesn't want to do anything athletic...or anything big sis Christina has done...or anything requiring coordination...or anything that might be considered uncool by her peers.

We have another foster dog in the house. His name is Cane and he is a good-looking 2.5 year old boy. Alas, he does not seem to be the brightest dog...but he sure is enthusiastic! He recently discovered the area under the deck, but it took him a while to figure out how to get out from under the deck. Standing at the back door and calling him just confused the poor boy. He'd go - still underneath the deck - to where you were calling him, which was at the opposite end from the opening. Cane never really raced. They let him try 15 times, but that apparently wasn't enough for him to figure out what he was supposed to do. He has his own blog, which I am (supposed to be) maintaining, so check him out if you like.

It's Official!

I think I've talked to everyone except Jazz and Adrian (sorry guys - you've been kinda nomadic here lately), so for you two here it is: Brian and I are getting married right after Christmas.

Fortunately I found a place we can get everything we need for the actual shindig (ain't that cool?), so the big thing is wading through and purging the amazing amount of crap that has expanded to fill every available space even though I've primarily lived here alone. We've got three and a half more bodies to pack in here (no little people - it's just that Christina started college this year and is living on campus while school is in session).

Yes, folks, this does mean that I will no longer have room for out-of-towners to crash overnight during the holidays and other assorted visits. But the trade-off is pretty darn good for everyone else so I hope you'll forgive me and think it might be worth a visit even if you have to pony up for a hotel room.

Oh, Shoot...

...I'm out of bullets (no, not really...it just sounded funny).

We went shooting yesterday, and the gun in the photo was a gift from Brian. Kind of a scary thing to be responsible for, especially for someone who'd never seen a gun 'til moving to Georgia and having one pointed in my face during a robbery. But I'd rather have one and know how to use it than be at the mercy of the bad guys who seem to be increasing in numbers...or boldness. Or both.

Check out the target. Bad guys better watch out. I'm more accurate with a .22 but I'm told that just makes little holes in the bad guys without necessarily stopping them. Both Amanda and Brandon have good aim with the .22 as well. Brian hits whatever he aims for, and shot the crotch out of one target just to prove that point. I should have kept it and hung it in view of the garage windows, just in case any prowlers came nosing around.

Beautiful, but...

...not the trip you want to make.

As Amanda mentioned, Brian's father passed away on the 27th. He was only 57. He had COPD like Mom but that alone didn't take his life. Having an intestinal obstruction and putting off seeking medical attention for some three weeks in his already weakened condition did it. Brian said his mom would have let his dad go a couple of days max before she drug him to the doctor - by the hair, if necessary. But unfortunately she passed away about 2.5 years ago.

An upside is that it was absolutely beautiful in Michigan, and I got to see where Brian grew up. The air was so clean there that the clouds had a dimension I've only ever seen aboard an airplane.

We caravaned back to Georgia on the first of July, stopping in Chattanooga to buy the super cool kinds of fireworks you cannot find in GA (probably because they're illegal, but that's another story).

We did not outdo Ryan & Charles' New Year display, but if we didn't one-up the neighbors, we came darn close. It was good to be back home, even if the air was dirty and the temperatures 20 degrees higher. Here are a couple of other pictures from Michigan (Brandon with the biggest Dandelion I've ever seen, and another shot of a cornfield against a beautiful blue sky).

Postcrossing

I can't remember where I heard about Postcrossing, but from Photojojo (a neat-o photo-related newsletter I get). I thought it was super cool and gave it a try. You can go to the web site and find out more about it, but the gist of it is that you send and receive postcards from all over the world. Above is a map showing postcards I've sent and received so far.

Today I got a postcard from Japan. The picture on the front is a cute little pink sushi rice cake with a smiley face on it. A few days ago I received a postcard from Poland. You never know what you're going to get! It's free. All it costs you is postage (currently .90 for most countries) and a postcard. It would be a neat activity to do with kids - check it out!

I've Been Cheating on You

Public admission of guilt: something else has been taking up a lot of my spare time. I still read every single post and comment, but I have fallen behind with the responses I'd like to leave (especially to my Jazzy niece and her not-silly sadness post). I'm sorry, and I'll try to do better, I promise.

If you're wondering where I've been, you can find out here.

Gee, thanks

Jehova's Witnesses dropped by yesterday while I was at work. I thought I was doing okay until I saw this. Then I felt an overwhelming urge to cry and eat bon bons.

I Got Mail

What is mail?

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

And by party time it's going to get downright chilly! Never fear, though - we'll have lots to keep you warm. I got the best Christmas gift ever (well, maybe second best after the Greyhound charm bracelet) from Brian - FIRE! To be accurate, Brian got me a cool-looking fire pit so we can safely make fire to chase away the chill.

Colombians know how to keep warm and have a good time - dance! Angela, my friend who is originally from Colombia, wonders what's wrong with people here that they think dancing is reserved exclusively for clubs. I wonder too. I don't dance well, but it doesn't take much to get me going and I have a good time, even if I embarrass the children. Hell, that's half the fun. So plan on getting your butt moving. We're all family or darn near so don't worry about impressing anyone - we know you too well for that to happen anyway. Suzanne is the only one who gets a pass and that's just so her knee can heal up right so she can dance at next year's party.

I'll dance to anything funky. Christina said she would dance if I played The Macarena (got it!). So, what song or type of music gets you moving?

Only


Douglasville Weather

It's Right Around the Corner

Only





Thought I'd post a few New Year's weekend details...e-mail me with any additional questions. Can't wait to see everyone!



What will the weather be like in D'ville?



Who's coming?
Find out by going to MyPunchbowl.com and checking out the guest list.



What can I bring?
Go to MyPunchbowl.com and check out the potluck list. Right now we need good fireworks (Charles!) and champagne.



Overnight guests
Please bring a pillow and sleeping bag or the equivalent for your kids. I have a couple of extras if anyone forgets, but don't all forget at once!



If you haven't already let me know when you expect to arrive, please give me a call or send me an e-mail and let me know.



Bring your play clothes. The hiking trails in the subdivision have been cleared so bring your walking shoes unless the weather looks brutal. We also have a nice little half-court basketball area down by the lake and I finally bought a basketball, so bring your game. Or, more appropriately for our bunch, bring your sense of humor and your best smack-talk!

David Returning from Iraq

David will be arriving at Fort Hood Monday. Angela and I are hitting the road tomorrow morning to drive to Killeen so we can be there to meet him. I'm thankful he'll be back, safe and sound, very soon.

@ Douglas County Courthouse

Happy Howloween

The fearsome pirate Black Bellamy...



And Dorothy, who is most definitely not in Kansas (and hates her hair!)...



Hope everyone has a happy Halloween and no one OD's on candy!

Get Rich Slow

A while back I did some T-shirt designs and put them up in a Cafe Press store. Mostly I did it to vent or show a little attitude, but I figured it wouldn't hurt if someone bought one and I made a couple of bucks.

Those of you with a creative bent or even just a good sense of humor (my designs are nothing more than cool type) ought to try it. You would need a good graphics editing program like Illustrator or Photoshop, though. I bet Jazzmin has the tools and could do some crazy stuff that Goth-ish people would buy (I believe "goth" is one of the more popular search terms on Cafe Press, BTW).

There are other places you can make and sell your own stuff - I just happened to do this one. I'm not getting rich, but I have sold several shirts and made $30 - not bad for something that cost me nothing and that I haven't promoted at all. People seem to like the Bad Mama Jama shirt ; )

Riding on the Metro - II

Brian and I were talking last night about global warming, pollution, "draconian governmental regulation" (his phrase), hybrids and public transportation. It was a heartwarming conversation (for a couple of geeks, anyway).

We agreed that Atlanta's transportation system just plain sucks except when you want to get to the airport or ballgame in rush hour traffic. I took the train to work for a while and it involved driving halfway to work, parking at the station and fearing that my car would be vandalized, riding an east-west train, changing to a north-south train, then walking 10 minutes to my office. A big pain in the arse, but doable if you have 2 hours to kill and a good book to read (just don't get too engrossed in your book and forget to watch your back). Since I moved I cut my commute down to 30 minutes or less and the train doesn't stop within any reasonable walking distance from my office so I won't even consider it as an alternative.

The train really doesn't go anywhere. There's a great disparity in the decor, atmosphere, safety and upkeep between the north/south and east/west lines. And really, they just charge too much.

I said that by and large, I thought most of the country didn't have viable transportation alternatives to taking an automobile to work. Plus, since most of us can only afford one car to serve all purposes we tend to drive cars to work that are bigger and less fuel efficient than what we might need just for commuting. Lots of people would like to be greener, but it tends to be a big, expensive pain in the butt.

NYC is one place where a whole bunch of people don't even own cars at all. I'm not going to look this up right now, but I believe the city's public transportation system is the most extensive in the country. If MARTA, Atlanta's public transportation system, could get their act together and build a network like NYC's the Average Joe might have a real alternative to bumper-to-bumper traffic on 75, 85 and 285. Well, if they could do enough to make sure that Average Joe was safe and comfortable.

For now I think those of us who only occasionally venture onto buses or trains do so with great fear and trepidation. Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) wrote a funny blog post about just this thing when he and his wife rode the subway in NYC.

If this is what we'd have to put up with when there is a system that goes anywhere maybe it's a good thing MARTA doesn't.

Racy!

We (Brian, Michelle, Brandon & I) went to an animal farm of sorts as well this weekend. SummerWind Farm, to be exact, where we attended an annual gathering of something like 300+ Greyhounds and their owners. It was a lot of fun, but tiring. Brian judged the Greyhound contests for the second year in a row, and was licked and hugged by numerous doggies while trying to determine the best kisser and hugger. And for the second year in a row, Sara had the second-longest tail and Grayson was the second-or third-tallest (I forget).

Probably the best thing we got to do is watch the dogs take off as fast as they could toward a stuffed bunny at the end of a training lure (what they use to teach Greyhounds to chase - they don't need much encouragement). Next to the person with the lure was another person with a squawker - a gadget that makes a generic prey-like sound (close to a squirrel, but not quite). It's a combination that makes the dogs so crazy they want to go get it. A third person was there with a radar gun, clocking the dogs. This year, both Sara and Grayson beat their times from last year, coming in at 46mph. Needless to say, they've spent most of the time since then laying around the house!

There was a big (for us) announcement about a special, secret fundraising effort that had been undertaken. Since it costs, on average, $475 to take a dog from the track, spay/neuter and house it before adoption, and we can only get $275 for an adoption fee, there would be a constant shortfall without fundraising and donations. So someone had the bright idea, after seeing the film Calendar Girls, to do a similar nude calendar using some of our members and their Greyhounds in shots with, shall we say, strategically placed props. It was really nicely done, and we hope to sell at least 1500 of them. Take a look (it's maybe PG-13 and there is very little actually revealed, so don't panic!) - www.greymates.org. Please, please pass it along to anyone you think would get a kick out of it. Even if they don't buy a calendar they may pass it along to someone who will. Surprisingly, women - straight ones - have been the most enthusiastic supporters so far.

No, I'm not in it. I seriously considered it, though! But I did do the design and coding for the web site : )

Grand Funk Railroad

What a great show!

Unlike Little River Band, Grand Funk still has pretty much everything that made them rock all those years ago, plus the former lead singer of .38 Special (he's been with them quite a while, from what I understand). The drummer's got to be pushing 60 but he's still a wild man. Well, perhaps some of his edge is gone - Brian said he used to jump out onto the stage over his drum set, and we didn't get that last night. But it was a good rockin' show. Don't know who Grand Funk is? I bet even the youngest of you would recognize "Some Kind of Wonderful" if you heard it.

The opening act - Bobby Yang and His Unrivaled Players - TOTALLY rocked. This guy is a classically trained violinist of immense talent, and what he loves doing with that ability is jamming to the songs of Led Zep and other rockers. His backing band is awesome, too. Christopher was instrumental (ha ha) in booking him for this show. Bobby Yang is from Atlanta and has a bunch of upcoming tour dates near just about anyone reading this.

Angela's sister, Mona, and Mona's husband, Ken, were there. We met up with them after the show, and Ken asked how David was doing. Ken had an Army career many moons ago and has had a special affection for David even before David enlisted. He said, "Tell that boy I think the world of him." His words were a little slurred because it was after the show and Ken always brings a 12-pack, but he was sincere.

The only down side to the show was the incredibly obese - and unbelievably rude - man Angela was sitting next to. He really needed to have purchased two seats - he was spilling out of his and into hers. He had the nerve to ask her to move over, and she replied, "Where to?" He said, "You're touching me!" Then, after she told him something like she wouldn't be touching him if he wasn't so large, he switched seats with his wife, who was kind of big herself. Both sat like statues - very big ones - through the jamming Bobby Yang and the rocking Grand Funk Railroad. Having fun burns calories, people : O

New Graffiti Art

Caught him in action on the way home yesterday.