Need I Say More?

So we pulled UP to the wedding and dude here is standing at the front of the church, with a CORSAGE on.

Meaning what? He is actually PART of the service. Polo shirt, not tucked in, and blue. I am so styling.



Well not really. It turns out that he is a former student of the bride from Oregon, and is only 17. BUT, never fear, after the wedding was over, I snapped the picture below:



There he was. Middle aged, respectable, no suit. AH-HA! Did you think I was going up to him and ask if the baby had thrown up on his suit? NO WAY! I was relishing in the fact that there was nat least ONE OTHER PERSON who had dared to swim against the prevailing tide of fashion and "dressed down" for the wedding.

We had a great time, and Jen ALWAYS loves to get together with her Furman friends and reminisce. The wedding was off of the hook - probably $60,000 - 70,000 to put on....Ackkkkkkkk. Are you reading this Jessie? (My daughter)

I'll save some of the anecdotes from the wedding for some subsequent blogs.

WH

Quick Trip To Amelia Island

Hello! Writing from Amelia Island, FL. Jen, Jessie, and I loaded the car and flew down after I got off of work yesterday. The trip was right at 4.5 hours.

One amazing thing is that we seem to bring the rain. The Sunshine State becomes Liquid Love when we arrive. True to form, as we approached the state we hit one GREAT BIG storm. We got through that one. However, as we pulled into Amelia Island the rain was heavy and persistent. As we parked in the driveway, Jody, peeking out from the garage (opening the garage door provides a quick entrance to those not wanting to get wet), declared, "I can't believe it. It's been raining all day."

So, if you want rain in your area, invite us to visit and we can do more than an entire tribe of Hopi indian rain dancers.

But, alas, Saturday morning I woke to a typical, disgusting, beautiful Amelia Island day. The picture below is from another visit, but you can get the idea.



We are here in Amelia to attend the wedding of a friend of Jen's from Furman University. Well, not really. The truth is that we are here because the wedding is where Jen's parents live and it makes it easy to attend at LOW COST, and see family and friends. In fact, she hopes to see friends whom she knew in school, especially ones who were not at the 2002 10 year reunion.

It should be a blast. The reception is at The Ritz, which is right down the street from Jen's parents, so if we get snockered we can just walk [stagger]a mile or so down the beach back to the house (hi, Jody, just kidding).

I'll take pictures and fill in some of the details sometime over the weekend. (While doing so may seem to have motives that are primarily fun, I have ulterior motives in that there has been a "fashion discussion" regarding my NOT wearing a suit to the wedding - my contention is that the wedding is at the beach, in the summer, and a dress shirt, pants, and a tie [OK I wavered on the tie too] should be suitable dress for me - others in the immediate vicinity do not feel this way. This created a "lively" discussion at the dinner table last night, which will be the reason for the pictures that are forthcoming. All I need to find is ONE SCHLEP at the wedding who is ANY WAY UNDERDRESSED compared to me and, BINGO, he is in my photo album. I KNOW that everyone has a slob in the family, you know, the one whom you must invite because he is married to cousin "Debby", or something like that. Now that you are on pins and needles, you MUST check back in the next few days to see how this turned out)

Oh, a sidelight. All of the discussion about my attire may be in vain since Jen has developed a condition in her eye - a small broken blood vessel, which has created a BIG RED area just above her right pupil. She may be so obsessed with the eye, and seeing how others see her that my clothing has the potential to be a non-issue (I offered to get a patch at the local CVS but she declined). On the other hand, maybe I'll just wear jeans and a wife-beater t-shirt to the wedding and let the talk take over the event:)

WH

Disclaimer: By using the term "wife-beater" I am in no way minimizing, glorifying, or downplaying the issue of Domestic Violence. It is a very real and destructive problem. For more information concerning what you can do click here - Domestic Violence or here Boys Into Men.

Those Lost Will Not Be Forgotten

Jen and I went out this afternoon to make a visit to a special memorial that will be in Aiken for the next four days.

What is normally a place where soccer, softball, and various recreational league games take place, has become the temporary home of the traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial. It is called The Wall That Heals and is a half size replica of the Memorial in Washington D.C.. Over 58,000 names reach from one end of the wall to the other...58,000 lives...58,000 sons, dads, loved ones... (there were 8 women who died). Volunteers will be reading these names 12 hours a day, for 6 days.

The day today has been rainy, and the atmosphere was somber as we walked down the almost 250 ft. wall reading names and mementos that have been left at the wall as it travels the country.

Below are some pictures:


The Wall


Reflection


Names


Flowers and Names

For me, the truth of the matter was that in 1975 I was 17 and convinced that I was going to Canada or find some way to dodge the draft. Anything or anywhere but to fight in Vietnam. I was weaned on the protests against and news of this war - "Hell no we won't go"

As opposed as I was to this war in Vietnam I was even less concerned with the people who had given their lives. I was only concerned with my own skin. For that I am ashamed and embarassed.

I NOW appreciate the sacrifice. I NOW have a greater sense of patriotism and pride in my country. NOT because of the things that I disagree with that our country has participated in BUT in spite of those things. I NOW support those who fight EVEN if I don't support the fight that they are sent to be involved with.

To those who are serving and have served in the Armed Forces, "Thank you." A special "thank you" to the Vietnam Vets out there. Something at The Wall That Heals really hit me. It said that EVERYONE in that war was wounded. That is probably true of all wars and fighting.

A special thanks to my son, Jason, who serves in the 2/2 LAR in the United States Marine Corps. I appreciate what you do and pray for you and all of those who are in harms way.

WH

This is only a test

I have been having some problems with my blog editor. At least I think that I have been having some problems.

It seems that over the past few days, when I post a blog entry it takes FOREVER to update at Blogger. I see the new post when I log into Blogger, I can read and edit it in Blogger, but it takes some time before it refreshes and is available online.

It didn't used to take any time at all. In fact, I could post a blog entry via Ecto and refresh my blog page and the new post would be there instantly.

So, I am testing this with this post. Hopefully, it was a Blogger problem.

Update: Immediately after I posted this entry I checked and it was available. I'll keep my eye on this issue.

WH

Slip Sliding Away...or Another Bad Movie

I have suffered through enough bad movies to know when one is coming out, just based on the title alone. Let me clarify. I am NOT saying that I can tell if a movie is going to be bad or good depending on the title. For instance, who knew that Ishtar would be one of the biggest busts in movie history? Dustin, Warren, what were you thinking?

However, I do think that I can tell when a BAD title reveals a BAD MOVIE.

Case in point - remember "8 Legged Freaks"? You don't need a degree in cinematography to figure out that this was going to be a stinky movie. The title alone will tell you. The previews just confirmed the fact.

Well, there is a new ad on the TV that has all of the earmarks of a BAD movie -

Snakes on a Plane

Have you seen the ads? This movie will blow. The title isn't very inspiring is it? Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should explain the plot to those of you who haven't seen the trailer. You see, it's about, well...snakes on a plane. Surprised? Oooooooo, I'm already scared.

One question that I have is, "How does someone like Samuel L. Jackson read a script like this and decide, "Wow, sign me up. Sounds like a great flick."? Maybe he just HAS to make a certain amount of movies to honor a contract.

I could be wrong. If it turns out to be a blockbuster, I will formally apologize here on this site. Don't hold your breath.

WH

Yeah Bravos! Boo Beer Prices.

Here are some pictures from last nights game. The braves actually WON (they were 6-21 in June), coming back from a 3-0 deficit to score 6 unanswered runs.


Some of the players

Our seats were amazing. First base side, 2 rows off of the field. In the middle of the 3rd inning the skies opened up and it rained HARD. The good news is that it dropped the temperature about 10 degrees. We ran up the stairs and gathered in the concession area. The bad news was a one hour rain delay that meant getting home even later than expected (we are a 3 hour drive from Atlanta).

Here is a picture of the three of us, suffering during the storm.


Three Wet Amigos

Nothing like a cold SIX DOLLAR beer to take the edge off of the rain. SIX FUCKING DOLLARS for a beer. Even though I know that this is normal. Even though I know that the cost will be OUTRAGEOUS, I still balk at reaching into my wallet and paying ONE DOLLAR A SIP for a beer. I mean, I pay $12.00 for a CASE of Corona. Well, at least it's not as bad as Hanson paying SIX AND A HALF DOLLARS FOR A BAG OF PEANUTS - a 12 ounce bag. Next time I bring my OWN peanuts. I get a 5 lb. bag at Sam's Club for less than 5 dollars.

The last picture below is the grounds crew drying out the infield after the rain delay.


Ground Crew

These folks work HARD at what they do. Soaked to the skin, dancing around while lightning strikes all around, these guys pull tarps, scatter drying agent, and rake like crazy little ants while 40,000 people stand around mumbling that the game needs to start.

Great evening. Great ball game. Great friends. It doesn't get any better than this.

Now to get ready for a World Cup match between Germany and Italy. I don't want to be anti host country, but I would love to see an Italy v. France final. With Italy winning and breaking the spectre of the Roberto Baggio shank.

Buy the way, I'll be drinking ONE DOLLAR Corona's and eating CHEAP peanuts.

WH

A Night Out With The Boys...

Ahhhhh...

I have the day off tomorrow SO I can accept the invitation from Dan to attend the Braves game in Atlanta tonight. Normally I decline these invitations due to the early hour I need to get up for work.

The are playing the St. Louis Cardinals and John Smoltz is starting. In addition to that, it's televised on ESPN. I was going to say look for me in the top of the third as I will run out onto the field, BUT that would create all sorts of problems since I am driving and need to be at work the next day. The Atlanta-Fulton County jail will just have to do without me:)

I know that Hanson will be going and there may be one more bloke. I'll take the camera and should get some good shots. Dan says that the seats are on the third base side, two rows off of the field.

Jen is going out with Erin to karaoke at Argos. Maybe that will be another story for later.

Tomorrow, we'll relax, cook out, and go see the fireworks in Augusta. Happy 4th to everyone!!

WH

From The NYT: The Lonely American Just Got a Bit Lonelier

Now, just to reiterate a point which I have made before - the challenge that the "church" has in this part of the world (Western Society and Culture). We, as people, HAVE TO connect with each other.

I can't fund the research, or get the grants to fund the study, BUT my money would be on this idea:

The reason that we are, as a whole, an angry society (and gettting angrier), is that we lack real relationship and are lonely and hurting. That PAIN and sense of isolation creates stress, which leads to a lot of anger.

Have a quick read of this article...

Ideas & Trends: The Lonely American Just Got a Bit Lonelier:
Americans are not only lacking in bowling partners, now they're lacking in people to tell their deepest, darkest secrets.

Be honest. Be open. Make and keep a friend today.

WH

Life is A Trip...

I am sitting here getting ready for bed.

Jen is out with some "girls" playing Bunco and winning the hearts and minds of doctors wives. They don't have a chance. I don't know Bunco BUT I do know Jen and she will probably come home with stories of conquest and hilarity.

Jessie came home with news that was startling. I can't mention it here as it is personal. These years as a parent are some of the best and hardest. You really have to WATCH and see how your kids respond to life and the various shit that it throws them. I am proud of Jessie and her desire to mature and experience life at a level that few people reach for.

Oh, she also got her ACT scores today - a 32! Off the fucking chart. That's the 99th percentile of ALL the kids who took the test. College bound and sought after - that's where that score puts her. She was really pumped and it was great news on the heels of earlier stuff...

I am looking forward to the weekend, the World Cup, and, thanks to Dan, a trip to the Braves game on July 3rd at the "Ted" in Atlanta. We will be on the 3rd base line about two rows off of the field, behind the tarp - it's an ESPN game too. John Smoltz is pitching for Atlanta so it will be an exciting game.

It's time to go to "beddies". One more day of work this week...

WH

My "Job" Blog - Part 2

A few posts ago I endeavored to record the jobs that I have had over the years - part one is here.
This is Part 2 -
(Side light - Jen got back from Orlando - tired but tanned - on Friday evening. Yesterday was Jenn and Seth's wedding here in Aiken at Hopeland Gardens. She is bushed, so today will be a "cubby" day. REST. REST. REST.)
OK, I left off in the year 1981. In 1982 I encountered God in a dramatic and powerful way. The following year I moved to Toccoa Falls, GA to attend Toccoa Falls College. Here the job list picks up -

• While at TFC I was part of the Work Study program and worked with the heating and air conditioning department.
• A year and a half later I was hired as a part time youth minister at Return Baptist Church in Seneca, SC
• After graduating from TFC I stayed on at Return but, since it was part-time started working at Winn-Dixie as a stocker. That entailed going in at 10 p.m. and staying until about 3 or 4 am filling the shelves with groceries. I stocked the cereal and canned meat isles.
• Those were some long days. I applied, and was hired, by The Tribble Center, working as a Recreational TherapistThe Tribble Center was a vocational rehab center for those with special needs and disabilities. That was a blast.
• In 1988 I sent a request to a church in AIken, SC that was looking for a pastor. After the process that Baptist churches go through in calling a pastor, I began a full-time pastorate in September 1988, at North Aiken Baptist Church.
• While there I was introduced to Apple computers and purchased my first computer - an Apple Lisa. I bring this up here because it led me into buying, selling, and servicing Mac computers. This was part-time but fulfilling. I actually made a killing on a whole bunch of LC II and LC III Macs. We all have our "my first computer purchase" stories. Mine favorite is that I bought an 5 MB external hard drive for $800.00. I thought that that was a bargain. I now carry a 1 GB thumb drive in my pocket that was $39.99 after rebates.
• In 1995 I resigned the Baptist Church and planted The Vineyard Christian Fellowship, still in Aiken. We were part of The Vineyard USA. This was a breath of fresh air and I found a home. Even though the church disbanded following my resignation in 2000, I am still a part of the Vineyard in Augusta, GA.
• Next on the job list was personal training. I have a friend who opened a health club - Heartbeats Health and Fitness. I was working out there and asked if he could use some help training. He said "yes" so I pursued certification. In three months I had studied and passed my certification with ACSM to be a Heath and Fitness Instructor. I did this for a while and my friend asked if I would manage the Club. I agreed.
• This continued until June of 2004. I started working in Charleston, SC. I helped set-up and run HealthFirst, a state of the art medical office. That too was an amazing experience. In September 2005 I had to leave for personal reasons - integrity and such. Scary as hell that was (to be Yodaish), since I was quitting without a job to fall back on.
• Since the Holiday season was quickly coming my wife suggested that I try and find a job as a drivers helper with UPS. I applied and went in for an interview. During the interview the HR guy was looking at my resume and asked, "do you want to be a supervisor?" Short story - I said, "yes" and started in mid-November 2005. So I am presently Part-time Dispatch Supervisor at UPS in Augusta, GA.
• During that time I also administrated a complete computer hardware deployment at Dogwood Stable.
• And, finally, to bring us up to the present time, the friend who owned the health club closed the business and got his real estate license. He asked me to be his assistant and help him organize him and his office. After a month or so he approached me and said that he would pay for me to get my real estate license so I could be more involved in showing his listed properties and such. I said "yes" again and will be attending Real Estate School in August and should have my license in September. The whole market is BOOMING in Aiken so this may turn out to be a great opportunity.

So, that just about covers it. I don't know how many that is, but in retrospect, the career path of my life has been circuitous and variegated.
I am thankful that I have a job - or actually more than one.

WH

Too Good To Be True

Are you STILL being bothered by telemarketers? Even though we are on the "Do not call" lists with credit card companies and the government Do Not Call site we still get a few calls a week. In fact, yesterday I received one of the most obnoxious telemarketing calls I have EVER answered. The person just would not take "NO" for an answer.

You probably get more than we do.

The good news is that there is a very clever way to throw those bastards a curve. Check out these instructions and downloadable .wav file for you to use - No Telemarketers Site.

Let me know if it works for you.

WH

My "Job" Blog

OK, to start with, the US National soccer team lost to Ghana today which puts them out of the world cup this year - only 4 more years until the next chance. Look for a new coach and a new style of play. Some of the "stars" never even showed up although they were on the field. My pick is Argentina.

Someone said to me the other day, "You've done a little bit of everything, haven't you?" Well, in response to that I decided to list the actual jobs that I have had over the years. I am trying to do this chronologically, starting from "the old days."

• Fed baby raccoons and skunks at a pet store in the Levittown, PA area.
• Newspaper Sales - Two actually. I delivered, by foot, then by bike, the Bucks County Courier Times in the afternoon and stood by the intersection of New Falls and Tyburn Road and sold the Trentonian in the morning.
• LIfeguard - I was mercifully delivered from the paper routes after being old enough to get my Red Cross Lifesaving Certificate. That was a great job working in the pool at the apartment complex that I lived in. I went on to get my Water Safety Instructor accreditation and taught swimming lessons the second summer I worked there.
• I then went away to college at WVU and while there worked as a cook at Long John Silver's for two years.
• After Long John's I had a short stint at Arby's in Star City, WV. I quit after two weeks when I just couldn't, with a clear conscience, serve people that meat "stuff." You can do the research if you want to. Can you say, "puke?"
• I then moved further south to Clarksville, GA and was a staff member at Mountain View Development Program. The program was designed to take mentally handicapped men and women who had been institutionalized and integrate them into a natural, healthy environment. We grew our food, built fences, ground wheat, and did a lot a farm related activities. We were out in the middle of freaking NOWHERE. It was very rewarding and life changing for everyone who was involved. There are WAY too many stories about this experience.
• Upon returning back north to civilization in Doylestown, PA I started working as an ancillary therapist at Delaware Valley Mental Health Foundation. Here is a New York Times review of a movie of the treatment there - Other Voices. Another amazing experience that was just adding to the mix being around people and helping them get whole.
• I then moved back south to Athens, GA, (Yes, the UGA Athens) and started my own Volkswagen repair business. You see, while I was in Doylestown I purchased a VW bug and began fixing it up. I've always been somewhat mechanical and unafraid to take things apart and put them back together (ask my Mom about the vacuum cleaner incident). I had a guy at the parts place tell me that a good VW mechanic was worth his weight in gold. So I did it. I named my business "The Organic Mechanic." I was somewhat of a throwback hippy type so this fit in nicely with my bushy hair and carefree lifestyle (can you say recreational drugs and Rolling Rock?).
• While in Athens, GA I also worked weekends in a group home for retarded man with Georgia Mental Health/Retardation. They have since changed the name to be more politically correct.

Well, this installment brings me up to 1981 and I will pick up from here in the next blog. I have to get to sleep. TOMORROW'S FRIDAY!!!!!

Jen gets back from Orlando tomorrow and I can't wait to see her:) Hopefully, she'll get some great rest this weekend.

WH

Some Follow Up...

Just an update from the other day. Yesterday, Jessie and I returned to the ER as requested by the doctor and off we went. More prepared than the last visit, I with my crossword puzzle and Jessie with her book. Both of us dressed like it was Fall since the ER is kept at, what seems to be, 62 degrees. I guess that's to slow down the death process as you wait in the lounge.

This hospital has a "quick see" ER and they promise to "see you" in 15 minutes. Now, see you means that you fill out a form in the triage area and someone says, "Jessie." Jessie says, "yes" and volia, you have been seen. Not by a doctor, mind you, but by the lady at the front desk. But that counts for something.

In actuality, the hospital there has done a great job in speeding up the process and we didn't have to wait that long. Jessie's feet looked so much better just before we went, BUT after she got up, walked to the car (all of 15 feet), walked into the ER after I dropped her off and sat for an hour or so, the redness returned. The pain did also. The swelling went down,so that was good.

Now we have more drugs to take - a steroid and an antihistamine. As of this morning her feet looked better than they have in a few days. She is to stay off of her feet for the week and take all her meds.

Tonight we go out to eat Thai at the new restaurant in the area. The dogs gave me a gift certificate for Father's Day! I love my dogs.

Back to work at UPS today and off to the real estate office to help Tom get organized and his accounting software set up.

WH

Unplanned Visit...

I dropped Jen off at Suz's house this morning for their jaunt to Orlando and Mickey World. After that I went home and watched the first game of the day from the World Cup. It was a good game.

I left for Columbia to pick Jessie up from Palmetto Girls State. She had a great week and was elected as President of The Senate for the week - she was selected by her peers to do the job. Once we got in the car she was just a bundle of information and couldn't talk fast enough to tell me all that she had learned and experienced. She is so glad that she went. The first few days she was wondering what she had gotten herself into, but after it got ramped up she was really into it.

The biggest surprise and honor was that she was selected to attend Girls Nation. Two girls from the state of South Carolina were selected and Jessie was one of them. 96 girls out of 25,000 are selected each year to attend. They will go to Washington DC for a week in July and get to experience the insiders view of politics. She is humbled and totally excited about the privilege.

Now for the unplanned visit. She had some weird swelling and pain in her feet - kind of like an insect bite but it was both feet at the same time. We called the doctor and he wanted to prescribe some antibiotics but I insisted that she be seen due to the symptoms. He said to go ahead to the ER. We did and have been here since 2:30 p.m.. It is now 6:30 p.m. and the are running all sorts of blood tests and she is getting some hardcore antibiotics to cover a broad range of possibilities. Her feet hurt so badly that to stand was crying painful. They gave her some pain meds and she is snoozing away.

It looks like we're here for the long haul and maybe even an admission to the hospital. The doctors will have a better idea once the blood work comes back. So here I sit....

More later...

UPDATE: We just got home, it's 8:20 p.m. They really don't know what was the deal but we go back in the afternoon to get the follow up. Hopefully Jessie will get some rest tonight.

WH

I Am Enjoying Myself

Having survived Tropical Storm Alberto we once again enjoying the Florida weather.

I am TOTALLY enjoying the World Cup. Despite a dismal showing by the US team, the games have been incredible.

My favorite so far has been Saudi Arabia v. Tunisia. The game has been filled with emotion and passion. The final 35 minutes were amazing!

WH

Vacationing in The Rain - Jen's Bain

So, here we are in Amelia Island, Fl on our vacation - I have a paid week from UPS and Jen has been looking forward to getting some sun in preparation for her trip to Orlando/Mickeyworld the following week.

We have had some bad luck on our past few trips down here with regard to the weather. Well GUESS WHAT?!

Can you say ALBERTO?! Or as Jen may so succinctly put it, "You've got to be fucking kidding me!"

We are in the direct path of the 1st tropical storm of the season. The clouds started to gather yesterday when we arrived and there is NO sun forecast for the next few days. NONE! The storm will be through on Wednesday and we leave...let me see...Thursday.

Now Jen and her mother are "sun-goddesses", they love to lay in the sun and talk. Not going to happen on this trip. Looks like a shopping spree is in order. I like it when the sun comes out. It's definitely cheaper.

Actually, the storm has SLOWED DOWN and will now dump 3-5 inches of rain on us here in Amelia. How cool. Ugh.

I didn't come to lay in the sun. At this point in my life I am starting to sprout bumps and such from all of my early years on the Jersey Shore and by the pool - I should be scheduling another dermatologist appointment soon to harvest the next crop of skin anomalies. So I try and stay out of the hot Florida sun and be nice to my skin.

Do I care about ALBERTO? Not one bit. I am watching the World Cup. I love that it is in Europe and I get to watch it at normal hours. The US plays today and I will be stuck to the TV for the duration - all three games. Jen is a soccer widow for the next few weeks.

Family Update:
We dropped off Jessie at Palmetto Girls State yesterday, so she is going to be having all sorts of fun. My chance to brag on her a bit - she is the only one from her high school who was selected to attend the program, and she received a scholarship from the local American Legion. It will be interesting ti hear how things are going when she gets home.

In fact, she and I will be spending Father's Day together this year as Jen will be in Orlando.

Jason is off at 29 Palms for training and will be back in July. He then gets a few weeks leave and prepares for his next deployment in the Mideast. He and his new bride Candace will be here for a few weeks during that leave. His deployment will be 8 months - ugh.

That's the update for now...

WH

Staying In Tonight

After a great weekend with Jason and Candace visiting we are all relaxing and getting ready for a busy month.

Jessie is enjoying NOT having school - she is hanging out with friends at the pool, working a few days a week, and sleeping in. She deserves it after finishing her junior year. Ah, the summer between junior and senior years...that is supposed to be one of the best times of your high school life. I hope that she has the best one ever.

Jen and I are planning on traveling a little and then she goes on a trip to Florida with a friend and her kids - Disneyworld! I will be holding down the fort here in Aiken while she's gone.

I'm stoked about the World Cup. I'm even more excited than four years ago because I have TIVO and will not miss a game. The games are during the day here since Germany is six hours ahead. I won't miss a game!

We made Pizza tonight and are watching Pretty In Pink. A flashback moment.

WH

I Think That I Am Going To Be Sick

What the hell were they thinking?

In response to a survey that KFC conducted concerning the poor lunchtime eating habits of American workers, they have created the NEW Famous Bowl(TM). Below is a picture of this new "hearty meal, just like Mom used to make." (That is a quote from the press release for the Famous Bowl.)

It is layers of mashed potatoes, sweet corn and bite sized crispy chicken, drizzled with signature home style gravy and topped off with a three- cheese blend -- in one convenient bowl. Mummmm.

Here is a picture of this yummy meal, like someone's MOM used to make.



Really. It looks like what you would scrape INTO the garbage disposal AFTER the meal is OVER, not what one would pay for and eat at lunch - in the car.

Now, I can get the dry heaves from the smell of fast food in the car - that is after I have gotten out of the car and get back in. So I'm not a fan of the smells. My own fast food smells.

Can you imagine what this baby will smell like? Think poo.

Ok. What are the odds that this is THE answer to KFC's market share? Are you buying stock on this offering?

Ok. Let me get to the point. It looks like someone shit in the little black bowl. There. I said it. I feel better.

WH

Second Big Update

Yesterday I updated you on some of the big happenings of our weekend at the beach.

Today I want to update you on the BIGGEST news of the weekend.

My son, Jason, and his fiance decided to get married. They had just obtained a marriage license and were at dinner and said, "So when do you want to get married?" They decided to get married THAT NIGHT!

So they called some friends, Candace borrowed a dress from a friend, and they went to the magistrate and got married!

Here is a picture from a previous post:


Jason and Candace

My best wishes go out to the newlyweds as they prepare to spend their life together.

Hopefully we'll get to see them this weekend as Jason gets a 96 hour leave for the holiday weekend. That would be great.

Pete

Update From The Past Few Weeks

Quick overview of the past few weeks...in chronological order.

I started back at UPS on May 12th after 6 weeks off for recovering from my hernia surgery. The good news is that I get to start training and using the system that I was hired to learn - The Center of The Future.

The REALLY GOOD NEWS is that I don't have to be in until 6 AM, which means that I get up at 5 AM, instead of 3:15 AM. That is a huge bonus.

We just returned from a weekend trip to Hunting Island, SC. Below is a photo that my daughter took this morning. What an amazing sunrise. The island is a state park which is preserved in it's natural condition - just like hundreds of years ago. Very interesting and beautiful. One of the guys that I backpack the PCT with rented a cabin for the week and invited us down. Thanks Jim.


Hunting Island Sunrise

One of the big deals of the island is that it is a nesting site for loggerhead turtles. These gentle giants come ashore, lay eggs, and lumber back to the ocean in the early morning hours. Few people have actually seen many of these, in fact one of the guys on the island has worked "turtle patrol" for 6 years and never seen a turtle. That is until today.

Jessie went down to the water to see the sunrise as Jim and I were getting ready for a walk. As we approached the beach Jessie came running over a dune waving her arms like a crazy woman and mouthing something. As we came closer I realized that she was saying "turtle!" We came over the rise and saw a 350 lb. loggerhead turtle just making her way back to the water. She had come up the beach, laid eggs (137 of them), and as she turned to go back, was caught on the top of her shell by some dune fence. Jessie freed her and we all stood around as she made her way 300 yards back to the ocean. Below are two pictures of the event.



Looking Around


Back To The Ocean

It was a pretty cool way to start the week.

Pete

Has It Been That Long?

I just realized that I haven't posted since WAY BACK on April 26th. Sorry:(

I'm up to my butt in Dell Computers. I got a project installing and upgrading the computer systems in the office where Jen used to work, Dogwood Stable. They have been using a patchwork of various computers to run their office and things have degraded to the point that they were having daily problems and the support that they were getting was a guy that was already stretched - sometimes it took DAYS to call back and longer to service.

Now I have 6 Dell Dimension 5150's in the extra room and I am upgrading them all to XP Pro and installing the various software that each person uses.

The plan is to get the computers as upgraded as possible prior to the deployment so that day can be spent hooking up the and configuring the network.

The server is off at the Network folks place getting the install done and upgraded.

I'll be busy for the next few weeks but it beats sitting on my butt:)

The biggest problem is that it smells like new, hot, computers in the room.

I do get to take some time as I wait for the UMTEEN install patches to do their thing - about two hours per machine.

Thank God for TIVO.

WH

Off To The Doctor's Again

I am sitting in the Urologist's office recording this post with my favorite web blog editor ecto.

I went back to the surgeon this morning due to an unusual occurrence with my "schlong." Without going into any detail at all, to keep what's private, private, the surgeon took a look and decided that I should be referred to another specialist. He managed to get me an appointment today - the same day - which is great, but as you may know has it's own particular drawbacks. The biggest is that they have to "fit you in, " which being interpreted means, WAIT...

After a time the pee-pee doctor comes in and lets me know that what I have is a thrombosis of a vein. That means that the blood has clotted and will just have to be reabsorbed into my system - it may be months. Great.

I love surgery and the resultant complications.

WH

Prom Night

It's prom night in Aiken. Both high schools, Aiken High School and South Aiken High School, have prom on the same night. It's actually a good idea for a community BUT a bad idea if prom dates go to different high schools, which is the case with our daughter and her boyfriend. If you are new to the blog I have to explain that they have the same name - Jessie and Jesse. The "ie" Jessie is my daughter.

The weather here in Aiken has been scattered thunderstorms all day long. The weather broke long enough to take these pictures. I have to say that they are a sharp couple, and the black prom dress really "pops" alongside the cream colored tux.




Ready for Prom




Corsage

It's been a crazy day. I had to take the dogs to get them microchipped and registered with the city of Aiken. It was interesting to see how the dogs reacted to a WHOLE BUNCH of other dogs. They actually did well, except for the guys sticking a large hypodermic needle under their skin on the back of the neck for the microchip. Both dogs had to be muzzled and Cinnamon (our Chow mix) showed teeth to a 13 year old who was helping by scanning the chips once they were implanted. He kept pointing his finger in the other dogs faces if they reacted to his passing a beeping hand-held scanner over their back. Cinnamon took issue with his challenge (as did I) of the pointed finger. I instructed him to back off and not point the finger in her face - I really wanted Cinnamon to teach him but that wouldn't have gone over too well - teeth in his hand and all.

Anyway, Jen is at a Mary Kay make up party tonight - hahahahaha - and I am home taking care of two traumatized dogs.

WH

Back In The 'Windoze' World...aaahhhhhhh

I have started working for a friend who sells real estate here in Aiken. He is the same friend who owned the health club that I managed before I started working in Charleston, SC at the doctors office.

Tom, my friend, is fairly disorganized so he has asked me to help him set up his office and get him computer dependent. He has been out of town at a seminar so I have been doing busy work.

One of the coolest programs that he is using is Top Producer, a very cool and extensive web-based real estate program. There are many benefits to the program and I have been running through DVD tutorials and getting the interface set up.

UNFORTUNATELY he has a Windoze PC that "a friend" has helped him set up. I'll tell you what that means - that means that I have spent the last FIVE fucking hours scanning, removing, updating, and all around fixing his Windows 2000 operating system.

The friend had installed a virus program that had effectively blocked ALL of the Microsoft updates for the past year or so. As you can imagine, the computer has been running VERY SLOWLY and Tom has had to perform a manual shut down and restart every 3 or 4 days - JUST TO GET IT TO RUN NORMALLY.

I have downloaded 6 separate programs to remove malware, spyware, trojan horses, root kit infestations, and other all around boogers. In fact I am creating and posting this blog while all of this scanning, etc takes place. FUN, FUN, FUN!!

I am looking forward to actually getting to work after this necessary silliness is over with.

Windows is starting up *AGAIN* so I have to go.

WH

From The Easter Weekend

The following are pictures from the past weekend. As mentioned in the previous post Jen, Jessie, and I went to visit two colleges in Georgia: Emory and UGA. Jessie loved both of the presentations and these two are her top choices. Now comes the work of applying, financial aid information, testing, planning and all of the factors involved in picking and attending a college. This next year should be the best year in Jessie's life - as it should be for any senior! No worries but classes, friends, and whatever else you want to do.

This is a picture from the campus of Emory. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves a great deal.


Jessie At Emory

This next picture is of Jason and Candace in Hopeland Gardens. Jessie was the photographer and I have to say that she did a great job. This is one of over 70 pictures. Here is a link to the whole set at my .mac site.

They are in love and are talking about plans for marriage. It is a rewarding thing to see how Jason relates to Candace and see how well he treats her. Jason is beyond his years in maturity (as is Jessie) with regard to relationships. I am so proud of my kids.


Jason and Candace

I hope that you had a good weekend with family and friends. Mine was excellent.

WH

Weekend Touring GA Colleges

This weekend we are off to visit colleges with my daughter Jessie. She is a rising senior and in the process of discovering where her next educational foray will occur.

This afternoon we are scheduled at UGA in Athens, GA. This will be interesting for me since I lived in Athens back in the early 1980's. The city has changed much in the past 20 years. I will try to find some of my old haunts and homes where I lived.

Tomorrow we are visiting Emory University in Atlanta, GA. This is Jessie's first choice at this point. We are excited to go with her and be part of this process.

Jason and Candace are coming to Aiken this weekend as he has a 96 hour leave. We'll get to see them Saturday evening, Sunday, and Monday before they leave to go back to Jacksonville, NC. Jason is finishing his Squad Leaders Course in the next few weeks. In June he leaves for more training on the west coast. On one hand it's exciting for him that he gets to expand his knowledge, on the other all of the training prepares him for his next tour out of country that starts in September.

Finally, I am teaching again this Sunday - Easter. I'll be touching on the resurrection as it relates to the Kingdom. We should have a good weekend.

Hope that you and yours have a great weekend too.

WH

News Flash! Document Shows No Holocaust Took Place

AP News Release - A major historical foundation has released the results of a decade long study of a document, proven to have been composed in 1949, that calls into question that a holocaust actually occurred. In fact the document sheds light on the possibility that the Third Reich was actually beneficial to the world and existed to better humanity.

What would you think about about such a document?

After reading the Gospel of Judas (translated text found here) this is the feeling that I had. The fact that this is a document that is legitimately from around 130 A.D. does not mean that the contents are accurate. This document gives no credible or reliable information with regard to historical Christianity as seen and written in the eyewitness Gospels. The comparative numbers of texts is just too convincing on the side of The New Testament. Literally tens of thousands of uncials and miniscules of the Gospels compared to this text of The Gospel of Judas.

Remember, just because something is actually old, does not make it true. Or in other words, we don't determine truth by looking at a watch or calendar. Go to the sources. Study history. Don't bite the conspiracy "hook" that is constantly being dangled in front of our faces. Look for truth. It's hard work but rewarding.

I love a good mystery. The Da Vinci Code is a good read. It's just not good history. Last note on this: when the Da Vinci Code movie comes out, remember that it is as close to the truth as Oliver Stone's JFK. Good movie, bad history.

WH

Talk About Fun - Make Your Own Book For Dummies

Here is a link to a sign generator that will enable you to create a "Book For Dummies" for your own specific cause.

Considering my recent surgery my newest book is here:

Pete's "Fixing Your Hernia For Newbies"

Have fun!!

WH

The Gospel Of Judas - Redux

As many of you have heard or even seen last night on the National Geographic Channel, there is a Codex (book) that has been released to the general public that supposedly gives new information on the person of Jesus and His relationship to Judas. The document reveals that Judas was actually the hero of the betrayal of Jesus and his act of betrayal was supported and encouraged by Jesus.

The sad thing is that many Christians will spend more time denouncing this "release" than studying it. Knee jerk reaction isn't the answer to responding to those who are investigating and promoting this document. There is value in looking at the facts and studying the Gospel of Judas. The main value is that we get to see Gnosticism in a reliable ancient document. By reliable I do not mean that the contents are true (or false). By reliable I mean that it a genuine document of antiquity - around First Century.

While I have done some study on this, others have done a much better job of scholarship than I ever could have done.

Here are some links for you to study and be informed rather than be stupid and speak to others about something which you haven't really looked into. The first question that you should ask when real dialogue starts on this issue is, "what have you studied on the issue?" And you should ask the question of yourself first.

National Geographic Web site for Gospel of Judas
Mark Roberts report on the Gospel of Judas
PDF link to the English and Coptic Translation
Mark Daniels blog (Many great links to other studies on The Gospel of Judas)
John Reynolds
Albert Molher
Boston Globe Article

(Basic disclaimer: That fact that the above are posted does not mean that I agree with all the author's of the sites promote. The links are for you to look at the Gospel of Judas and relevant information for your own study and information.)

I believe that as a follower of God I should be able to discuss and share information relevant to my faith in an intelligent and systematic manner. This gospel has gotten the attention of many people who are asking questions about God, Jesus, and Christianity. Who is going to answer those questions?

WH

'laxin At Home

This Saturday finds me at home kicking back and watching some golf that is being played across the river in Augusta. The storms have passed and the 4.5 hour delay is over.

I was up early and took the dogs to get rabies shots in the rain.

Jessie was home this morning and we watched Memoirs of a Geisha. It was a good movie. A bit long but still good.

My "chitlins" are healing up just fine. The incision site is still swelling at night. There is still some discomfort and pain but the progress is going as expected. I see the doctor Tuesday and go back to work on Wednesday. This has been a long break and I am getting some cabin fever.

Tomorrow I am teaching. I have been on a series about the Kingdom of God and all of us have been learning about and experiencing the Kingdom. Many people are understanding and starting to realize that what happens during the week is more significant than making Sunday the DAY that we focus on. Meeting together as a community of faith is critical, and we should be meeting on other days other than Sunday - the Sunday gathering is important, but it shouldn't necessarily be the high point or most "spiritual" day of our lives.

My concern is that there has been a disconnect for many people who are followers of God. There is the danger of a dualism in our lives - Sunday we act one way and the other days another. There is a type of "incongruence" between actions and attitudes on those "church" days and the others. One of the refreshing things about our church is that people are not afraid to say, "man, I'm hung over from last night." There is no fear of judgement or ridicule. That's the way it should be.

Our main challenge should be a pursuit of a consistent "presence of mind" concerning God and His kingdom and being alert to an invitation to get involved in what is going on around us that brings others and ourselves into a better understanding and experience of His kingdom.

WH

Squawk Box Trading Game

So, while I'm stuck at home I have started finding other things to do...

Honestly, today is the best day of my recovery so far. My incision doesn't hurt near as bad as in previous days, and the swelling at the surgery site is less and less each day. I walked a mile yesterday and have no ill effects.

Back to the main post: as I mentioned, my In-laws were visiting this past week. They left this morning and should be home any minute now. My father-in-law, Bob, is a pretty savvy financial guy so in the mornings he watches some of the stock market channels. One of his favorite shows is CNBC. Just this week they started a contest on their early a.m. program Squawk Box (6-9a.m.) - it is called the CNBC Squawk Box Fantasy Portfolio Challenge and the Grand Prize is a 2006 Maserati Gransport. Basically you get $1,000,000 fake dollars and the one with the most "virtual" money at the end of the contest period wins the car.

Here's the funny part. I signed up and made an immediate mistake with my first stock purchase. Instead of putting in 7500 shares of AAPL I hit an extra zero.

Two things happened:

1. The other two stocks I wanted to purchase essentially (I got 1 share of one company)went right by, and,
2. Over 16,000 shares of my stock ended up being Apple - all but the one share of TOO.

Well, little did I know that Apple would make an announcement that I mentioned in the previous post, namely, that users would be able to boot Windows XP on their new intel-based Macs.

The freaking stock shot through the roof and earned $99,000.00 in virtual bucks. Can you hear the hum of the Maserati in the driveway? Just kidding. Anyway, it was fun. Especially since I made a stupid mistake that paid off in the contest.

Check back at the end of May to see how I ended out.

WH

Macs Now Do Windows - Who wudda thunk?

This morning Apple Computer announced they are releasing the beta version of Bootcamp, allowing Mac users who have a new Intel powered Mac to boot into EITHER Windows XP or Mac OS 10.4 (known as Tiger).

The next release of operating system, called Leopard (10.5), will reportedly allow the user to have the Mac OS AND Windows XP running at the same time without rebooting.

This provides great appeal to users who are considering a switch from Windows.

The stock immediately jumped over $4.00 per share. Go Apple.

WH

Could Be A Kernal Of Truth Here...

I saw this piece from Bill Maher on a blog from Jon Reid to which I have an RSS feed. If you are "attack sensitive" as a follower if God I would steer away - he gets pretty sarcastic - he is a comedian.

I found that some of what Bill said was thought provoking, especially the part about paranoia. And, remember that Jesus can take care of Himself:)

WH

Update On All Sorts Of Stuff...

The Atom API problem at Blogger has been fixed. Kudos to those folks who worked long and hard to get this one right. Now I can get back to posting with my favorite blog editor ecto.

Apple has updated Tiger to 10.4.6. The fix addresses all sorts of bugs and networking issues as well as adds support for new phones in iSync. My wife's RAZR V3c was seen and added to iSync. That's cool.

Bob and Jody are here and, as always, we have a great time with their visit. There is always stuff to talk about.

The Atlanta Braves opened in LA today with an exciting win - 11-10.

I'm feeling better as I recover from my surgery. I am off from work until April 12. That will give me plenty of time to heal up, get caught up with reading and sleep, and do some brainstorming for the business idea.

We are watching Flight Plan and getting ready for the NCAA Basketball Championship and 24 (Thanks to TIVO we'll be able to see both).

Oh, and all of my plumbing is still working correctly. YEAH!

WH

Happy To Poo!

For those of you who are disgusted with any mention of "poop" this is a good time to STOP reading...

There. I am, however, supremely excited. You see, after a surgery in which they fool around with your guts two oppositional things take place:

1. Your "innards" say, "Shut down, Shut down." They go into "high alert" and cease, for all practical intents, to operate normally.
2. The doctor gives you pain killers that are opiate based. These pain killers are ALL known for one very specific side effect - constipation.

These two occurances collide and one is stuck (literally) in the valley of decision - "Do I take the pain killers and get constipated, OR do I suffer abdominal pain and wait until the "system" gets back on line?" (Not to mention that one has to "push" a bit to poo, which componds the pain problem).

Well, yesterday I took a few doses of Senokot and this morning, volia! Now that's how I spell relief. So now I can eat, take pain pills, and have normal bowel movements. Life just doesn't get any better!!

On a related note, since I have some abdominal swelling I thought that I could find a pair of those maternity jeans that have the "expanding" panel in the front. How weird would that be?

Just kidding. I'll just wait it out until I can fit back into my jeans.

Jen is off to church and her 'rents (Bob and Jody) are on the way up for a visit this week. They should arrive in the late afternoon for a 4 day stay. I'm sure that I'll have more to post later in the day.

Last note - for those to whom it applies, change your clocks. It is officially Daylight Savings Time. Here is a link to the time.gov site for the exact time.

WH

My Blog Atom API Is Busted (and so is yours)

Bad News. For the past months I have been using ecto to post to my Blogger blog. Previous to that I used Mars Edit. Well, it seems that as of 3/31/2006 something has changed here at Blogger so that virtually ALL 3rd party blog posting tools have been rendered useless.

There is a thread here that discusses the issue. Short story - all editors that use the Atom API (which is what Blogger uses) cannot connect with their blog site. Bummer.

So that has me running to Firefox to post blog entries - not as slick or familiar as ecto but it will do in the interim, while the folks at Blogger fix the problem.

WH

Post Surgery - LFD

LONG F******G DAY!

Yesterday I was up at 6ish and got ready to go to the hospital for my hernia surgery - Jen got up later (still pretty early for her). We arrived at 7:45 a.m. and started the pre-op routine. The last time I had an admission to the hospital was back in 1995 for a torn ACL. That's also the last time I had to fill a prescription.

I love the gown - you know open back and all. The fact that they have the rooms at 55 degrees F and have you take all of your clothes off and put on a paper thin, cotton, open-backed gown should give you a clue that this experience is not about your comfort:)

Funny things that happened:
1. The nurse came out and called for "Patel" instead of "Peter" - that got me concerned. After this I double checked that they had me there for a hernia operation NOT open heart surgery or amputation.
2. They had me write "yes" on my right thigh with indelible ink so that they would not cut the wrong side. The "Y" is still there.
3. As I was waiting in the pre-op "cubby" room (a room with three solid sides and the front with draw curtain on it), a family came down the hall and one member walked into my "cubby" and didn't notice that I was not the person they came to see. THAT was embarrassing for them. She realized I wasn't her sister, mumbled something and walked down the hall. Her other two family members just broke out in laughter.
4. On their way out back past me I called out, "didn't you want to stop in any see me on the way out?" - they laughed nervously and sped up
5. The nurse kept talking about giving me "happy juice" - she was all about the "happy juice". In fact, since they were running late I had to ask her to HOLD OFF on the "happy juice" until later. I think she wanted to see if I would say anything stupid while I was "happy"
The operating rooms were backed up a bit and my 9:45 surgery time came and went. I can't tell you exactly what time I actually went to the operating room since the "happy juice" had begun to take effect - I think that it was close to 11 a.m. (Jen will give me the correct time on this once she reads the blog).

I woke in recovery - I use the term "woke" loosely. Faded in is a better term. I was getting all sorts of attention from sweet talking southern nurses when I realized that everyone left me and ran across the room. Later Jen tells me that someone was in for rotator cuff surgery and they had a heart attack DURING the surgery. Those of you who know Jen, know that I was glad that I was out of surgery when she heard about that incident. I hope everything turned out o.k. for that person and his family. We didn't hear anything else.

I can't remember what time I came out of surgery - I will guess it was close to 12 noon. Jen was allowed to come back at around 1:30. My throat hurt from the intubation and I my back was sore. I have a 3 inch incision running north and south on my lower right abdomen (I was going to post a picture but that would be too gross). There are no sutures, no bandages, no dressing. The incision is closed with dermabond, very cool stuff that is basically super glue for incisions and wounds.

The good news was that I didn't throw up (or remember throwing up). Now came the great part - all I had to do was pee and I could go home! I tried and tried, and tried, and tried. NO LUCK. In fact, I tried so much that the people in the recovery area to the left of me were cheering me on and very interested in my progress (Later Jen told me that the husband asked if I had had prostate surgery since he was possibly facing some in the future).

Well, as you can guess, something happens to one's bladder when they play with your "chitlin's". There was swelling of one sort or another and I had the URGE to pee, I just didn't possess the ABILITY to go. I heard the words that strike fear onto the heart of any man - catheter.

The thought of a tube going in where things should only go out, particularly that part of one's anatomy, and the whole process being done by a female nurse brings all sorts of potential problematic issues to the conscious mind. My answer was to shuffle off to the bathroom yet one more time telling Jen that I was locking the door and not coming back until I had gone (or that I may even lie about it - on the heels of that thought, as if she knew my intent, the nurse called out "don't flush, I have to make sure").

Sadly, I was unsuccessful and as I returned to the bed I saw the catheter kit on the table. I won't detail the process and experience but I was relieved - in more ways than the obvious pressure on my bladder - once the procedure was over.

That being finished I was released to go home - it was now close to 5 p.m. One last note from the hospital. In the recovery bay next to mine (not the guy with the prostate concerns, but the one on my right) I heard a young girl crying. I asked the nurse what was going on and she told me that the Mom had had knee surgery and was having a hard time with recovery - vomiting, pain, etc.

I then asked if Jen and I could pray with them. The nurse asked and they said yes. After apologizing to the daughter for my "death breath" we prayed for God's peace to come on the daughter and for the Mom to be comforted. I love that kind of thing. "Let Your Kingdom come, Lord." Great prayer when you don't know what to pray.

We returned home and I rested - my plumbing is still off. I was up every hour last night TRYING to pee and accomplishing little. Things are better this morning and I hope to be back to normal by the end of the day.

I have showered, had a cup of coffee, and a vicodin. Now to REST today. A hard thing for me to do. As you can tell by the length of the entry, I already have way too much time on my hands.

WH

Ready To Be Cut Upon...

Ok. Tomorrow I am scheduled for my surgery to fix my protruding "chitlins". I get up at 6:30 am - that's three hours later than normal - and I'm scheduled for a 7:45 am arrival. That sucks for Jen. But I can't drive myself back from the hospital.

In fact, it's kind of sad that I'm looking at this surgery as a "vacation" from work. I get a week off. In fact, I am not scheduled to return to work until April 11th! That is over a week off. YEAH!

You see things at UPS get REAL crazy around Master's week (remember I work in Augusta, GA - home of Augusta National). I will not be there. I will be resting my sliced, plugged, and sutured abdomen.

Jen's parents will be here for most of the week (the trip was planned before the surgery was set) and that is always fun:)

And, finally, I will get to watch the NCAA basketball championship final - usually I would be going to sleep at that time of night. This evening I'm watching South Carolina play Michigan in the NIT final. I love sports and I REALLY love being able to stay up and watch the games - damn, I sound like a 10 year old.

Anyhoo. I'll post after I get back to a conscious state, with a managed pain threshold:)

WH

Well, The Big News On The Meeting Is...

... the group that was considering the business venture have said, "no".

Shit. No, really. Shit.

So I'm a bit stunned right now - and frustrated - and disappointed - and depressed. For me that should last about two days. Jen's parents are coming up for a visit next week so that will be timely.

We'll bang heads and come up with some ideas. Right now it's just "recoup" time - reflection and evaluation.

WH

5th Anniversary Trip

First, I apologize for not being very "blogful" this past month. It has been a month of reflection and conversation for Jen and I as we wait for word from a group of investors as to if they are going to get involved in building another office here in the Aiken area. Needless to say there is a lot of stress and such in the waiting.

In the meantime we have just returned from our 5th anniversary trip. We had friends (whom I did a wedding for) give us a gift certificate for two nights at the Two Meeting Street Inn in Charleston, SC. It was wonderful! The inn is charming and has lots of history. Being a bed and breakfast, you get to meet people in an entirely different setting than a hotel/motel. Below are a few pictures from the trip.




Outside on the Porch




Garden Patio

The past five years of marriage to Jen have been some of the most wonderful in my life and I am SO thankful for her being in my life. I am such a better man and person because of her. I can only hope that others can experience life to such fulness. Thanks baby, for being my bride.

The weekend had extremes of climate - one day was rainy and cold, the next sunny and mild. One day was both!!

We had great meals at Fleet Landing and Magnolias. Walked up the streets and the Battery. It was fun and relaxing.

If you ever get a chance to get to Charleston, SC and want to stay in a unique and "posh" inn, consider Two Meeting Street.

Here is a link to the rest of the pictures from the trip - Anniversary Pictures

WH

Chitlin's On The Loose

Well, after a few months of seeing a bulge develop on my inner thigh I went to the doctors.

Being "In Network" is a real important thing with my insurance so I have to visit my Primary Care Physician, who has to look at the afflicted area and then refer me to a specialist - a hernia doctor (really a general surgeon).

I had the visit today and my chitlin's are definitely poking out of my gut. My surgery is scheduled for March 31st. The surgeon will stick a "plug" and a patch in the offending area. The plug is kind of like a badminton shuttlecock that is placed in the hole in the abdominal wall and it then opens and stops my guts from pressing out and causing a problem. The patch goes on top of this and then adheres to the muscle of the abdomen.

I should be ready to be ready to resume full activities a few days after the operation.

WH

PS - This past weekend was a watershed experience for me. David Ruis was in Augusta, as well as Don Williams. It was a conference on worship. You can check out more at Kingdomrain.net.

Try The Underwear Oracle

Im know that this is a total waste of time, but it is raining cats and dogs today and we are sitting around the house waiting to go to Mi Rancho for a Saturday night karaoke with the gang!

This was funny -

What Your Underwear Says About You

You like to think of yourself as innocent, even though you're not! You are childlike (or childish), and prone to run around in your underwear.

The Underwear Oracle

Have fun!

WH

Lottery, Schmottery

As many of you have read, seen, or heard, 8 Con-Agra workers cashed in on the biggest lottery pay out to date - $365 Million. Wouldn't you like to have that kind of money?

Think about it.

(Now, a personal disclaimer, I have, and will continue to play the lottery. When it gets big I usually buy $5 worth of tickets and talk about the "what-if's".)

The facts are not totally clear, but there has been some mention that many lottery winners end up broke and bankrupt. Here is a Google discussion that lists some facts, studies, and other links to various studies.

The gist of the issue is that if you are happy, you will be happy after winning the lottery. If you are miserable, you will be miserable after winning the lottery. Facts show that most lottery winners spend one third of their winnings in the first year - traveling, paying off bills, buying things, giving money away, etc. Then they tend to settle into a lifestyle that was similar to before they won the lottery.

The sad truth is that many winners have no idea what a windfall is and how much hassle the winning brings - "business offers", old friends, beggars, cons, temptations, stress, pressure, greed.

I hope that every one of these winners are happy, satisfied, and secure - and that they stay that way.

For me the personal issue is to be content NO MATTER WHAT and then life and the things that come at us will find a grounded and mature person - settled and stable.

WH

Father Daughter Dance

Here are the "girls" getting ready for the big dance - of course we don't want to stink and drive people away so we have to apply DEO to the old pits -


Deo Jen



Deo Jessie

We had a great time. The gala was at The Ritz at Amelia Island. Can you say "SWANKY"? And as always, staying with Bob and Jody is a blast. Even if it is a short and sweet.

WH

Engaged!!

I just talked to my son Jason (the Marine) and he told us that he has asked his girlfriend Candace to marry him on Valentines day! After the initial shock I was pretty excited. They are going to get all of the marriage and pre-marital courses that the Marines have to offer (more than they had a few years ago) and have also asked me to do their counseling.

(Now I know that Jody checks this blog and is going to totally freak out) - Take it easy Jody, they haven't set a date yet.


Jason and Candace

They will be visiting in early March and we will get to see them - we are looking forward to it.

WH

Ramblings...

I have a cold. Scratchy throat. Sniffles. Basic blah. So I drink stuff. I eat stuff. I should feel better by tomorrow - yeah! I don't usually stay sick for long so that is a big benefit.

I love the Olympics. Summer. Winter. It doesn't matter. I love sports and competition. The pure commitment of athletes that train and lay it all on the line for a once every few years event.

The possible business partners that I have been speaking with have set a date for the next, and hopefully final presentation, before we get to business - or should I say, build a business. March 7th is the date. One last push before the meeting and I will be ready. This is a great opportunity for us and our future - more later if all goes well.

This weekend will be fun. Jen, Jessie, and I are going with her Dad to a Father/Daughter Banquet at The Ritz! High living and high partying. I should have some pics posted during the weekend.

WH

The Tax Man Cometh

What fun! This past Thursday, my wonderful wife, in one of her "I'm bored!" moments declared, with sort of a question mark, "LET'S DO TAXES!?"

My simple response, "Hell no." I would rather be a recipient of Chinese Water Torture. Lick a toilet. Watch CSPAN. Anyway, you get the idea.

Guess what? We did taxes.

Now let me give you a bit of background so you don't feel sorry for me. For the past four years I have been a beta tester (shameless plug) for Intuit. I have tested Quicken, Quickbooks, and more recently Turbo-Tax Premium. So I had my complementary copy of Turbo-Tax at the house.

Now I don't totally trust the Turbo-Tax program (the dark side of beta testing) so of course I have to do the paper version of taxes and THEN use the program to see if they agree. Call me anal.

We dove in and we able to complete the Federal and South Carolina taxes with relative ease (about 2.5 hours). Then came the absolute DEVIL of tax returns - Georgia Non-Resident. You see, UPS is in Augusta, GA. I live in SC. The Georgia tax form is an absolute bitch. I worked on the stupid thing, actually ONE PAGE of the stupid thing for ONE solid hour. Not only is it confusing, it is very general and unspecific. Jen came home and I had her look at it too.

I have to admit that I giggled the whole time as she unleashed a tirade of unpublishable expletives. Jen is smart and very capable when it comes to this sort of thing - takes after her Dad. It was an exercise in futility for her.

After a few hours we both said, "That's seems right let's go with it." To check it I reloaded Turbo-Tax on the other computer, loaded my one free state (GA) and checked the result. Amazingly, we came to the same refund amount (Don't get excited for us, it was like $70 bucks) BUT there was an entirely different and additional form that we had missed!

Oh boy! We can't wait until next year. Another great reason to hope that my next business venture stays in SC. My heart goes out to all of you who live in GA and have to negotiate your way through that f*&%ing cesspool of a tax system and the accompanying returns.

I hope all of you have a great time doing your taxes too:)

WH

Why I Respect Bono

Maybe you didn't hear, but Bono, front man for U2, spoke at The National Prayer Breakfast this past week. Here is the video link from CNN. It's 20 minutes long, and I couldn't get the last few minutes to play, but the message is very worthwhile.

If you have the time, watch the video. If not, here is a transcript from USA Today.

Bono refuses to cater to either side of the isle in politics and stays focused on the real issues of poverty and injustice. We could all learn a lesson about the "positions" that we hold and promote.

WH