No Run-Of-The-Mill Pitcher here!!

Well, it's official!! Kevin Millwood is now officially a member of the Texas Rangers! With some other trades that were made, Texas might have an impressive starting rotation for the first time since...well...ever! Every team that made the playoffs had one thing in common: a rock on top of the staff. Kenny Rogers was that guy until he decided it would be fun to push over a cameraman. So glad the guy decided to press charges which got him thrown in jail. This proves a lesson it took me a while to learn: No bad deed goes unpunished, no good deed goes unrewarded. Karma baby...that is some awesome stuff.

Since nothing new is going on, I think it is time to add to my screenplay. Anyone remember that? Anyways...here is Act 6 of "My Journey":

(at hospital, Abe rushes in and finds out where his mom is. The nurse walks him to where she is laying on an operating table)

Abe: "Mom! What happened!?"

Dr: "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this sir. SUV came out of nowhere and collided with her head-on. I wish I had better news for you, but I'm afraid there isn't much time."

Mom: "I'm sorry Abe...I wish I could have been a...better...mother..."

(Abe begins to cry)

Abe: "You were great Mom...I love you..."

Mom: "Love you too pal...there's a...postcard...in my top drawer...it's from your father...he's in some hospital in California...the address is on there...go see him...please..."

Abe: "What!?"

(flatline sounds)

V/O: "I wanted to respond to what was happening...I couldn't. Nothing worse then not giving a tragedy your full attention."

(show Abe getting postcard out of drawer)

"I had been pretty much alone for most of my life...but this time...I was lonely..."

(show Abe at his apt. packing a suitcase)

"...But not for long."

Act 7 to come someday!

Christmas 2005!!

Well, it came by here in a flash, didn't it! Probably due to the fact that it happened over the weekend which means not a lot of people got a day off unless they used their personal days. Personally, I'm glad I went in on Monday simply because it was not busy AT ALL. So nice. Plenty of time to indulge in my past time: internet games! J/K

M & M's as Star Wars Characters


This is so neat! Saw it at Target weeks ago and thought "This is so neat!" Wouldn't buy it though...glad I didn't 'cuz big little sister Keri got it for me. Kudos!

Christmas Eve...midnight


Oops! Almost had a picture of Santa but he took off so fast I missed him! He brought some neat things for Emmy and Zach though!!

Whose clues?


Blues' Clues! A handy dandy notebook is pretty much all Emmy has wanted all year and doggone it if Santa didn't respond!

Four generations!


Well, it took 83 years but we finally got four generations of Overall men in one picture!! It's kind of a shame I haven't really gotten to know my grandfather as well as I could have until lately. Better late then never I guess, right?

What did YOU get for Christmas???

"Days Go By..."

...and many days have gone by since one of America's favorite shows went off the air. Of course, I'm referring to "Family Matters"!! One of those guilty pleasures i.e. Melrose Place, no one ever 'fessed up to watching it, but we sure knew who the characters were. However, there were some inconsistencies in the story line, and what better place to bring them to light then here, at IMDB.com. You can even see where I posted a comment about what isn't right. Here it is:

1) The house design for "Family Matters" and "Step by Step" were identical.
2) Judy just up and vanished without so much as a brief story line a la Jerry Seinfeld in "Benson".
3) Rachel just up and vanished a few years later. They tried to explain she was in Detroit taking care of someone much later which begs the question: Why not take your son with you?
4) Who the heck was "3J"??
5) After complaining about lack of airtime, Jo Marie Payton (Harriet) leaves and they bring in some woman who is happy with 2 lines a show.
6) Not sure if the writers are aware of this, but teleportation, time travel and steering a satellite in outer space simply are not possible to a kid.
7) How did Steven and Stefan become two different people? I could accept Steve ingesting "cool genes" to become someone different personality wise but cloning capabilities simply are not available.
8) After years of rejection, any straight man would jump at the chance to be with Michelle Thomas (Myra Monkhouse). So does that mean Steve was...gay?

Other then that, it was a pretty cool show. What other shows rocked your world?

"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas..."

...everywhere you go!! It's finally cold weather and grey skies here in Arlington and not a moment too soon. Do you know how hard it is to get in the Christmas spirit when it's 65 degrees and sunny outside? It's impossible! So now things are looking up even though we weren't able to get people what we would have liked to for presents. We're going to the Galleria tomorrow night so Emmy and Zach can see how Dallas' premiere mall goes all out to celebrate the holidays. Funny thing is, she's only been there once when she was about 3 yet she's excited about going. Got a mind like a steel trap this one does. And Zach...well...he might...but he's only 2 months old so I'll give him some time heh heh.

Here are some awesome Christmas lights I found on Yahoo!Image Search:

The Good


The Bad


The Ugly

So there ya have it. No matter how many thousands and thousands of lights and decorations you put on your house, someone will always top it by about a million.

It is SOOO cold right now!!

Did you know Texas could get this cold? I didn't!! 18 degrees last night! We had to turn on the heater, that's how cold we were! Although...there is something tranquil about getting under your blankets and getting all as my daughter Emmy says, "comfy and cozy". That still cracks me up. Not so much the expression but howo she says it. How cold is it where YOU are??

"They Say It's Your Birthday!!..."

31 today everyone!! Not as big a birthday as last year mind you, but one of my favorite days of the year. And to celebrate, I'm going to a gourmet restaraunt tonight...of course I'm referring to Tai-Pan. Mmm mmm...can hardly wait!

Stumbled across this little quiz while at Dan's site. Take it and se how you measure up! Dan was Batman and I am James Bond. Remember the episode of "Friends" where Chandler wore James Bond's tux to his wedding and Ross wore Batman's? Coincidence? Mmm, maybe!!

You scored as James Bond, Agent 007. James Bond is MI6's best agent, a suave, sophisticated super spy with charm, cunning, and a license's to kill. He doesn't care about rules or regulations and somewhat amoral. He does care about saving humanity though, as well as the beautiful women who fill his world. Bond has expensive tastes, a wide knowledge of many subjects, and his usually armed with a clever gadget and an appropriate one-liner.
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0
created with QuizFarm.com>

Better him then Lara Croft, right?

It's almost my birthday!

Gonna be 31...wow...wasn't until 30 that I realized "Ya know what? I may not be around forever!" Used to be scary but now it seems to have resolved itself. Probably won't feel that way again until I get near 40...ugh.

Oh...not a lot goin' on this week...have to work ALL WEEKEND, which when ya pair that with a newborn equals no downtime at all. It's okay...I'll get it back at Christmas I guess. Lucky me that both holidays come on the weekend which means no days off!! Yeah! Same deal with New Years' Eve. Works out really this particular year because I don't have to miss any days.

Phantom Menace


Here is my complete collection of "Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace" toys I collected from Pizza Hut back in 1999. The neatest thing was the Yoda "Magic 8 Ball" toy. Ask a question, shake him up and get such deep answers as "Troubled You Seem" and "Yes All Roads Point To". Guess Yoda had an auto-pilot switch we never saw.

"Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!"

Okay, I know it's not Christmas time just yet, but the preparation has just begun! The tree has been put up, Emmy is going to write Santa a letter for the first time this year, Zach is going to have his first Christmas, and me...well, we have like no money this year. It's cool though, 'cuz there's nothing I really need. Lots of things I want but don't need.

Back to the tree though. Got a brand new one from Target for a whopping $29.88. The lights have been strung, the angel has been perched, and the ornaments...ahh, the ornaments. We have quite a unique collection. Let's take look at them now:



Okay, I know this isn't an ornament. Maybe 'cuz it weighs like 10 lbs.! Pretty neat though. Plays music and Santa and his eight reindeer circle around the base. You can see them coming up from the east.



Here is the plane that Santa flew before he got his reindeer. Reindeer don't use fuel so right there ya save money.



Batman: "The bat signal! Santa needs help!"
(hops into Batmobile)



Santa: "Thank you Batman! All these spoiled kids in the world has tripled my workload! How can I ever repay you?"

Batman: "Um...think I can get one of those...PSP's?"

Santa: (sigh) "You too Batman?"

The Mystery Machine


Freddie: "Okay, who let Scooby drive?"
Daphne: "Where the heck ARE WE?!"
Velma: "I think it's the forest."
Shaggy: "Like, for real man, we are way lost! Where are we going, Scoob?"
Scooby Doo: (thinking)Feed me crackers all day will ya...say your prayers chumps.

Santa Claus


Santa: "Lessee...Made my list...checked it twice...what time is it...ooh, 'One Tree Hill' is on!"

Spiderman


Spiderman: "I am keeper of this tree. I'm also stuck to it. HELP!!!"

Superman


Superman: "Wish I didn't have to carry around this 'Peace on Earth' globe everywhere. Sure is heavy. Guess I'm not as super as people think. I need a good cry."

The Three Stooges


Moe: "Alright, who gave me this wrench? I asked for a pie!"
Larry: "Want some seltzer to go with that pie Moe?"
Moe: "Why you lamebrain..."
Curly: "Someone say pie? I've got a pie!"
Moe and Larry: "SHADDUP!"

Yellow Submarine


George: "So this is Mike's tree huh?"
Paul: "Yes it is and he worked very hard on it! I'm impressed!"
John: "I once saw a tree in Times Square that was 100 feet tall, kid you not. What's this one...6 feet? 6 1/2 tops? Hmph."
Ringo: "We all live in a yellow submarine...yellow submarine..."
George, Paul and John: "(sigh)"

Did someone say more toys??

Of course they did!!! I'll get to those later. First let's recall Thanksgiving 2005 shall we?

Woke up at 7:30 because someone didn't want to sleep anymore which means I don't want to sleep anymore ha ha. Just kidding Zach, you know we love ya. Had breakfast of champions(Life cereal and Honey Bunches Of Oats mixed together with a side of cheese toast) then the 4 of us went to my aunt Susie's house for lunch as we do usually every year. Everyone oohed and ahhed over Zach and were so surprised at how alert he was. They always seem so surprised that I could father kids that are smart and bright ha ha. Played touch football at the high school with the cousins and uncles. Caught one pass for a touchdown so it was not all for naught. THEN we went to Cari's sister's house for meal numero dos. Some visitors were in town and normally I'm not a fan of meeting new people but they were nice. No more turkey till Christmas! I think that'd make a cool bumper sticker.

And now, some more toys that I bought a long time ago:

Dirtbag


Basically just a big dump truck, he and Roadblock were transformed merely by moving their legs and in one motion they were transformed, taking the fun and mystery out of figuring them out. Ah well, they're big so that makes up for it!





Here he is in robot mode. There's all kinds of missiles that attach to him and I have them. Just that I didn't know where they went until I went here.

Roadblock


Roadblock is basically the same thing except he's a bulldozer. Here he is in vehicle mode:





And here he is as a robot. Again, same missiles and weapons but I did not know where they went until now.

So there ya go, some more toys from my vast collection. Yes I really don't have anything better to do if that's what you were wondering. Dan's Toy Museum inspired me to take pictures of my stuff but he goes one step further and creates scenarios for them. Kudos Dan!!

"The Toys...Are...Alive!!"

Ever get in one of those creative urges? The ones where you want to accomplish something that people will look at and go "Oooh...ahhh..." and so forth. Well, lately that feeling of euphoria has gotten into me. So much so that I have a bunch of unopened action figures in my garage that I wanna rip open and do...something...I don't know what exactly...but this ain't goin' away and some of that stuff is worth serious coin but only if unopened. So...I shall resist the urge for now...and since I have a ton of stuff that's already unopened, why not take some pictures and let ya know what they are!



The Constructicons:
I have no idea why they made a yellow set of these (which is kinda unattrative). I bought these for a total of $33 back in 1999 so I didn't go into hock over them. They are:

Mixmaster (cement truck)
Hook (crane)
Scrapper (payloader)
Bonecrusher (bulldozer)
Long Haul (dump truck)
Scavenger (steam shovel)



Here they are in vehicle mode...look completely different don't they?



This is Optimus Prime from the Machine Wars series. I showed this to a friend one time and he about flipped. He was all "That ain't him!". Guess he's from the Generation One era.



As you can see, they fixed up the ol' tractor trailer a bit.



Combaticons: These guys were used in a few episodes from the 80's and then seemingly forgotten. They are:

Onslaught (tractor trailer)
Vortex (helicopter)
Blast-Off (space shuttle)
Swindle (jeep)
Brawl (tank)



There they are in their vehicular mode.



This is Bruticus. As you can see, all five combine to form one superbot. The story is quite interesting how he came about (you can read about it here). I bought these in 1994 simply because they were they only ones around. Would have bought others but it was a slow time for the franchise I guess.

So there ya have em...I have boxes of these stuff that I will try to get documented before I die. If I should fail, I will have my daughter Emily or son Zach take over for me. And yes...they will.

I Once was "Lost"...but now...am found...

Remember "Must-See" tv? The shows you just HAD to watch because if you didn't, you would literally die? You know the ones I'm talking about..."Seinfeld", "Friends", "Cheers", etc...and then there was the dry spell. Seemed like there was nothing good on the ol' tube for years. And now...they're back!! Leading the way is what many consider the best action-drama show since...oh, I don't know..."Magnum P.I"? Anyways, I am of course referring to "Lost". This is THE hot show of the year, and I should know. I correctly predicted that "Arrested Development" would eat it at some point this year and lo and behold, Fox up and slashes it to shreds in the middle of it's 3rd season.
Anyways...I didn't watch Lost much its first season. Wasn't until they reran it over the summer that I got into it. And now...I make it the highlight of my Wednesdays to get the kids to bed by 8pm EST so I can snuggle under my sheets and see the adventures of Jack, Sawyer, Ana Lucia, and of course...my boy...biggest bad-ass since Shaft...John Locke, played excellently by Terry O'Quinn. Here's a picture of him staring someone down:

What's interesting (and maybe a sign of things to come) is when you go to Yahoo Image Search and type in "John Locke" (which you can see by clicking here), you get THIS GUY:

John Locke (1632-1704): Public servant and philosopher, Locke identified the basis for just law and government that serves rather than rules. His major work on socio-political philosophy, Two Treatises of Civil Government, introduces the distinction between liberty and licence.

Hmm...does anyone think this could have anything to do with Locke's role on the island? Something tells me it might!! What are your thoughts on "Lost"? Lemme know! And be sure to click my map at the top and let me know where ya are!!

"First prize!!"

Is this not the coolest Halloween costume like ever?? I hope my son and/or daughter choose to wear something like this one day. Pipe dream? Yeah, probably. Ah well. Dad can dream, can't he? I try to remember the costumes I had when I was a kid. Can't remember but one of them. Batman. Complete with black facepaint which I was allergic to. I remember Dad saying "Oh, you'll be okay. The sub-zero temperatures (we were living in Canada) should help take the edge off." He really looked out for me, didn't he?

And now Thanksgiving is right around the corner. My favorite part of this holiday is...when it gets chilly...and you're so full of turkey you sprout feathers...and you just fall asleep wherever you happen to be sitting...ahh, good times.

"Here's...Zach!!"

Born on Halloween at 9:51am, Zachary Clark Overall weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 20 inches long. He already is getting a good head of hair which is kind of a relief 'cuz hey, no one likes a bald kid, ya know? His hobbies include pretending to be asleep until I go back to bed and then letting me know he ISN'T and being very demanding when he's hungry.



"Um, no pictures please. His Highness is resting."



"You talkin' to me?"



Here he is with his big sister Emily.



"Yawwwwn..."

"He'll Be Comin' Around The Mountain..."

Well, the next time ya'll see me, I will be a dad again! No more talk of "You need to have a boy to keep our proud(?) name going". I have accomplished what our family thought never would happen. You see, of the seven grand/great-grandchildren who could have kept the name going, I was the only male. That's a lot of pressure! I was born in 1974 and between then and 2005 there were SIX girls born! I was like "C'mon already, one of you has to be a boy!" Ah well. The drought is over, thanks to moi! Christmas better be a bit sweeter this year is all I have to say.

After a long time, I am making myself put the next chapter of my screenplay today! So, without much ado, here is Act Three of "My Journey"

(open to telemarketing call center)

(pan to Abe, now 28 years old, looking very frustrated as he talks to a customer)

Abe:
"...Well sir, I am sorry we...(pause)...no, we do not normally call unlisted numbers at ungodly hours of the day...(pause)...it's just that people don't usually go to sleep at 4:30 in the afternoon is all...(pause)...yes sir, we will not contact you again. Have a nice-(click)...jerk"

Office manager:
"Rogers! You make a sale yet!?"

Abe:
"Um, no, not yet."

OM:
"See me in my office please."

Abe:
(sigh)"Fine."

(cut to inside of office)

OM:
(patronizing tone)
"Do you know what you're supposed to be doing here?"

Abe: (dreary)
"Yes."

OM:
"We're supposed to make sales. And if you're not gonna make sales, then we just might have to-"

(cell phone rings)

OM:
"Would you like to answer that?"

(Abe answers phone)

"Hello?"

(voice) "Is this Abraham Rogers?"

Abe:
"Um, yes..."

(voice) "This is "Allison" from "Fort Hamilton Hospital". I'm calling to inform you that your mother has been involved in a car accident. I wish the diagnosis was more optimistic, but unfortunately there isn't much we can do for her. If you want to come see her, it has to be now."

(Abe jumps out of his seat and takes off for the hospital)

OM:
"Hey! Where do you think you're going!?"

(end scene)

Act Four to come sometime in November!!

"Houston, We Do NOT Have A Problem!!"

Unbelievable!! Simply amazing!! What has been an EKG of a season for the Houston Astros comes down to four wins...and Texas' first World Series trophy. Still hard to believe that this team was 15 games under .500 at one point. Although I'd love to see them bring it on home, as a betting man, I'd have to go with the Pale Hose.

The Chicago White Sox too battled adversity down the stretch as their 15 game lead dwindled to 2 before winning 8 of 10 to clinch the AL Central.(Too many numbers?) Anyways...seeing how they disposed of the Red Sox and Angels, they certainly are the favorite to win it.

However, this series is going to come down to one thing: heart. Whoever has the heart and drive to not give up 'til it's won will come home winners. Remember last year on The Apprentice? The Donald pitted 9 college graduates vs. 9 high school graduates and shocked everyone when he announced that the college grads made only a third of what the high school graduates did. A third! Kinda makes not going to college appealing. Of course, in reality, having the college education makes you a more complete person and more attractive to big businesses. I expect both of my kids to graduate from either UTA or another college so that they will be prepared for the "real world". And I don't mean that silly show on MTV either. I plan on fully taking care of the financial side of it so they won't have to work two and three jobs just to attend school. I want their minds focused on one thing, not 5 or 6 things. Get that degree. I don't care if they major in philosophy or quantam physics or basketweaving. With a college degree, the world is theirs. Without one, you are at the mercy of what other people think they should pay you for what they want you to do. Millions of people life that life...some are happy, others want more.

As a father, I really only want three things for our kids:

1) Go to college (and gradute!)
2) Stay out of prison and/or jail
3) Don't be involved in a pregnancy until they're married

Is this asking too much?

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Prioritizing

Not a whole lot to talk about this week. Baby boy Overall is still planned for a 9am Halloween birth. The baby shower was a lot of fun. Pretty much all my family came!! I was pleasantly surprised to see EIGHT members show up! I was hoping for ten but eight is pretty cool. In the emantime, I took Emmy to Putt-Putt (or as she calls it, 'Putzy Putzy'). Where she got that is beyond me. Sounds like...something I would have said when I was her age ha ha. I could not ask for anything more then what I got in my daughter. She is the neatest kid in the world and is so psyched about being a big sister. Zack is already lucky and he isn't even born yet!! Here's a picture of her doing her best with that big club of hers:



She did very well for her...3rd time is it? Turns out she cracked the code of playing high-quality golf: move the ball with your hand to about three inches in front of the cup. We played three rounds in like 45 minutes!! I think it was a record.

Speaking of family...there is one member that hasn't really been a friend for about the last two years or so. My cousin Josh has been a virtual no-show for as long as I can remember. We worked together for about a year at Pizza Hut in Grand Prairie and we would hang out from time to time. I remember one Friday night in 1999. We got off at nine and went to Denny's afterwards. Was a really nice evening. We just sat and talked about what was on our minds. I'll never forget it either.

Since then he's been a hermit...at least towards me. He lives 10 minutes from my house and the last thing on his mind would be stopping by or calling. He barely talks to his own family let alone me. Which is downright puzzling because I always thought we were friends. Maybe I was wrong. Plus I always get the feeling that there's something going on that I'm not in on between him and his dad (my Uncle Tom). Something's changed with those two and I have no idea what it is. The bottom line is, how am I supposed to consider him a friend when that is the last thing on his mind? Is he just another family member now? One that I see at Thanksgiving and maybe July 4th? I guess this is how it is now. In fact, I think Christmas Eves are going to be spent entirely with Cari's family just because of this. I cannot go through my day always worrying and wondering if it was something I did that created this rift between us. So, from now on, there is no more friend Josh Yeats. Just relative. Distant relative.

It's Dad's Birthday!!

Yes, the time has come again when we MUST recognize this man's birthday. Kerry Overall is turning 53 years old today. So, to honor his legacy(if applicable), let's look back on some things that have been invented since ol' pop was bred...or born...whichever term you'd like to use:

Television
Home VCR & Beta Machine
Air conditioning
DVD Player
iPod
Digital Camera

So there's a few things that Dad can say he's older then! Woo hoo!! If you'd like to see his best side, then click here.

And now, for those of you who are interested, here is Act Two of my burgeoning screen play "My Journey":

(VO from Abe):

(watching TV at age 12)

"What I was hoping was a temporary solution has become quite permanent. Mom works one job in the afternoon and another one at night and sleeps while I am at school. I still can't have anyone over, but I can use the stove. I have some friends at school, but only one at home."

(pan to remote control)

(cut to Abe looking out window. Cut to window where he sees summer camp bus picking up kids)

VO:

"They sure do look like they're having fun. Maybe one day I'll be able to do that."

(changes channel to cooking program)

(Abe watches awhile)

Abe:

"I can make that."

(fade to three-course meal on table)

"This is certainly much better then whatever Mom has been bringing home."

(VO)

"I may have been taught in school, but what I needed to know I learned from TV."

(pan to Abe watching Bruce Lee movie and learning karate moves and practicing a violin he borrowed from school)

(cut to high school graduation)

"Finally the big day was here. Only one thing could have made it great."

(pan to empty chair in auditorium)

"Now that I was no longer required to be trapped by my own home, the world was mine!"

(End scene)

Act Three coming soon!!

Cari's Baby Shower is Coming Up!

One week away...wow! Seems forever ago that we had learned we were having a baby, and now it's just another month until he comes! We're expecting a pretty big turnout for it too. Well, Cari is. ME...I will be with my little buddy at one of the last great places left for kids...Putt Putt!! For you see, there are certain places that guys simply should not be lingering around...such as baby showers, department store dressing rooms(learned about that one the hard way), and such and such. I could go on a while, but...why, ya know?

I've had this idea for a movie I think could be really cool if it ever made its way onto the screen...any screen would do. For about five years I've been kicking this idea around but never seemed to have the time to put it down on paper. However, since Fridays are my slow days on the ol' phone, the time has presented itself. The plan is to document this in stages, or acts if you will. So without further ado, I give you...

"My Journey"

(pan around in small apartment. Six-year old boy sitting on floor playing video game very well)

(voice-over from boy)

"Hello. For those of you who are just joining us, let me introduce myself. My name is Abraham Rogers. I was named after my dad who told me that my name means "father to plenty", but so far I'm the only one. He left to go pick up some milk. There must be a really long line, because it's been about three weeks and he still hasn't come home."

(pan to mother getting ready for work in bedroom)

"That's Mom. She's been really upset that Dad hasn't come home yet. She had to find a second job as a waitress to, as she puts it, 'make ends meet'. I've never heard that expression before, but I guess it means she has to work all the time."

(Abe goes into mom's room)

Abe:

"Mom?"

Mom:

"Yes dear?"

Abe:

"When's Daddy coming home?"

Mom:

"Honey, I don't have time for silly questions. The only way he'll ever show his pug face around here again is in a police car. Now I want you to be a good boy tonight until I get home, okay?"

Abe:

(sadly) "Okay."

Mom:

"That's my boy. (heads for the door) Dinner's in the fridge, okay? And what's the rule of the house?"

Abe & Mom together:

"Never open the door to anyone."

Mom:

"That's right. Come on, give me a hug."

(hug)

Mom:

"Love you."

Abe:

"Love you too."

(Mom leaves)

Voice-over:

"And so begins another night for me."

(goes to refrigerator, sees take-out container)

Abe:

"What's in the mystery box tonight?"

(opens box with unidentifable meal in it)

"Ugh...Mom sure doesn't think very much of me to think I'd like...whatever this is supposed to be"

End scene

Now keep in mind, this is far from finished. If I can just get my ideas transcribed, I'll be able to look at it from a more objective view. Stay tuned.

Lovely Rita...

More like Hateful Rita, seems like. I find it hard to believe that just weeks after Katrina did her worst, now we have to brace for the impact of yet another class-5 storm. Except this one is coming along to finish off what her big sister missed...namely the Texas Gulf Coast. Sure, the midwest may be boring, but they don't even have to worry about things like this. Here in Arlington, the worst we're supposed to get is some heavy rain and wind. I know about a million evacuees that would give what they have to switch places with that scenario.

Sometimes I wonder if there's something more I could be doing. Problem is, the answer is always "Yes". I'm not down at the convention centers helping out or offering my home to those who have none. Frankly, the very idea of people I don't know in my house scares me. Someday I might be able to let them in...but not right now.

As it turns out, my son is scheduled to be born on Halloween. I didn't think it would be such a good idea originally just because it might have been conflicting with other people's Halloween plans. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized, "Hey! How often do people celebrate their birthday on the actual day, anyways?" So it's all good. Zack, if ya ever read this, we've waited 30 years for you. Welcome to the family.

"This One's For You Mom..."

A lot can change in one day. Just ask Roger Clemens. Just a day ago his mother was alive and he was getting virtually no run support. And now...24 hours later...his mother passed away and he got 10 runs in earning his 12th win of the year. Clemens often expressed aloud his desire to have his mother front row center at his Hall Of Fame induction (if you think he is being a bit presumptious you obviously haven't seen him pitch...ever). Unfortunately this dream will never come to fruition. However, Clemens did what many of us would never dream of doing. He went to work only hours after his mother died. Not only did he suck it up and take the mound, he went out there and pitched what arguably has been his best game this season. I'm reminded of the day Brett Favre found out his father had died from a heart attack on December 21, 2003. No one would have blamed him for not starting that night's game. No one except Brett. He went out there and passed for a ridiculous 399 yards and flattened the Oakland Raiders (which, granted, wasn't hard to do that year since they were 4-12).

Too often we don't get to say good-bye to those we love...or family members...sometimes both. I still remember the day my grandpa died...Janurary 4, 1997. Only 72 years old, too. However, he smoked his whole life. I remember that afternoon I saw him outside smoking and thought, "I wonder if that's the last one he'll ever have." Guess it was. Sometimes I wonder if my kids are going to want to smoke one day and what I should tell them to get them to change their mind. I can tell them about how I was there when he took his last breath as he laid on the floor because he couldn't get anymore oxygen to his lungs. Or how I was literally on my way out when I heard my grandmother keep shouting his name as if something was wrong. No kidding, my hand was on the doorknob. If I had gone out and come home to all that I never would have forgiven myself. Ever. I was in such shock that I couldn't even go to the hospital with my grandmother. Instead I stayed home and let everyone know what had happened.

Eight years had passed before I got around to visiting his memorial at Laurelland, but I'm glad I did. Was nice to see him no longer in pain from the ailments that had plagued him most of his life. My wife and daughter were there with me which made it a kind of family outing. Emily (daughter) gave me an acorn that was lying on the ground and picked up one for herself and together we placed them on his stone. I didn't cry but that was as close as I have ever come. Sometimes I feel bad that I have never cried, but I don't worry too much about it. We'll all see him again one day.

"Fly Me To The Moon"

Today I'd like to tell you about some dreams I've had where I was flying. What's weird is that I wasn't doing it by myself. There was always some kind of vehicle or contraption I was in that allowed me to fly. So no Superman dreams yet, but given my sporadic dream state, anything's possible:

Dream #1: For some reason I was friends with Steve Urkel (don't tell me you don't know who that is because we ALL know ya do) and he had invented this superpowered pogo stick that allowed you to travel great distances. And would ya believe it, he had one for me too. SO we were bouncing down I-20 (the most famous highway in Texas I think) and it was only for a minute but MAN WHAT A RUSH. I never saw Steve or his pogo stick ever again, but I'll never forget it.

Dream #2: This time I had stumbled upon an old bi-plane. Once I got it flying, I took off and before long I could see all kinds of things going on. I stopped at a county fair in Milwaukee (don't ask me how I know the name of the town...I just do) and everyone wanted to meet me just because I flew this little plane from town to town and took time to stop and visit with people.

I guess the point of this entry is to get the message out that you can control what you dream about. You just have to get there first.

Not much to report this week...

As you know (which you would if you read this every week), every Friday I post a new entry. Sometimes something interesting happens, other times...like this week...not much is going on. My wife thinks Zack will come early, even mentioning that he could be born on Halloween if that is what we wanted. Can you imagine being born on that day? No one would want to come to your birthday party because they would want to go trick or treating. Plus, people might want to call you "devil child" for being born on such a "wicked" holiday, forgetting that Halloween was born from a Christian celebration many, many...many years ago. I guess everyone is excited about the boy being born even though no one ever calls to see how we're doing. I guess they just assume we're okay. Nice to make assumptions, ain't it?

Anyhoo, since there wasn't really anything groundbreaking going on this week, I thought I would showcase my 1:24 model car collection I have amassed over the years:



Well, here they all are...would be nice if they had a little garage...where's my Legos?



This one I took up to work with me...would help if people ever walked by my desk so they could see it.



One is a Diablo, one is a Contauch...which is which is beyond me.



This one is...I'll level with ya, I have no idea...it just looked pretty in the store window.



This one is also one of my favorites...now I know why red cars pay more for insurance.



What the ladies are sporting this fall.



This is called a "Bugatti". Aparently they made Rolls Royces a long time ago and there are only six in existence, so if you have one in the back that you're not using, clean 'er up! Might be worth something!

So there ya have em...I have more but ever since they were "packed up", I haven't seen any sign of them. I have a ton of other stuff like this, some of which is showcased in my sidebar near the bottom. So stick around as I attempt to photograph everything I own...just kidding.