It's beau-ti-ful... Part 2

Now, it's Sunday, and another awesome spring-like day outside. Unfortunately, I've been wasting my afternoon doing things like...napping. Well, that's not really a waste of time, I guess, since I needed one after this morning (I always seem to need one on Sunday).

The crowd was down this morning, but the music went well, Dave's message went very well, and what crowd was there was more energetic and engaging with everything. Now...how do we make that sort of experience reproduce itself?

Tonight I'm hoping to try to have the small group thing again. However, I still have obstacles of some people traveling and some people being sick to negotiate. No sweat off my back...the group will be here for those who want it :-).

KEY PHRASES: "The last time I got accused of something like that, well...crap...let's just say I won." "Joel, what was that you said about 80s guitar rock again?" "No, J-mo..your car doesn't smoke like that...it just leaks oil...everywhere." "The way I see it, being grown-up is all about attitude and knowing how to behave in a mature, reasonable fashion. Now leave me alone so I can play some more games on the PC."

It's beau-ti-ful...

Wow, it's a beautiful day outside. That means it will probably be another good day to get some work done in the garage and the yard. Heck, maybe I'll even wash a car...especially the Expedition, since it has turned a nightmarish brown/gray/green color that's NOT factory issue.

The tool and gadget party (er...'shower') for Jeremy/Allison went very well last night...they had a good turnout, so that was great to see. Jeremy seemed genuinely excited to get things like stepladders, saws, etc. Hehe...that's cool. I'm also still pumped that Jeremy will be playing Sunday morning, if nothing except for a slight change of pace and a chance to get him plugged in.

Other than the tool/gadget thing, Friday was pretty uneventful.

KEY PHRASES: "Should we clarify what a tool and gadget party is before we blog about it?" "No, Jeremy...I'm not homophobic...I'm grope-o-phobic." "Sponge monkeys are creepy."

We made a snowman!

We made a snoman. We went sledding in our backyard. I threw a snowball at Dave's window. Stacey may make snow angels later. There's so much snow, I can barely open my front door because of a snowdrift. Snow! Snow! I'm going insane...er...

My brother, in Charlotte, NC, must be lying about the snow he got. Even the photographic evidence he sent me showing 6 inches of snow on the ground around his apartment must've been doctored. After all, you can do anything with Photoshop.

I must shower and wash off my sarcasm.

On a side note...I LOATHE weathermen and their 'AccuForecasts' (stupid...accu...bonehead...doppler-radar...Winter Weather Advisory bull crap...).

In the real world, I drove downtown and renewed my auto tags this morning. Always a pleasure. Really, it only took me five minutes (which is a very good thing) and a couple of hundred dollars (which is nevera good thing). Then I headed to Lowe's for a couple of things.

On a humorous note, my father logged onto AIM this morning as me. Apparently, he never uses AIM, but I used it when I was visiting them in Atlanta last, so when he started the program, it automatically logged him on as me. J-mo had quite the humorous conversation with him before he realized it was my dad (thinking it was me). LOL.

KEY PHRASES: "Don't let the Baer near your PC."

What up, my peeps?

Heh...have to be careful using the word 'peeps.' After I said that in a recent e-mail I sent out, a friend informed me that he knows a kid that uses the word 'peeps' to refer to...um...a personal area. LOL. I got a kick out of that.

This afternoon, Stacey and I worked on cleaning up the bonus room. It had become a cluttered mess (funny, as I speak Kailyn just dumped a small dish full of various odds and ends all over the floor...hmm...no mystery how cluttered messes happen around here...hehe). Brian came over late this afternoon and dropped off a PC for me to look at and see if I can get up and running. I'll see what I can do, but call J-mo for 'technical assistance' should I get in over my head. It sounds like he just needs the OS re-installed, but who knows.

Band practice went GREAT tonight. Even though Kyle and J-mo were out, Jeremy filled in on drums and Joel stepped up to the plate and sounded good. "The Noise We Make" is going to rock on Sunday morning (so will everything else, I hope). Jeremy also said his friend Scott (from Yelo Kid) is moving back into town, and might become an asset to the band/music. I'm pretty excited about that possibility.

After band practice, we headed to Applebee's - we being J-mo, Kyle, Donny, Stacey, and Kailyn. Ordered the usual grub, laughed at the usual humor, and went home. Now I'm at home blogging, though I need to take care of my sick dog again (which will suck with it raining and all), and I might play a little more Prince of Persia later.

KEY PHRASES: "If I ever have a quote at the end of my message posts, please shoot me." (what are you trying to say, chad?) "I've played along with the CD, so that's kinda like actually playing with the real band." "Duct tape is like the force...it's got a light side and a dark side, and it kinda holds the world together." (LOL).

Crab angles, soap suds, and power cords...

Our wake-up call today came from Brian, who called to ask when he could pick up the washers (for the hoses to the washing machine) and the dryer power cord. He came by, and we headed to Golden Phoenix for some chinese food. I'd never eaten there before, so I have to say my first experience there was good. The food was excellent and - more importantly - inexpensive around lunchtime (for the all you can eat buffet).

Turns out, his blog entry today about bubbles engulfing his kitchen were, in fact, based upon personal experience on his part. The scene he described to us was literally something out of an "I Love Lucy" episode. What a funny image!

KEY PHRASES: "So, if you take 11:45 and subtract :30, you get 11:15." "If you're a micromanager, don't worry...there's hope" (www.bcentral.com/articles/wuorio/213.asp). "Armageddon!" (yikes, I'm still laughing today).

My ears are ringing...

Tonight, I met up with Kyle, Eric, and J-mo at J-mo's house, and we wound up just jamming to some songs. It was fun to just "play" without the pressure of preparation (like a Wednesday rehearsal). Had some pretty good grooves going, and we know more from memory than we used to. Still, what we didn't know turned out to be funny...we'd be jamming along, then - TRAIN WRECK! - LOL. Still, since music is something we're passionate about, it was good to just spend time playing. Only downside is that it was REALLY loud. Brought back a few memories of when we used to actually rehearse every week in that small space. I do NOT miss that.

After we jammed, I helped J-mo get past a place he was stuck in a Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. (Chad, you gotta check it out). Eric was like, "I'm out on that," since the game's learning curve is a bit high. Kyle appeared momentarily mesmerized by the graphics (as opposed to his stunning Sega Genesis setup). J-mo was just appreciative to move on to the next area.

Came home, took care of my sick dog (the mange thing), and now I'm going to play a little Prince of Persia myself.

BTW...here's another shameless plug for my new blog - click on "Kevin's Deep Thoughts" and see what that's about. Or...don't...whatever...

KEY PHRASES: "Use your wrists more than your arms." "You didn't turn the water on since the hoses didn't have washers yet, did you??"

Okay, now I've gone and done it...

I created another blog. I know, I know...so, before I get an earful...er, an "eyeful" of type-written "what's up with you"s, let me explain. I've been contemplating a place to write about "deeper" stuff for a while, so that my existing blog doesn't have an 'identity' crisis of "is it funny?" or "is it serious?" Well, maybe that won't be cured completely, but at least I can let it be up to you whether or not you want to explore the 'deep' stuff that is on my mind. Heck, if it doesn't work, I'll get rid of it. Who knows...

Anyway, the link's added to the right...

Peace out.

KEY PHRASES: "Armageddon!" "I can never listen to that Def Leppard song the same way again." "Chad wrote something, but I wasn't really paying attention."

"Who are these sick people?"

Are we - people like Chad and I - sick people? No, we may not be selling de-capitated parakeets to blind kids ("Pretty bird, pretty bird..."), but some would consider those of us that appreciate the humorous apex that is "Dumb and Dumber" to be sick people. I hate to admit it, but I STILL laugh when I see scenes that contain lines like, "I can't stop once I've started...it stings." Even now, I nearly chuckled at typing that. And I almost literally cried when I realized the sequel would NOT star Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels...what a crime against the franchise.

And - as I would hesitate to say in certain circles - I laugh at other silly movies. "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls" - classic scene when Jim Carrey gets a spear stuck in both legs, and he just stands there going "Aaaaugh!...Aaaaugh!" Or "Mystery Men," when Ben Stiller realizes he's not REALLY a superhero and he's like "What do I do, I go 'RAAAAGGHHH!' and that's it..." Or the whole show known as "Galactica 1980." Hehe...great comedy moments (even if I lost you with the "Galactica 1980" reference).

Why does this stuff make me laugh? Maybe it was how I was raised on Saturday morning cartoons. I laughed every time that Wile E. Coyote experienced a momentary suspension of the laws of physics right before he plunged 100s of feet down a cliffside. Who knows... We are, after all, the children who grew up in a time when Steve Martin's comedy career began with the phrase "wild and crazy guys", Land Shark was actually a funny SNL segment. and Eddie Murphy talked about "Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood." All silly. And we also grew up in a time when our heroes 'whined' lines like "But I wanted to go to Tashi station to pick up some power converters?" Not silly comedy, but...well, yes it is.

Maybe we just 'get' the joke and some don't... It's like "The Simpsons"...even I, yes I admit, did NOT used to be a fan of the show. Then, one day, Chad's describing a scene, and BAM!...I got it...and LAUGHED. Now I own the DVD collection and several games based on the franchise...w00t. But had I not ever finally 'gotten it' (the subtlety of the humor...the satire of the characters and plots), I doubt I would be the fan I am today. Thanks, Chad. Hmmm...

KEY PHRASES: "Release the robotic Richard Simmons!" (Mr. Burns, from 'The Simpsons')

"...our pets heads are falling off!"

Heh...great line from "Dumb and Dumber." (I know, Dave shudders at the thought of that movie...hehe...but I liked it).

My pet's head is not falling off, but her hair is falling out. Nothing looks goofier than a Siberian husky with massive patches of hair loss. -Sigh- Have to take her to the vet this morning for a 'chemical' dip or something to kill the mange.

The weekend was good. Church and the music went very well Sunday morning, though I wish there had been more energy in the room. Everything seemed kind of bland. I've been re-evaluating it all morning trying to figure out how to recapture that energy. You can't force it or manipulate it (nor should you), but there may be ways to facilitate it.

After church, J-mo, Stacey, Kailyn, and I headed to Red Lobster (don't worry, I ate CHEAP - had an appetizer for my meal). J-mo wanted to go so he could 'see where things would go' with a waitress that served us the other night. And things went well for him. He didn't even have to ask for her number...she just gave it to him (well, there's more to it than that...he DID ask her if she'd be interested in going to the Guad...hehe...and she said, 'sure,' if she could make it.'). Funny...when she said 'yes' to the Guad, J-mo had this almost 'stunned' look on his face...like, "holy crap, that hasn't worked so well in a while." Hehe...I can raz him, 'cause it was a victory, not a crash-and-burn - and PhotoShop editing was not involved. Maybe he can give Kyle a 'tutorial' on how it REALLY is supposed to work. ROFL. J/k, Kyle... (heh, no wonder he's contemplating moving...with friends like us, who needs....yadayada)...

While at lunch, we saw Justin (Jeremy and Derek's younger brother) working there. J-mo, asks, "You're Jeremy's brother right?" He answers, "Yes." Then a long pause while Justin continues to clean the table. J-mo says, "I didn't know you worked here." Justin answers, "Yeah." Another pause as Justin keeps working, then he leaves. Twenty minutes later, we see him again...J-mo asks, "So, has your band played anywhere?" "No," he answers, and walks away. THREE WHOLE WORDS - "Yes," "Yeah," and "No." Maybe he was just bashful, but it was kind of funny...

Brian came over Sunday afternoon and we got a few thing accomplished in the garage. But, holy cow, what a task it is to get that thing cleaned out. WE HAVE TOO MUCH CRAP!

Unfortunately, the small group-thing didn't happen last night. Everyone either got 1. sick, 2. busy with other plans, or 3. would rather spend time at Wal-mart than spend time with us. (hehe, j/k...you know who you are). So, looks like I'll just re-plan the whole cookout thing for NEXT sunday, pending the weather.

Anyway, that's it...

KEY PHRASES: "Wow, it worked...dang, I shouldn't have played the odds."

The longest day...

...in a good way.

Stacey and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary today. How, you ask?

My day started pretty early. Got up at 7:00 a.m., and headed to Lowe's to pick up a new washer and dryer. Consider them anniversary gifts to Stacey, I guess. As much as I hated seeing the total ring up on the cash register, I know that the new set will save us time and money in the long run...especially time, since there's nothing like only being able to do small loads on the old setup. Came home to find Stacey up and working on clearing a path through the garage. Dana (and then Tim) came over and helped us move out the old units, and move in the new. After making all the connections, Stacey eagerly loaded a LOT of clothes in the washer, and everything worked fine. Wow, I've never seen someone so happy over new appliances. Time saved is a valuable gift, I guess. Woohoo!

Most of the rest of the morning and afternoon was spent in cleaning up in the garage. Though we still have a ways to go, we made a lot of progress in organizing cleaners, car care products, yard equipment, tools, and throwing out a lot of unneeded things. While we were cleaning, some guys came down the street selling trees. Since we missed them on New Year's Day, we got a 25-foot Red Maple for $75...not too shabby, considering they had the tree and planted it at no charge. BAM! Instant yard improvement. The tree should do well, since the same 'vendor' sold our neighbor several trees back on Jan. 1, and they seem to be doing all right.

At one point in the day, Stacey took a break, and took Kailyn for respective rides in a wagon and in a little trailer you tow with a bicycle. Kailyn loved both. It was fun to watch her. Parenthood can be really fun sometimes, when you get to celebrate those 'sappy' moments (not-so-sappy anymore) with a child.

Wow, it's brief to talk about the day, but it sure felt like a long one...we were in the garage FOREVER it seemed. But, we couldn't ask for better weather to work in. We even brought Bailey (our golden retriever) around front so she could 'hang' with us and do her dog-thing (scratch, pant, and just generally enjoy the attention...hehe).

Speaking of dogs, the vet confirmed that our 1 year old Siberian husky has come down with re-infestation of dimidectic (sp?) mange. -SIGH- Apparently, it's caused by a genetic immuno-deficiency that prevents her from naturally repelling the little buggers. So, she started losing hair again...only 2 months after we stopped her medication. So, it looks like we'll be medicating her her whole life. -SIGH- (again). At least the medicine works...so far.

Tonight, Brian came by to return a pressure washer and borrow a carpet deep cleaner. And, while he was here, he purchased our old washer and dryer. WOOHOO! Money and SPACE made in one swoop. Fortunately, they work great...we just needed something bigger. Now, to help him move them...um...

Afterwards, we ordered some Steak-Out and watched "Johnny English." I give it a C+ (on the Dave scale). It had its moments that were pretty funny, but it was probably the MOST predictable movie I've ever seen. And, like all those movies, I can never believe that in any fictional universe that a woman like Natalie Imbruglia (sp?) could fall for Rowan Atkinson. Well, heck, in the real world...Stacey fell for me, and that's kinda unreal...or she was just pitying me...it's a toss-up...LOL.

Now, the bad part of the day. The Steak Out dinner is wreaking havoc with our digestive systems...BOTH of us. -Sigh- Not a good way to end a pretty good day.

No, it wasn't very romantic...in fact, it was busy (understated) and very tiring, but in the end, Stacey and I both agree we had a really good day...and isn't that what REALLY matters?

KEY PHRASES: "Can you think of anything more 'random' than buying a tree from a dude who just rides through your neighborhood selling trees?" "Maybe that's why they call it Steak-OUT." (ewww...) "Wow, that's the most we've said 'no' to J-mo in a 5-minute time period." "Hmm...Saturday night at 10 p.m. is NOT the best time to ask for a copy of the songs for Sunday." (hint: her initials were J.A....LOL...ok, just kidding...at LEAST she asked!!). "To leave a vehicle in a parking lot for a couple of weeks simply b/c it needs a belt is 'borderline' redneck...but not like leaving same vehicle on the street on blocks or anything." "Speaking of vans, J-mo needs a vehicle when his 'rents get in town...and it can carry all his drums, too!!"

"The blues isn't about feeling better...

...It's about making other people feel WORSE, and making a few bucks while you're at it." (Bleeding Gums Murphy - Simpsons)

Ah, words to live by. Wait...um...no...I don't want to make people feel worse. Wait, I don't have the blues...and I wouldn't want to make people feel WORSE if I did...hehe. Still, the 'making a few bucks' part would be cool.

Crap, I sat down to blog, and realized that if I don't leave now, I won't get my dog to the vet ontime... D'oh.

KEY PHRASES: "Oh, look at the time..."

Springtime in February...

Wow, it's been another absolutely BEAUTIFUL day today. I took advantage of it and finished up the projects in the backyard I couldn't finish when I pulled my back out last week. Don't worry, though, I didn't do anything to induce further back trauma...hehe.

Kailyn played outside with me pretty much the whole time. While she was out there, I got to thinking that she really does not spend much time outside. The backyard at our old house was too much a disaster to let her walk around, then...since we've moved here...it's just been too cold. Today, she REALLY seemed to have a good time walking around, enjoying the sun, the breeze, and the dogs that love getting attention from her, too. Very cool. I hated to bring her inside for a nap, but hopefully tomorrow will have some nice weather before the rain comes in tomorrow night.

KEY PHRASES: "I have mastered the use of a pooper scooper." (eww...)

More blogging goodness...

J-mo informed me this morning that Wendy has a blog. He was like, 'Wow...she has a blog now.' Then...we were both like, 'Wow...she's been blogging for 3 months.' How'd we miss that? Must not have seen her standing there...hehehehe.... Anyway, now I've added a link so you can catch up on the excitement of WendyWorld if you haven't done so already.

KEY PHRASES: "I figured...why sleep at all? (-sigh-)" "But...everyone likes pop rock!" (heh)

"I ate all my caps...(POP!)...ow."

Well, it feels a bit like it...a little post-dinner 'discomfort' kicking in. Oh, well...not bad...

Band practice went better than it has in weeks...some of the parts were rough, but nothing that made you beg to have your ears filled with hot wax to permanently shield you from bad sounds (like in past weeks...yikes). I really like the song 'History Maker'...I really hope it rocks on Sunday.

After band practice, we headed to Ruby Tuesdays. And now it's official...spaghettios and Ramen for a few days to make up for the past week and a half of eating out. Oh, well...no problem with that.

Unfortunately, the food did not really settle all that well. Stacey's felt pretty bad ever since she got home. I've got the aforementioned discomfort, but that's about it. Oh, well...there's an important lesson in moderation to remember here, right?

Now, it's 1:30 a.m., and I'm kinda wired. Today's been one of those days that's been kind of weird. On the one hand, it's been wonderful. The weather was beautiful, I had a lot of energy, and everything just seemed to go okay overall. On the other, though...there's that background 'ominous' sense that underneath the surface all is NOT well with the world. Maybe it's the overall funky-depression-thing that's plaguing the lives of several people. Maybe it's just daily stress. I don't know, but I decided that I basically am not going to let any of it get to me this time. By nature, I usually act in a way that's 'reactive' to situations and circumstances - I let those situations/circumstance dictate my mood, my passion, and my focus. I just don't want to do that anymore. I want to 'proactively' engage the activities I choose - instead of react to various crises. I guess I think happiness is a choice...just like any emotion. Either we handle our emotions or let them control us. And, since most people who read this know how I feel about how what we focus on relates to that self-control, I don't need to go there anymore...I hope.

The world can really 'bite' sometimes, but God is good, he loves me, and nothing - or no one - can take that and the joy that comes with it away from me.

Ain't that cool?

KEY PHRASES: "So, Jonathan, are the Burns' just going to adopt you?" (ROFL) "Kailyn, you are a funny girl." "Wow, tonight I felt like I could melt porcelain." "Wow, Jeremy's gonna choke on that leash." "I say we just move church back to Sunday night that week...hehe."

CHAD'S KEY PHRASE O' THE DAY: "How did I get sick? At the risk of being unpopular, I put the blame squarely on Kevin's Blog. I was fine, and then after the 4th day af reading about someone being sick, my body ended up down the downward spiral of self fulfilling prophecies." - sorry, Chad...I'll write about getting rich or something next time.

Dang, it's beautiful outside...

52 degrees and clear skies. Yes, I'd love some snow this time of year, but I'll take a beautiful day like this one, too. It's the kind of day that reinvigorates your spirit - it's done that for mine. I have energy, I'm in a good mood, and - well, that's always a good thing, ain't it?

Met up with J-mo for lunch at the Lob again. Yes, I know...but lunch is cheaper there. Besides, I've resigned myself to Spaghettios for dinner every now and then. That's $1 a meal...w00t. J-mo's real motives were to meet up with the nice waitress we met the other night, but...alas (hehe)..she was not there today.

Headed to Lowe's afterwards to browse washer and dryers. Stacey and I are debating whether we should upgrade are severely antiquated (but working) washer/dryer setup. Our current washing machine is only like a 2.0 cubic foot capacity (if that), so it takes us FOREVER to do just a few loads of laundry. Not to mention, newer machines are a little more efficient than the 30 year old Maytags we use now.

I dunno...maybe...

KEY PHRASES: "Dang, we'll be cleaning until 2 a.m. Oh, well...as a friend used to say, 'Welcome to the ministry.'" "No, I'm not going to repeat that." "Houston, we have a problem." "Then, fix it, dang it."

CHAD'S SPECIAL KEY PHRASE SECTION: "Mein Bratwurst has un first name, it's F-R-I-T-Z...Mein bratwurst hat un second name, it's S-C-H-N-A-C-K-E-N-P-F-E-F-F-E-R-H-A-U-F-E-N." (hehe...found that video the other day where you ate the frozen hot dog after singing that...LOL). "M.A.M.E. rulez!" (okay, there's a reference...sorry I've been so slack, but it's all good stuff).

Only you can prevent forest fires...

I didn't know I was a fireman. How did that happen? I don't know, exactly. But lately, I've found myself grabbing a fire extinguisher to put out fires. And they spring up unexpectedly...one minute, the forest is peaceful, then - POOF! - smoke, then fire... And, feeling the responsibility of friendshi__...er...I mean, of being a fireman, I rush to the scene of the fire, extinguisher in hand, to attempt to quell the flames. And, then...just when I think the flame is extinguished, I have to return to put out a sudden flare-up. Suddenly, the alarm sounds AGAIN, and I'm off somewhere else, to put out yet another fire in another part of the forest. Even at the end of the day, I have this nagging feeling that the fires are still smoldering, and if enough oxygen is fanned on the burning embers, the fire will flare again and put the entire forest in jeopardy. So, I feel that I have to constantly be ready for the alarm. However, I find some comfort in knowing that there are fewer careers more noble that of a firefighter, right?

But... I never wanted to be a firefighter. I STILL do not want to be a firefighter.

Now it may sound corny, but what I REALLY want to be is a planter of trees...to plant the trees, to water the trees, to see the trees grow... Yes, I told you it sounded corny, but to reproduce life and watch it grow is an amazing thing. And, unlike the 'reactive' work of the fireman, I can plant a tree, water it, and let it be...knowing that it can grow perfectly well on its own, without the need for me to constantly check up on it. Trees do that, you know...they grow... And, unless I've planted the tree in a totally wrong way, I can count on that!

That's what I don't like about being a firefighter. Instead of doing the planting and the nurturing and moving on to plant more (proactive), I'm rooting out something that threatens to destroy the very lives of the trees in the forest. True, any forest needs firefighters, 'cause there's always someone who doesn't extinguish their campfire correctly...or some turd out there who just has to throw a burning match into the woods just 'cause they like to see things burn... And...it's this selfish carelessness or lack of maturity that prevents the forest from thriving.

Well, that might be a bit harsh. I bet most of the people who accidentally set fires are truly good people at heart, and in brief moments of selfish carelessness they simply don't think (or can't) about how to truly and responsibly 'clean up' and move on in the right way.

This is my plea: Help me be a planter of trees instead of a firefighter. To those who camp in the forest, your presence is very much desired - with the hope you can look around and see the beauty of where you are and decide to do all that you can to help it grow - to keep it clean and learn to plant your own trees. Just be careful that you don't start a fire... Preventing forest fires is easy, really...if you 'focus' on the big picture...see the beauty of the forest for what it is and let THAT become what you are truly passionate about...helping it thrive and grow...

Of course, I'm not REALLY talking about forest fires, am I? And, of course, I'm not really a firefighter and I seldom plant real trees... But, I simply can't think of a non-threatening way to talk about something so vital to our walk with Christ. I want people to know that I deeply desire that their 'fires' are extinguished, BUT - at the same time - I desire even more deeply that we do all that we can to avoid becoming self-absorbed by the 'fires' and, instead, embrace the joy that comes from God and serving him FOR REAL. It is always our choice...either we are setting fires (letting something consume us) or planting trees (selflessly engaging the mission).

As always, it's about 'focus,' isn't it?

KEY THOUGHT: "We work hard and suffer much in order that people will believe the truth, for our HOPE is in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and particularly of those who believe. Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them. Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity. Until I get there, FOCUS on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them. Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecies spoken to you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you. Give your complete attention to these matters. Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right, and GOD WILL SAVE YOU AND THOSE WHO HEAR YOU." -- 1 Timothy 4:10-16.

Signs?

Just got done reading an article on FoxNews.com (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111640,00.html) about the filming of the Mel Gibson movie, "The Passion of the Christ." It's amazing what the actor who portrays Christ (Jim Caviezel) went through during filming. He dislocated his shoulder, suffered a lung infection, suffered hypothermia, suffered severe headaches and skin infections from makeup, and - this is too much - was struck by lightning right before they filmed the Sermon on the Mount scene.

What does this mean? Okay, for fun, I want to play out some scenarios (but these are JUST FOR FUN, a-ight?).

1. God doesn't like the movie or Caviezel's portrayal of Jesus, and he was sending the actor a clear message.
2. Satan doesn't like the movie, and he was trying to stop it...again and again and again...hehe.
3. God wanted to make sure that Caviezel truly got 'in character.'
4. Bad crap just happens sometimes...and more often to to some people more than others...heh.

Like I said, that's just interesting to think about (granted, I'm sure there are people somewhere that would get all caught up in the spiritual ramifications of it). But to me, it is pretty ironic to read about how an actor portraying Christ in a movie can literally face so much suffering himself in filming it. Maybe...just maybe...that suffering, which was more than an act for Caviezel, will come across in the film in a way that will remind audiences (are awaken audiences) that Jesus is real...that what happened to him is real...and that his victory over sin is just as real.

Who knows...but we can hope, eh?

What jalapenos and habaneros REALLY do to your digestive system...

Usually, after a fun night of overindulging in various hot peppers at Guadalajara, my digestive system suffers major malfunctions (images of boiling toilet water come to mind..okay..sorry...ewwwww). However, I popped a Pepcid Complete before I went tonight, so my stomach is doing fine...WOOHOO! Though they're chalky and nasty tasting, those little chewable tablets will be my new best friends on Monday nights if I plan on eating nachos loaded with jalapenos and sauteed onions.

Our crowd was small tonight...only J-mo, Stacey, Kailyn, and myself. I know the rest of the group had various things going on - from surgery to illness to just needing time to 'veg out' - still, I missed having a crowd there. Sitting in the back in a booth wasn't quite as fun as usual. Still, we had a great time overall.

We wandered around the mall...went by Dillard's to scope the many clearance racks clogging up the aisles. Then, we headed to EBgames to see what kind of trouble we could get into. Picked up a copy of XIII for the PC now that it had dropped considerably in price. Plus, J-mo joyfully (hehe) gave me a coupon for $10 off. Then, we headed down to Sears to see if Big John was still alive. He was right where we expected him to be, so we ragged him pretty good for not showing his face in some time around Crosspoint (in a not-so-serious kind of way...hehe).

Only negative side of the evening was some quirky mood swings from Kailyn. One minute, she's laughing. The next, she's being fussy and throwing her own little tantrums. -Sigh- She'd been so good all day, so I don't know what was up with that. Maybe I spoiled her with too many crackers today...I dunno.

KEY PHRASES: "Look, it's Rosemary's baby." "Careful, our geek is showing" (after J-mo and I shared info about our vintage gaming system collections with the dude at EBgames). "If you can make it to the Guad, don't breathe on any of us, okay?" "I'm done with 'pee pee' production...now I've got to find someplace to take care of the 'distribution.'" "That's like the 'Apex' of washing machines." "If any more 'mood' and 'emotion' get added to my life, I'm going to become a Vulcan." (uh-oh, there went my 'geek' again).

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...

Well, it's beautiful if you like really cold air, wind, and cloud cover. -Sigh- At least it's supposed to be nice and sunny later this week. Let's hope weathermen are more accurate about predicting sunshine than they are at predicting snow.

Last night, we headed out for another 'bout of Lobsterfest. Okay, okay...it's too much, but it will probably be our last trip there for a while. I'm all "lobstered" out...and, besides, "discounted" lobster specials are still not cheap. -Sigh- (again). All in all, it was still pretty fun, though. Kailyn behaved, Stacey behaved...LOL, and our waitress was pretty cool. However, see J-mo's blog for details about the disturbing dinner "show" we had last night....ewww...

Came home and played some Rainbow Six 3 on the PC. It's not a bad game, but it requires a lot of work in the "planning" stage when it comes to playing out missions if you want the full game experience, and I just don't have much patience with that part of it.

Since my pulled back muscle has been causing me to toss and turn at night, Stacey has not gotten much sleep. I decided to park my rear on the futon in the bonus room last night so she could actually get at least one good night's sleep before having to work today.

KEY PHRASES: "I'm getting grossed out here...maybe if I throw an empty lobster tail shell at them, they'll stop." "Brian's one of those people whose cell phone works best as a form of 'one-way' communication, eh?" "Hey, Chad, whassup?????"

I'm the guy with the plastic smile...

For some reason, I've been in a pretty good mood this afternoon. First, the back pain is getting better. The initial pulled muscle feels a lot better, even though the rest of my back is sore since the rest of the muscles have been picking up the "slack," I guess. Second, the music went very well this morning. Granted, there were 2 no-shows and some last minute changes, but everything went 'smooth as butta' in the end.

But, these are trivial things. I think the main thing that's put me in a good mood is a clarity of focus I had this morning: That no matter what was going on, I wanted this morning's music to be all about God. Thinking this way, it was easy to put the various malfunctions happening into perspective and move on. And in the end, I felt God's presence and felt that - in some small way - God had used us (the band) to touch people this morning. I really hope that is actually what happened...that people were touched by God.

Isn't that what it's all about? No, I'm not going to spew forth cliche's like "Christians should roll with the punches" or "get back on the horse when you fall." No, what I'm getting at is more of a perspective thing - to know that all the malfunctions (sin, social crises, health crises, etc.) are, indeed, temporal things...and that we can still find God in the midst of our struggles...and that we can still work for his mission no matter what we're facing. To me, this is the mark of spiritual maturity. It's not how much you know or how "experienced" you are in spiritual discipline. Instead, to become spiritually mature is to develop integrity - to live out a faith that withstands the everyday testing of the world....to live out the mission that remains our focus no matter how many things are piled into our lives.

Granted, we should never deal with things with a plastic smile. Problems are real. Conflict is real. Last week, I wasn't spouting out phrases like "My back hurts, but I'm just dandy!!" Yes, my back hurt last week, and it was not a good thing. But amidst the problems of life, God is always available and willing to help.

That may be the key to happiness and maturity for a lot of the people I know (myself included). In the past week, I've known people who've faced illness, financial crises, stress, car trouble, and depression. Others have been stood up by friends or engaged in a struggle to maintain relationships. And when people (we) face these things, it becomes very easy to feel overwhelmed and our gut instinct is to withdraw or flee from the situation or friendships that have become the source of the stress. But how has God impacted these struggles? Have we been able to face these things with integrity of faith and purpose? Or have we become overwhelmed and let an ungodly hopelessness extinguish the passion we have for God and for our friends?

It's my hope that all of us can continue to "mature" and live with mature faith - one of integrity and unwavering passion for the mission of God: To connect people with him...to build them up...and, in the end, to give God all the glory.

As always, isn't it all about what (who) we focus on?

KEY THOUGHT: "So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:6-9.

KEY PHRASES: "If his next blog entry talks about how he met this girl, we witnessed what REALLY happened." "Oooh...bad vibes." "No, I'm really not interested in watching people drive in a circle for 2-3 hours." "Well, at least it's snowing SOMEWHERE."

Dooby-dooby-doo...

Anyone remember that beer commercial with the penguin that used to creep people out...it always sang," dooby dooby doo...?" I dunno...it was funny when it was around.

In the interest of blogging freshness, I will not go in depth about my continuing back pain or Kailyn's continuing intestinal overload.

Instead, I want to rant about snow.

First, I hate reading weather forecasts. The latest forecast I read for the Decatur area states that we will get anywhere between 0" and 4" of snowfall tomorrow morning. What kind of a freakin' forecast is that? Being a snow fan, I don't hold my forecast expectations all that high. On one hand, you have some goof saying we'll have nothing because the temperature is too warm. On the other, you have one saying the temperatures warm, but it might not get as warm as predicted. -sigh- On yet another hand, there's the one or two forecasters who are confident it will be our first real snowfall of the year (if not our only one).

Second, I officially snub (hehe) all you snow-haters out there. Come on! We haven't had a good snowfall around here in like 10 years or so. So quit your snow-griping and let us snow fans out there have our day. Sheesh, it's not like it snows a lot around here. If it snowed all the time, I'd probably be sick of it, too. But, since it doesn't, I look forward to it.

Hmm...haven't I got anything better to blog about than this?

KEY PHRASES: "Maybe we should just let her sleep on plastic."

-sigh- Kailyn just tore up a cardboard CD case for my Palm software. Dang it..have to go be "mean-daddy."

I've fallen, and I can't get up...

Still in pain today from pulling my lower back muscle. Dang, it's amazing how much that muscle is used in day-to-day movement.

Last night, J-mo came by and we cooked shrimp and beef tacos. Not too shabby. While he was here, j-mo put his networking skilz to use and got my new wireless router configured. Now we can use Stacey's Axim to check e-mail, etc. from anywhere in the house.

Kailyn's still got some sort of intestinal malfunction still happening. What fun! I'm about tired of the sickness.

Well, since all my pain medication is making me sleepy, I need "nappy" time.

KEY PHRASES: hmm..can't think of any 'cause I'm getting...pretty...slee....eepy....zzzzzzz

Pass the Geritol...

Man, I feel old. Last week, part one: A bad cold. Last week, part two: Stomach bug. This week: A pulled lower back muscle. Since that's the second time in 2 years that's happened, it really sucks. I spent a lot of yesterday working in my backyard, and part of my project was to repair the lower part of the dog kennel where one of our huskies had literally torn the chain link apart with her teeth. So, I spent a good hour hunched over with a pair of plyers and wire cutters. FUN FUN FUN! Everything was great, but - later - when I went to load guitars in the car, snap...a muscle in my back said, "That's it!" Wow, does it hurt. So, I'm hobbling around like a contorted old man, unable to stand up completely straight... And simple tasks, like getting out of bed and getting up off the toilet (I know..TMI) are painfully excruciating things to do. Oh, well...at least the in-house pharmacy specialist has hooked me up with some great pain meds. Now, when are they supposed to kick in?

Band practice went well, except for 1 or 2 'new' sound issues and some vocalist malfunctions. Still, nothing that probably won't be remedied by Sunday. On any note, it was smoother than the previous week.

On a side note, people, I didn't put the 'breaks' in worship songs...they were written and/or originally recorded that way...so, send all correspondence to Hillsongs, Chris Tomlin, or whoever wrote the specific songs in question and let the world know that "breaks" are - indeed - not necessary for each and every song. In the meantime, we'll do what we did last night and remove them from songs that they really don't add anything special to. LOL.

It was also good to see Jeremy there last night. I really hope we can get him plugged in here and there so J-mo can (1) take a break and (2) Jeremy can find his "niche' in the church.

Stacey, Eli, and I were supposed to work on vocals this afternoon, but Eli has apparently come down with the same stomach bug that's been going around, so we're confining her to quarters. Hopefully, she'll feel better enough to work on the vocal stuff with us before Sunday a.m., 'cause we need work. Heh.

In other news, my Nostromo game pad came in today. I hope it works better for me than (cough) others...hehe.

Now, back to the 'pain."

KEY PHRASES: "Help, I can't pull my pants up." "No, I'm not constipated...I'm just walking that way." "Careful, Donny, I think she'd actually hit you." "You guys do know they sell ink cartridges at a number of local retail establishments, right?" "What did he mean, 'rare?'" "Lobster, anyone?"

On sickness, shellfish, music, and PC peripherals...

Is the sickness gone? Yes and no. Kailyn is STILL...um...capable of some "have to give her a bath afterwards" diaper malfunctions. But at least she's acting MUCH better...that makes everything go a lot easier.

Last night, we headed to Red Lobster to enjoy Day 1 of LobsterFest. Being seafood junkies, J-mo and I couldn't pass up the opportunity for lobster discounts (though, still more than I'd like to spend on dinner). Clam chowder, Maine lobster tails, rock lobster tails, lobster asparagus pasta...emmm...lobster...(insert Homer Simpsons "dribbling" noise here). Stacey and Kailyn skipped out on the seafood, but enjoyed their landlubber meals. Crap...now I've made myself hungry.

Band practice is tonight. Short set compared to last week. Maybe we'll be in and out quickly. At least, it will probably feel like it.

My wireless router arrived yesterday. Now we'll be able to use Stacey's Axim to surf the internet from anywhere in the house...KEWL! Also, being an avid first person shooter fan, I ordered my own Nostromo to check out. Hopefully, I won't find myself needing to return it, too. Fortunatly, J-mo's warned me of the slight learning curve in getting familiar with it, so I hope I will be able to get acquainted with it fairly quickly.

KEY PHRASES: "Seafood is the food of the gods, okay?" "Can I borrow $5?" "Sure...will YOU be the one paying me back?" (hehe). "I wonder how 'happy' he'll be when he learns about the 15% 're-stocking' fee...yikes." "Wasn't 'Nostromo' the name of the ship in 'Aliens'?"

I thought we fixed that leak...

Well, I spoke too soon this morning about sickness being all gone...

When I went to get Kailyn up around 11:00, she was very cranky...then she drank a whole cup of milk which she promptly spewed back up all over me, the couch, my clothes, her clothes...ewwww... She wound up keeping some water down after that, but I put her back down to sleep just after noon. Went to check on her at 2:00 to find that she was covered from the waist down in "intestinal gravy" (again...ewwww...). Sigh...I thought I was done with this. Took her to the doc tonight at 7:00 to have her checked out, and the doc thinks she'll be fine very soon, but that this stomach bug going around has really been rough on kids and takes a few days to really get over all of it.

But, in spite of the health malfunctions at my household today, it was a pretty good day overall. Got the weekly music stuff done and got some much needed rest after this busy weekend (and last week).

Met up with the Guad Squad after I took Kailyn to the doc....Tonight it was Stacey, Eli, J-mo, Meredith, and Matthew... Fun all around again. But...what was up with J-mo's pants?? (hehe...j/k...see his blog for more info)...

Came home and played a little Hidden & Dangerous 2 on the PC (good game...will review when I complete it).


KEY PHRASES: "Wow, you can see his ankles." "Wow, that keychain looks like a body part." "Then quit squeezing it." "Hmm...I smell tacos...but it's 3 a.m.!!" "Hey, Emma...your nostrils are so clean."

Dang it! The weekend's over...

After my home was purged of various viral contaminants from last week, life was able to go back to normal...er...whatever "normal" is. I spent pretty much all day Saturday putting together the video for church. It was fun to go through old video and pictures of the old days (LOL...like the "old" days were that long ago...hehe). Found video of Stacey singing back when she was pregnant, and I truly can't believe that was almost 2 years ago. Has it really been that long since we packed up our things in Birmingham and started trekking up here? Wow.

Anyway, the video turned out good. Dave helped me work on storyboarding the whole thing, and like most videos, it turned out to be longer than we expected (11 minutes instead of 5-7). But it was good.

Sunday was awesome! We celebrated the fact that we've been in our building a year, and that was a lot of fun. There was a definite spiritual and musical vibe on stage. God was in the room, and we were rockin.' All in all, a great morning...which was awesome to experience after such a long week of illness and counter-productivity last week...

Last night, E, J-mo, Eli and her "young-un" came over to our house. We ate some spaghetti and talked about letting our little social 'shindig' evolve into a true small group and opening the door up to others in need of friendships and some spiritual depth. I know that's something I've been hungry for ever since I left a good circle of spiritual friendships in Birmingham to move here. I know it's something others have asked for, too...so I think it's about time it happened.

KEY PHRASES: "I couldn't see E rockin' out back there, but the stage was shaking...hehe" (j/k). "J-mo, sometime a muffin is just a muffin...hehe." "Uh oh...we have 'flow-foulage.'" "Hello, friends...this is your afternoon wake-up call." "A metal box spring and a 12-volt battery will solve most behavioral problems." "Dang, I'm just glad to be normal...um...never mind."

The house smells...

...like Lysol. I've been a Lysol-spraying maniac all week. Killin' germs. "The Germinator" - trying to make sure the house is a healthy place for family and friends to congregate.

Whassup wit all da sickness? Just 2 weeks ago, I was thinking..."Wow, it's good to be well..." But, last week...Jordan, Lara, me, Stacey, and several others were all sick with the cold/sore throat funk. Now, the Root is getting a little "sour." And Kailyn's stomach bug...ewwwww... At least she never threw up on any furniture... Man, I felt so bad for her...

And btw...I hope the Root being p-i-s-s-e-d is not something directed towards us recently sick people...by Wednesday, both Jordo and I were just fighting off lingering symptoms, but the funk had passed. But, I know the feeling of being p-i-s-s-e-d about being sick in general...Tuesday, I was like..."What the crap?????" I have no freakin' clue where I picked it up...I wasn't around any sick people. Crap...who knows? I could've picked it up at the gas pump...dang, those pump handles get nasty. Fortunately, as bad as I felt, it was very short-lived. Only symptom left now is some lingering chest congestion, but that always takes a little while to get rid of.

DENIED! I went to Food World hoping to score some of those Tombstone BBQ Chicken pizzas (really good, if you like BBQ pizza), but they were out. No they had 2 gazillion of every other type of pizza, but nada on the BBQ.

There...there was my rant for the night.

Have a BIG day of video-editing ahead of me tomorrow. But, assuming I have no computer issues, it should go quickly, now that I'm all familiar with the software...

Peace...

KEY PHRASE: "Um...no...YOU give her the suppository."

Laughable

"Reggie" music...hehehehe....

Okay, by now E's probably thinking, "Bite me, loser..."

KEY PHRASES: "Reggae." "Yes, Kailyn's stomach is still 'leaking.'"

"I don't remember eating that..."

Another great movie line from "Tommy Boy," when David Spade throws up... ewww...

Well, I have to laugh about throwing up since Kailyn's been doing that all morning.

7:00 a.m. "Good morning, Kevin...Today Kailyn gets her first ever stomach virus. Have a nice day!"

Oh, well... It sucks more for her than for me, so I can deal with it...at least until Stacey gets home...

KEY PHRASE: "Okay...no more jokes about 'particles.'"

Perfect...it's raining...

Ah, rain. Today, I like the rain. In a few hours, I might not, since we're supposed to get a LOT of it. But right now, the rain is cool.

Still on the road to recovery from illness. I think at this point, it's just lingering symptoms. Throat does not hurt, my fever has been gone...now I just have to get rid of the leftover...um..."lung goo." Oh, well...I have a spouse that works in a medical-related field, and her exposure to sick people is insane, sometimes. Sickness kinda comes with the territory.

Band practice. Based on the reading of others' blogs, you might think we sounded like a bunch of 5-year-olds with kazoos and those plastic guitars that don't really "tune." But, in spite of some issues, it was what it was supposed to be: a rehearsal. I'm not discouraged. In spite of all the missed notes, vocal issues (I lost my voice - but it's back this morning), tempo issues, and tech issues, we got a lot of things right, which is good to think about, because we had a LOT of music to practice last night. We know these songs...with the exception of 2 of them, we've played the "pudu" out of them in the past. Maybe we should've taken a break, calmed down, and tried them again, just to remind us of that fact... -sigh- Besides, there are 3 days 'til Sunday. If we practice on our own and become utterly familiar with the songs (notes; tempo; dynamics), then everything will be fine. So far, it has always worked out, and I'm confident it will again. And the sound issues will be better resolved when there are 40+ people filling the room.

After rehearsal, I broke everything down and did my best to clean up the "mess" left by (cough) other band members and people in the room (cough). Then I met up with Stacey, Kailyn, J-mo, and the Root at Cracker Barrel. The waitress was cute, and J-mo was trying to pour out some hefty doses of Johnny Love on her (i.e., "flirting"). Ah...dinner and a show.

"But, alas..." She remained resilient to J-mo's relentless onslaught of self-promotion and "give me your phone number" requests, but at least J-mo actually tried...and tried...and there were witnesses to his efforts. However, it would be an injustice to J-mo to say he didn't make some progress that might not bear fruit in the future. Still, I got a kick out of how she would shift gears and suddenly show interest in the Root. Ah...entertainment. It's times like those, I'm glad I'm married...'cause I don't miss "playin' da game."


KEY PHRASES: "This is what it would sound like if Sandpeople sang worship songs." "I got your 'boost'..." "You still have a better chance that that 65-year-old dude who flirts with her, too."


KEY THOUGHT: "There I will go to the altar of God, to God – the source of all my joy. I will praise you with my harp (my guitar - my drums - my keybaord - my bass - my voice), O God, my God! Why am I discouraged? Why so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again – my Savior and my God!" - Psalm 43:4-5

I will praise him...again...

It's about "focus" - remembering what it's all about.

Doctor, we have a pulse...

Feeling a lot better this morning...at least, I have a lot more energy. My symptoms are still lingering, but such is the nature of a cold. I'm glad I'm feeling better, with all the stuff on my plate to get done this week...

Yesterday was pretty much ALL about taking it easy and getting some recovery time in. Slept a lot, downed a lot of medication, etc.

So, if that makes for an exciting blog entry, then I'm oozing excitement out of my pores.

On a good note, I *think I finally straightened out some goofball issue with my bank. I do most of my banking online, so when I set up an online payment to make a payment on the Expedition, what actually happens is the bank cuts an official check and sends it out. In December, the company I finance my car through did not receive payment. Wuh-oh. Going online, I found that the car payment had been taken out of my account, and after several (yes, several) phone calls to my bank did I uncover the record of a cleared check. Unfortunately, human error prevailed in this situation, and it took my bank 3 weeks to actually fax a copy of the CORRECT cleared check to the finance company. In the end, it was the fault of the finance company: they accidentally credited the payment to a slightly different account number.

Oh, the joy of money management. At LEAST this was not MY error. Woohoo!

KEY PHRASES: "1 does not equal 4 ;-)" "Kailyn needs to learn this: Though some cat food looks like Cheerios, it is, in fact, not Cheerios."

Hard to Kill

Waking up this morning, I felt like Steven Segal in "Hard to Kill" where he woke from a coma after seven years. The disorientation, the feeling you can't move, the brightness of the light... I slept good, but I chalk this feeling up to the "healthy" doses of antihistamines and cough suppressants I took before I went to bed.

Now, it's a couple of hours later... I still feel kinda lousy and feverish, though I do have a bit more energy than before (I got more sleep last night). I just gotta let this thing run its course, I guess.

Had a weird dream last night about an asteroid hitting the earth. Again, that was probably medication-induced. It was a bit scary, but a little too surreal in a dream-like way. Cars are flying around me, and all I had to do was duck behind a concrete wall to stay safe. Then, after the impact, there was just a lot of trash in the street. It was like a low-budget version of Armageddon. It's sad when a dream is like that...

Stacey's off today, so at least she can give me some Kailyn relief-work so I can continue to recover.

KEY PHRASES: (lots of coughing noises)

Kris Kristofferson returns...

Yikes, that's scary if I truly sound like that dude, and, according to Jack, I did Sunday. Again...yikes.

Still battling the Decaturitis Phage...er...cold. Once again, the entire left side of my head has clogged up to the point that I can't even breathe through my left nostril. I feel like a walking/talking Nyquil commercial...I've got the whole stuffy nose, sneezing, aching, fever, coughing, I-need-my-rest thing going on.

Other than sickness, today was a pretty good day to stay inside and recover. WOOHOO! I did manage to get all the music out, and this coming Sunday ought to be a BIGGIE when it comes to music. 8 or 9 songs instead of 4 or 5.

Missed out on the Guad tonight, though. So did Stacey and J-mo, since he said he might be fighting off some kind of illness, too. Ironically, Eli was the only one to show up. I called her around 7:15 (I think), and told her (jokingly) I'd be there by the time her food was served. LOL. Touche! Really, she seemed kind of irritated. Sorry that no one communicated the whole sickness aversion thing to her, but, hey...it's happened vice-versa, too. So...pbbbbbbbt! (sticking you tongue out sound). We're entitled to a freebie absence or two, right? Peace...don't hit me or blog-zing me...:-).

My vote for favorite Superbowl commercials: Third place: The Lays "grandparents" commercial. Second place: The Budweiser Donkey.
First place: Of course, the Simpsons MasterCard commercial.

KEY PHRASES: "It's easy...take 30 seconds, log in, type something, hit 'publish.' Hint, hint." "Wow...a bunch of women hanging out in a room, soaking their feet. Hmmm... That's what I call an estrogen-rich environment." "I got da funk...and some of it's leaking."

I feel like Bantha Pudu

Another joyous day of being down with the sickness. Woohoo. Now, this cold has moved into my sinuses and my chest, so I get to deal with all the wonderful symptoms associated with those regions of my body as well as the persistent sore throat that's been plaguing me for days.

I felt a lot better yesterday...drained, but better. I guess I overdid it. Singing, going to the Super Bowl party. Oh, well...it was all worth it. Church went well and the party was a lot of fun. Good crowd, there, too. Although, I guess I must apologize to all the ladies who freaked when I dropped the fake baby on the floor. Yes, it was kinda sick, but it was pretty funny. Also, Kailyn sneezed with a mouth full of cracker crumbs and they "spewed" all over Stacey. Gross, but funny.

It needs to be a busy week, so it kinda sucks that I'm feeling sick at its outset. Oh, well. It happens...

I wonder if going to the Guad would be really stupid... Well, that's over 6 hours away, so...we'll see how I feel.

KEY PHRASES: "Name a Jackson who ISN'T freak." "No, I was just stretching, and my hand accidentally caught on her outfit, and it ripped off." "Duck, here comes another ping pong ball." "Wow, now Stacey felt particles."