2008 Resolutions

-sing the National Anthem at a taping of A Guiding Light

-hear "the phrase that pays" and pretend that I didn't

-arm wrestle cajun style

-go back to bar soap

-bring back the show "who's the boss?" and answer that question once and for all

-start with the nicotine patch, then the gum, then cigars, pipes, then just smoke at parties when it feels like it would help me to look cool, and finally I'd like to be addicted

-watch Tango and Cash with no sound while playing The Beatles White Album. (it will freak you out)

-start the Buddy's Carpet Barn bowl (I actually have a buddy in the carpet business, so I think this should be fairly easy)

-more rock

-less talk

-dance, dance, dance

-only speak through a megaphone on Thursdays

-reenact the "What's Up!" commercials whenever someone asks me for the time

-I'd like to learn to ride a unicycle

-tap dance at a bar mitzvah for tips

-box some one's ears

-wear a tuxedo to a swim meet

-start a Christmas tradition where people hang socks from their chimney and pray to a fat guy to come down and fill the socks with candy

-thumb wrestle Corbin Benson

-develop Chuck like fearlessness

-start an online pay per view pac man tournament

-start each Friday with a simple prayer thanking God that it is indeed Friday

the power of story

We haven't made our New Year's plans yet.

There's a lot of pressure to do something fun on this last night/first day of the year. I remember trying to go out to a restaurant a couple of times on New Year's Eve and it's insane. People will sit and wait for three hours to get into an Olive Garden.

I decided a while ago that it's just not that big of a deal to be out doing something awesome during the last minute and first minute of the year. Ultimately I think we really want to do something great because we know people are going to ask.

"So what are your New Year's plans?"
then...
"So what did you do for New Year's Eve?

and we need a story...
We need to prove that we have the ability to go out and have fun. We can stay up past midnight and we don't have a curfew any more!

It's all about the story.

poppin' and lockin'

I saw the world's second best pop a shot player play last night.

Alton Alexander is possibly the second greatest pop a shot player of all time. I can't say for sure, because I've only really seen the one contest...but he was clearly the second best player last night.

If indeed Annie Michael Murphy is the greatest pop a shot player in the world - then Alton is clearly #2 in the world....or so.

All I really know is that if the two of them were to have a competition - Annie would most likely win. In fact, last night they had a competition - three in fact...and Annie won three of those match ups.

So if you just go on percentages, Annie would win 100% of the time.

I'll just to do the math for you really quickly:

If they were to play seven games - Annie would win seven of those.

If they were to play 111 games - Annie would win 111 of those.

If the world was going to blow up unless someone could make a heck of a lot of short range basketball shots in a relatively small period of time - you'd pick Annie to save the world.

If the world was going to blow up unless you had a guy who could get to the seventeenth level of Galaga - well then you'd take Alton.

Athletic endeavor - you'd take Annie.

not the point

We're actually one day closer today to the day that Jesus was born - than we were yesterday.

That's not really the point though.

When He was born - what day we celebrate it - that doesn't really matter.

I've heard people say when He died -that's more important. Living your life as a thank you - each day - that's the important thing.

That's not really the point though.

If God really did visit the planet and bring the Kingdom of Heaven with Him - well that's something worth looking into. Maybe that will be my December 26th focus...

Christmas Eve

Today I start my Christmas shopping. I figure I have a few hours after I go to the CrossRoads Christmas play at 10 AM. I don't have to be at work until 2 today (which is a funny thing to write while I'm on vacation) and that gives me a couple of hours.

I'm in charge of stockings and a few other gifts.

I'm thinking of a theme:
a stocking full of stockings...or socks?
Maybe a stocking full of stock tips?
I could fill the stocking with the true meaning of Christmas for me growing up - gift receipts
I could do one of those Russian doll deals and just put a smaller stocking inside of the stocking...and just keep doing that?
Maybe a bunch of stalks of celery....I'm pushing this "stock" thing too much, huh?

One of the great things will be waking up and watching the kids open presents. They each get to open one gift on Christmas eve, and for six years in a row Griffin has opened a pair of pajamas. He still hasn't caught on yet.

We'll be making cookies for Santa and setting our reindeer food on the porch. Should be a great couple of days.

My Method

The whole family is nuts. I'm visiting them this evening at Phil's house.

I can barely imagine what he's done to his living room this year. Two years ago he put in paneling...PANELING...and I can only pray that it's no longer a part of the "decor" Seriously? Wood on the wall?

This group is quite the bunch. There's the senior citizens traipsing around the room like a much younger couple of say...70. They spend their time drinking what they refer to as "wine" out of a box. A cardboard box. It's like visiting the Bundys.

Phil will spend most of the night avoiding us, and I don't blame him. He's got his little fort out in the garage where he can pretend to sweep or do whatever one does in a garage, meanwhile I'm stuck talking about American Idol with some girl that's of some relationship to me...of which I have no idea.

My sister really is the saving grace of the whole group. She has the patience to put up with all of them. That's why I go - to be her rock in a sea of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

I'll slip quietly upstairs with a blend of Viognier and Marsanne, and try to remember the south of France.

If only it were true. Someday...

I'll see you at 7

blog

I've done this web log for awhile now. It's always nice when I hear from an old friend and they say, "Yeah, I've been reading your blog". I've met a few people for the first time who say the same thing.

It's fun to write and sometimes it's a chore, but it's a nice discipline to say that I've consistently done some writing for a couple of years now.

I've wavered a bit on the whole theme thing
how serious or deep do I want to go?
Should I bring up politics and get people really mad, but maybe get a conversation going?
Should I just go fun and enjoy myself without much to add to any real dialogue?
Should I point out the gross injustices, hypocrisy or silly arguments that I see all around me?
Should I take risks?

I've decided not to decide. I'm going to write to write...and see where it takes me.

The next time someone ask me why I blog - I'll tell them, "Because it's there"

team

Michael Westbrook just became one of my favorite players.

They say Wilt Chamberlain sometimes came into the locker room late because he was at the scorers table challenging them on his stats. There was a guy last year that actually shot at his own basket just so he could get another rebound (they didn’t count it).

In a world of ME-first, the team second, Westbook’s smart little slide was a refreshing change of pace, and I loved it.

my debut

It's go time. I'll be rehearsing for A Cat Named Bruce two more times...and then we're on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.



I'll be playing Arist, the wine snob brother in law. I'm still not sure what Arist would wear, but I do know that for one scene I need roller blading gear...knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet...and I'm not sure I've got any of that in the closet.



So...if anyone out there in the tri-state area has some hockey/broomball/rollerblading stuff - wouldn't it be fun to have it appear in front of 8,000 people?



I'd better go memorize some lines...

two phone pics in a row

Thanks to young Steven J. Fuller, I know have the ability to put pictures from my cellular telephone on my web log. I had a whole phone full of these pics and nowhere to put them...well, no more!

and now...I'd like to share with you the greatest gift I was given in 2007:

I'd tell you about my role in the business, but I'd rather remain SILENT (if you know what I mean, partner)