"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!!