211/108

I have always known that I had to be careful about my salt intake and I do a really good job of watching how much salt. ....I hardly ever salt my food and if I do I typically use only a small amount. I also have to be VERY careful about eating any foods that contain MSG.....a fact that was brought home to me in a pretty alarming way this past week.

On Wednesday night I ate some red beans and rice that I had made the night before....It was in a box and contained a LARGE amount of MSG of course I did not know that at the time....I did not eat that much the night before so I had no problems but on Wednesday night I had a good bowl full and a grilled cheese sandwich. Roughly two hours later I was FLYING!!!

I was dizzy, had blurred vision, my heart was racing and my blood pressure was 211/108....THATS HIGH!! After taking another dose of my blood pressure meds I finally settled down and started feeling better and went to lie down ...

I have mentioned this before but sleep does not come easy for me ....and it did not that night.

Add to all this a massive case of heartburn Friday night and feeling very lethargic and worn out since my blood pressure incident....It has made for a pretty crappy week. I told someone Saturday night that I felt like you do when you get the flu...except not the first days but the following days when you are just worn out....thats me this past week.

I complain about this ...I moan about not feeling good and trust me I am trying my hardest to get things in my life going right ....

I love my job, I really do but lately it has been pretty dang stressful for some reason....the mission trip was nice but on some level I did not enjoy it like I thought I would. Usually on trips with the youth I can find time to have a good time....I can let go and enjoy things but this years trip to DC/Balimore found me stressing and worrying about everything.

I try to please people as a whole....

I want my youth to be happy, I want my adult sponsors to be happy, I want my friends to be happy, I can typically handle stress but lately its been hard for me to let things go and just enjoy things .

And lately when I am stressed out I tend to take it out on the wrong folks ....I am sorry to everyone for my being a jerk lately.

Others things that bother me ....

The Economy-I really think we are one small step away from a depression. Not recession but a deep depression that it might take us years to get out of .... former senator Phil Graham said this week that its all in our heads when it comes to the economy problems....WOW.

My grandmother-88 years old, frail,confined to a chair or bed most of the day,confused,weighs 90lbs,slowly slipping away ....its real tough to call her and realize that she has no idea who she is talking too....

I am whining ....there is so much in my life that I should be lifting up as a praise but I am human....

Thats it for now

Around the World in 72 days 6 hours......

I am home .....

The youth trip to the Washington DC/Baltimore area was a whirlwind of activity that started at 5:30am Saturday June 28 and did not end until about 5:30pm on Saturday July 5. In addition to working at two Salvation Army centers in both Washington DC and Baltimore we had a chance to see many of the sites and sounds of these big cities. While the main reasons for youth mission type trips continues to be our desire to help others they also provide the kids with a chance to see cities they might not ever see.

The kids were so excited to see places they have on seen on TV or in books and magazines. A few of us had travelled to the DC area before but about 15 on the trip had never been and of those 15 about half had never left Alabama before.....It was a great trip. I ahve included a few pics of the sites that week ....for some weird reason I never took a picture of The White House ?!?!?

Prayer has also been on my mind for a few days .......

Why do we pray ? I dont always pray on a daily basis......sometimes I will actually go days without doing it and then boom ...I will lift something up to God. I will say that I used to pray more before my Dad passed away ....and while my love for God and Jesus Christ is still strong my act of prayer is not....Its hard to put into words actually but I just dont pray alot anymore....

One of my favorite authors is CS LEWIS and I turned to him recently on this matter....here are some things he said that I found interesting in regards to prayer.

He could, if He chose, repair our bodies miraculously without food; or give us food without the aid of farmers, bakers, and butchers; or knowledge without the aid of learned men; or convert the heathen without missionaries. Instead, He allows soils and weather and animals and the muscles, minds, and wills of men to co-operate in the execution of His will. “God,” said Pascal, “instituted prayer in order to lend to His creatures the dignity of causality.” But not only prayer; whenever we act at all He lends us that dignity. It is not really stranger, nor less strange, that my prayers should affect the course of events than that my other actions should do so. They have not advised or changed God's mind—that is, His over-all purpose. But that purpose will be realized in different ways according to the actions, including the prayers, of His creatures. So at least it seems to me. But what I have offered can be, at the very best, only a mental model or symbol. All that we say on such subjects must be merely analogical and parabolic. The reality is doubtless not comprehensible by our faculties. But we can at any rate try to expel bad analogies and bad parables.

When he says that "the reality is doubtless not comprehensible " he is right I think....we are so stupid and dumb with it comes to fully understanding Gods will in our lives and when it came to Daddy dying it made me just sit back and realize that I just dont get it.... and I could have decided to spend the rest of my life figuring it out or I could say I love God and am growing closer to him and Jesus Christ through this tragedy.

Prayer in the sense of petition, asking for things, is a small part of it; confession and penitence are its threshold, adoration its sanctu­ary, the presence and vision and enjoyment of God its bread and wine.

anyway just a thought or a form of a thought here on my end ....good to be back in Montgomery

Dumbo's Circus

Tonight was really nice .....

I have a fairly ordinary life....but I have the most wonderful friends. Tonight was the first chance that we had some great "back porch" time ....and it was much needed.
Let me say first of all that for the last two weeks or so I have been pretty stressed out about the upcoming mission trip to DC(we leave this Saturday) but tonight was just what I needed....

I could completely be myself...hang out with the best friends a guy could have ....have a few beers and just decompress before the big trip.

We talked what we usally talk ....politics,work,family,OLD TV shows,beautiful babies and so much more.

For the last year Luke and Jackie have been up in Bham and its been hard not seeing them on a regular basis but now they are back in MGM and with John and Laura and Nick and Laura it made the night really great.

You are a blessed person if you have friends who love you and can be silly with you and in the next breath be talking about the supreme court of the US.

We just get along and that's wonderful and I am lucky to call each and everyone of them my friends.

So to my friends I raise a cold glass .....and toast you all

"TO FRIENDS, MAY OUR SMILES ALWAYS BE PLENTY"

Family Reunions......

Some of my fondest memories as child revolve around family reunions in North Carolina. Imagine heading to the mountains of Western NC during the dead of the summer to the cool retreat of the mountains....Blowing Rock, Boone, Banner Elk, Valle Crucis....AHHHH. We would have great food and sit around talking ...These events continued well into my high school years and I sad to say that I have not been to one now in almost 20 years!! Those are family reunions I really enjoy....You will now find below the ones that I dont enjoy.
You ever find yourself in the grocery store trying to get down an aisle and there are two buggies parked in the way with the current owners of those buggies having a great chat....Perhaps they have not seen each other since high school or maybe last week but they are talking and oblivious to the fact that 25 people are saying "pardon me, 'scuse me, I am sorry can I squeeze by,please clear the way my head just suddenly exploded into flames" GRRRRRR
This great occurrence does not just happen in grocery stores....it happens at major discount stores like Wal Mart and Target.....It happens at chain drug stores.....in the middle of the driving lanes at places like the mall.....it even happens at Biscuit baseball games....
Tonight while watching the baseball game at Riverwalk on two seperate occasions people stopped in the aisle to conduct what my dad would have called a "Family Reunion"!!!!
Blech I say ....anyway enought of my rant

For now we see in a mirror,dimly

The above picture was made by a women in Iowa from her front door . The twister touched down and then went right back up....WOW! Just thought I would share for poops and giggles.

So its Saturday night...12:44pm. I am sitting here still trying to wrap my mind around the death yesterday of Tim Russert. I am guessing it will be a few days before I feel better....

I think perhaps one of the main reasons I am upset about him is that it hits so close to home for me ....Many, if not all of you know that my dad died suddenly from a heart attack two years ago and its only been recently that I was diagnosed with some heart problems of my own.

I look in the mirror and see a man who needs badly to lose some weight. To get healthy. It is one of the hardest things I can possibly attempt. Its not something that I take lightly ...trust me.

The United States as a whole is fat. 66% of the nation is overweight or obese. Its a serious public health issue that impacts not only our lives and our families. It also affects our jobs and the overall cost of our health insurance.

Speaking from my own life... I could save $970.00 a year in co-pays and deductibles if I was not taking blood pressure medicines. $970.00!!!!!!

• I mean come on ...That's a round trip plane ticket to just about anywhere in the USA with some left over for car rentals. Even more if you book on Priceline.com



• That's a damn nice flat screen TV.



• That's 6 West Wing Box sets on Amazon.com.



• That's 108 movie tickets to see anything at the Rave.



• That's 24 boxes of brew kits from Williams.com making a total of 1152 beers!



• That's 102 Shrimp and Avocado Salads at Sinclairs.



• That's one tank of Gas. ...Or Liquid Gold....bout the same !!

I think you see my point....My life could be drastically different if I was in better shape. I will never be a "skinny" guy....Not gonna happen.I am a big guy period but could I stand to lose 50lbs ?? Heck yeah!! 75lbs?? FOR SURE....

Does being out of shape and fat equal failure? I dont think so .....I think its a mix of psychological and environmental factors. I eat late at night because I am up most of the night.....I mean really I typically get about 4 -5 hours of sleep a night....I think one feeds into the other. I dont know really but its a huge struggle ...worse than drinking or drugs. For me anyway....Someone told me after lunch Friday that "we gotta get you healthy" AMEN and thanks for the concern. I really do appreciate it....

I recently read an article sent to me by a friend of mine in Pennsylvania. It was about the heart and how its so misunderstood on many levels. Cardiovascular disease and deaths claim nearly 800,000 lives a year. The heart is incredibly strong and resilient but over time just like many things it can wear out from abuse. It beats 100,000 a day and 3,000 people die daily from a heart related illness. My heart is already damaged from the enlargement and my valve not working properly add onto that high blood pressure,overweight and family history.....well you can see my problem. I am scared to death of becoming part of the above statistics .

So what's next ? Start working out regular at a gym is one of the first moves.....losing weight is the second ....I guess they are really more of a combo cant really have one without the other. I just keep telling myself that I have to pace myself and not set unrealistic goals. Being incredibly human I have waited till much later to turn to prayer on this matter ....And while not a huge fan of Paul...I have found something in his letter to the people at Cornith.

In 1 Corinthians 13:12 it says "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known"

John Wesley says that now we see even the things that surround us. A mirror,(ancient mirrors were often made of highly polished metal and would show a reflection through great distortions) which reflects only our imperfect forms, in a dim, faint manner, so that our thoughts about them are puzzling and intricate, and everything is a kind of riddle to us. But then - We shall see, not a faint reflection, but the objects themselves. Face to face - Distinctly. Even when God himself reveals things to me, great parts of them is still kept under the veil. But then I shall know even as also I am known - In a clear, full, comprehensive manner; in some measure like God, who penetrates the centre of every object, and sees at one glance through my soul and all things. I have prayed and prayed about this and God has placed an answer in my life ....I fully believe that....I could not see the full image in the mirror but now I do . I just had to wait and listen. GAME ON !!

Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there ....

PS...Give blood ...the next life it saves might be your own.

We are all on a journey home.......

IF IT'S SUNDAY .....IT'S MEET THE PRESS

Tim Russert died late Friday afternoon in Washington DC. He was 58 years old. I was eating at Jason's Deli and was preparing to leave when I saw the headline on CNN.....I am an emotional person by nature and it was tough to stand there and not get teary eyed.....I have cried tonight watching the memorials to him....
I have had a love affair with news and the political process for a LONG time and I have watched Meet the Press for about as long as Tim Russert was the moderator and host. FOX news likes to say that they are "fair and balanced" but in the whole spectrum of news people and news outlets Tim Russert really was fair and balanced.
I remember in the early 90's deciding that I was interested for the first time in politics and living way out in the country and having no cable I turned to Meet the Press on NBC.
This year marked Tim Russerts 17 year as the host of MTP. It's hard to believe that you can get upset about someone dying that you did not even know. But I have been pretty down all afternoon.
But in many ways we did know him....If you watched NBC news on a regular basis then you were most likely a fan of Mr Russert. He was to me that person in your family that you could sit and talk to all day ....about anything. Sports, politics,religion, life ......
They showed a clip of Tim Russert from 2005 talking about being named to head MTP....He said he called up the founder of the show and asked for a few moments to talk and he went to his apartment and asked this guy what advice he could give him when he takes over in a few weeks.....the founder told him to study everything you could about your guest, his likes , his positions, his favorite color even and then you take the exact opposite opinion and make your guest tell you and the nation why they believe in what they believe.
I hate we will not have Tim Russert here for this years election.... It stinks that he will not be here to help lead us through this years historical election.
My personnal Sunday morning ritual will be changing I am sure......Difficult to think that I will be as engaged with a new host of MTP. MSNBC showed interviews tonight from different folks who knew Tim Russert. They were all filmed today talking about him....One Catholic priest who knew Tim Russert and had arranged a recent meeting with the Pope said that Tim was one of those guys who knew that we are all on a journy home....We will miss you Tim. God Bless

A nickels worth of free advice.......

So here is the deal .....
Do you ever get tired of giving advice ? Its not like I give lots of advice on many topics but I have been known to throw my opinion in there every now and then......But sometimes you give what you think is solid advice and you get crapped on in return.
Perhaps its my ego that took a bruising and that's the cause of all of this but at this point I am pulling back on things ....What can I say ? I'm human.
If asked...I will reserve comment.
It's the best choice right now and for me to have some piece of mind this is the thing to do ....
Lord knows we all have lots on our plates right now and we sometimes suffer gladly....but to be honest I am a little bit tired of everything....

Just for poops and giggles

I dont really know how to upload a Youtube video to Blogger so I just put the link on here for you to go to ....anyone wanna tell me how ??
I am not a fan of the end of the video where they stick all the indicted folks next to Hillary....but the other part does a pretty decent job of showing Barack is not a member of a terrorist group....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTgqQ2_KQkc&eurl=http://news.aol.com/political-machine/2008/06/06/obama-whitey-video-rumor-is-crap/?icid=1615988631x1203764875x1200410134

Omega 3 Fish Oil.....

So here is the deal .....

I have a few health issues that have to be seen about pretty soon . As I reported in a previous blog I have been diagnosed with an enlarged heart. I was sent by my doctor to have a battery of tests to determine what damage, if any, was done to my heart by the enlargement. Blood work, stress tests, heart ultra sounds ....all were done.

I went back to the doctor today to find out the results ....FINALLY!! My blood work was ok, with the only problem being my cholesterol and my "bad" levels being pretty high ....The tests on my heart showed that I have a valve problem with my left ventricle mitral valve. Nothing that is gonna kill me tomorrow ....but something that has to be addressed and soon.

Many people have valve problems ....some very severe and others not so bad. I am just glad to have an idea as to my problem now and start working towards getting it better.

I have to get in better shape....no question about it. I need to lose about 100lbs, I need to excercise more ...on a more frequent basis, I need to eat better and have better eating habits period.

My doctor wants to see me lose weight ....he said this will go a long way in helping deal with the valve problem. Being overweight like I am puts too much added stress on my heart and dropping pounds will greatly reduce this.....It will not cure my problem but it will make things better. Cutting out cigarettes almost 6 months ago is a great thing... Cutting back my level of stress will also help in the long run....anything I can do to keep my heart from "overworking" will be good....careful not to lift heavy things ...careful not to play basketball for an hour straight (ha ...me playing ball)..I can excercise but at a measured pace....anyway you get the point I think.

Getting my cholesterol down is going to be another issue....DR.S told me that I don't have to cut out everything right now ...just cut back. I will not be on medicine yet but he has told me to start taking four Omega 3 fish oil capsules each day.

I will go back in three months for more tests ....To borrow from the West Wing, I have this heart thing now.

So ...here we are

I wanted to post this blog for everyone who has been curious about things ....I apprecaite yalls prayers and concerns.

Charging for snacks on planes.....

This and That .....
A little history ....I used to really enjoy going to the movies ...I had rules and everything. I still stand by a few of my rules but thanks to my friends I have let many, if not most , go by the wayside. At some point it dawned on me that I was not enjoying going to see movies in the theaters as much .
First ...Movies have became VERY expensive!! It now costs $9.00 dollars to see an evening show at The Rave in Montgomery. To me thats alot ......anyway.
Second...There are too many kids at the theater. LOTS of kids ....young teens. I work with teens and I would rather not be around that at the movies.
Third...I joined Netflix.
I started in 1991 collecting movie stubs.....I have every movie ticket stub since 1991. At some point that morphed into me keeping ANY ticket to anything I went to ....I used to see at least one movie a week. Since January 2008 I have seen four. I have seen three in the last week...and they were all really good movies.
Anyway ....a few movie reviews
IRON MAN
WOW....what can I say about this movie ....It surpassed all my expectations. Hell, I did not even want to see it before I read what Mr Lucas had to say about it.
INDY 4
A very good "last" installment to a wonderful movie franchise. Indy is at his best fighting the bad guys.
SEX IN THE CITY
I have to admit that I have never been a frequent viewer of this show but the times I did watch I really enjoyed it. If you have never seen a single episode on HBO or in reruns then thats ok because the movie does a great job of giving you some background to catch you up some.
THE STRANGERS
If you know me at all then you know that I DONT LIKE A SCARY MOVIE. Ever since this movie tralier started playing I have been wanting to see it. I saw it and WOW it was creepy ...but very enjoyable .

I am currently reading James Frey's latest book, BRIGHT SHINY MORNING. It is a novel set in LA and it is turning into quite the read. I know some of you might say that since he "lied" about his hit book A MILLION LITTLE PIECES. I think he really got the short end of the bad publicity stick on that matter...and then to have Her Highness Oprah eviscerate him on national TV ...BLECH. I mean to be called a liar by Oprah is a big deal ....she said she had a reputation to consider and maintain and that people looked to her as an example....But did she not have President Bush on her show also?? I think its fair to say that he maybe, perhaps, sorta lied also...right ? The presidents lie has cost thousands of lives...both american and iraqis ...I mean James Frey told some lies about his past to pad his story ....David Sederis has done it ....Burroughs has done it ....I am guessing many authors have done it. Anyway , its a good book and I still like A MILLION LITTLE PCS.

AIRLINES
It has been announced over the last few weeks that airlines are changing prices, luggage requirements and even charging for snacks in coach.
On NBC, Brian Williams had the best line in regards to the whole matter after reporting this past week ..." in a related story the airlines have decided to leave the seats on the planes ...for now"!!

A few of my Favorite things .....

So ...I am 34.....And glad of it !!!! Another year has come and gone and this Mr Gregg is now 34 years of age ....

I spent Wednesday working as many of us do on our birthdays ....no big deal there except I had committed the youth group to serving supper at church ....and the choir was also singing a special performance ....add those together and you get 150+ people that I had to prepare food for and then sing in the choir ....

Needless to say it was a long day ...but a good one !!!

My good friend Jason came down from Bham to spend the day and help out and with him he brought one of the greatest birthday gifts I have received so far in my 34 years ....THE COMPLETE SEASON OF THE WEST WING BOX SET!!!! Saying that I was suprised would be an understatement .....WOW man what a gift !!! He also brought me the Biltmore Pinot Noir wine and a youth game me the copy of the new Sinatra remastered CD.....these are for sure a few of my favorite things !!!!

My youth were SOOOO great at working the supper perhaps it was the knowledge that there was a special agent from the state watching over things ...LOL....

Anyway ...I got many many birthday greatings from all my great friends, family and youth and for that I am very grateful. I have a blessed life and I could not imagine walking through it without you all ....

THANKS ...and see YOU NEXT YEAR

It had to be snakes......

In the summer of 1981 my Aunt Pam and Uncle Jim took me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark. They also took my brother and cousin. I will never forget sitting in the Eastdale Mall Cinema 3(yes, there was only 3 at that time) with my aunt covering my eyes during the Well Of the Soul scenes and again at the end when the Ark is opened. Raiders is the first movie I can remember going to see at a theater. My parents took me to see Star Wars in 1977 but at 3 years old I dont recall that movie and I am sure I saw others between 1977 and 1981 but Raiders stands out.....
How many kids around my age went home and relived that movie?? Chased down nazis in our back yards or climbed down into our own Well of Souls.....I know I am a few years older than most of you out there that reads my blog but many of you did just that ...you became Indy.
I know there are one or two of you who went as Indiana Jones for Halloween.

On Wednesday of this week the fourth, and possibly last, installment of the Indiana Jones movies hit theaters across the nation. If you are a fan or just want to see a really good move then I have to recommend this one.
Its got everything you could want from Indy. Great references to past movies....Lots of loose strings are tied up but the main thing is its great to see an older Indy still doing what he does best ....Kick bad guys and girls asses !!!
It's a big jarring to hear Elvis Presley singing in an Indy movie since we are so used to him being in the 1930's but .....Its still a great movie.
Go see it ....Tomorrow ....Today ....Right now maybe ....

Eleanor Roosevelt went flying with Chief Anderson....

So the other day Stephanie wrote a short blog that mentioned Marion Anderson and how she was denied the right to sing at Constitution Hall in DC because it was segregated in the late 1930's. Eleanor Roosevelt arranged for her to sing from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and the world was awed by Mrs Andersons singing ability.

Eleanor Roosevelt was always trying to get her husband,Franklin D Rooselvelt, to be more aggressive towards civil rights. She was in favor of full intergration many many years before most people were comfortable with the idea.....

This brings me to the topic of my blog and Eleanor Roosevelt's weird connection to my family

In the late 1930s it was a common belief among many that blacks could not be taught to fly planes for the military. There were many "Negro Flight Schools" around the country but none gave out credentials that allowed the men to then fly in the military....

Letters were sent out to the White House asking that President Rooselvelt come down to Tuskegee Alabama and see first hand that not only could black men fly ...they could fly like white men . FDR decided against going but sent Eleanor Roosevelt instead...She went and flew with Chief Anderson(no relation to Marion Anderson). After she returned to DC she told her husband that he had to allow these men to fly in the army air corps and as a result the first military school to teach black men to fly fighter planes was established in Tuskegee Alabama .

In 1940 the school opened to its first cadets.

My grandfather was born and raised in rural Watauga County in North Carolina. He went to school in Boone and never had any real drive to move away. Then he needed a job.

He joined the army in the early fall of 1941 and since he had trained to be a pilot with his cousin the sent him into the Army Air Corps.

He was assigned to Macon Field in Tuskegee Alabama and spent the entire time of World War 2 in Tuskegee. He helped train the men who became known as THE BLACK AIRMEN. THE REDTAILS.

In the summer of 1942 he met Maude Godfrey they fell in love and were married in October of 1942. My Dad was born in 1945.

Ok...now bear with me ....but in some weird far out way... I am here today because of The Roosevelts. Eleanor to be exact.....If she had not come to Tuskegee,the flight school might never have happened, my grandad would not have moved here and met my grandmother, my dad would not have been born......etc etc etc ...

Not to mention that ER helped pave the way for future generations of men and women to be in the military.

Pretty cool I think ....

A Shared blueberry bagel........

It has been a nice day .......
First of all Nick and Laura's beautiful twin girls are doing really good and everyone is pleased with where they are right now ....Continue with the prayers ! Laura will be home soon and they can continue to get the house ready for those two little ones in a couple of weeks....

The day started early with breakfast at Panera bread.....I had a chance to have coffee and bagels with Nick, Brian, Stephanie and Asher. Of course I see Nick all the time and keep up with the others through Stephanies blog but it was so nice to actually sit at a table and see them in person. These are people I wish I had a chance to see more of....and a thanks to Stephanie for sharing the blueberry bagel!!

My day continued with me going to buy a new pair of flip flops. Question: Do you call them sandals or flip flops? I have always called them flip flops but others call them sandals....Anyway...
I went to The Shoe Dept and used my 20% off coupon to get a new pair of Rainbow flip flops....I wore them the rest of the day and MAN ARE THEY COMFORTABLE!!

My day continued from there with me getting a quick lunch at ChikFilA and then heading by the church for a little work. After that I went home,took a nap and ended my day by going to see the LAMP baseball team play for the state championship. They lost, but it was two really good games and LAMP will have a great team coming back next year.......and let me add that Paterson Field downtown is a DUMP.....WOW I was really suprised at the condition of the stadium. I was also suprised to see that there are only two bathrooms in the whole place for men!?!?!
Riverwalk Stadium puts this place to shame.....

Two Great Things .....
On Saturday May 17 an elderly member of my church will be travelling to Washington DC to visit the National World War 2 Memorial on the Mall. He is going with about 90 other men from across Alabama. They all fought overseas in WWII ,and for everyone this will be their first chance to see the memorial that was constructed to say THANK YOU for what they did in helping to save the world from oppression. These men are going for free. They have not paid one dime to board the plane and head to DC. The money was raised my school children and civic groups so that these folks could see the memorial. One 5th grade class in Prattville raised $11,000.00 by selling tshirts. I think this is a great thing being done and I wish every one well as they travel to DC.

On Thursday the Supreme Court of California decided that it was ok for two men or two women to get married in the state of California. This is the biggest state by far to decide that people, regardless of who they are, are entitled to equal protection under the law. Is that not what we all want ? To love who we want and have the chance to show that love by standing before family and friends and saying that yes we love each other and now FINALLY its legal. How much longer before the rest of USA gets on board with this.......

I am now off my Liberal soapbox ......Night

2 hours at IKEA ........

I always have a hard time deciding what to name each blog .....I dont think I am in the minority either when it comes to this. Perhaps others out there sit back and try to think of witty titles to place at the top of the page of their newest blogs...perhaps you go back an forth on names.....sometimes the title of our blogs take on a life all to themselves....I dont know but I usually find the title after I get to writing the blog itself.

For the past couple of months I have taken the approach of writing THEN naming my blog. I find a sentance or a phrase and place that at the top. If you are a fan of the West Wing ( if you are not then SHAME ON YOU) you will notice that during the run of the series they would often name each an episode after something said or mentioned during the show itself.

I like this idea ....and I have started doing the same ....anyway on with the show



I am back after a fairly long break from blogging and to be honest I am still not real sure what I want to talk about .....Lots going on in my life and the world but nothing that would warrent a long rambling blog.


Can Obama Win in November?

I would like to sit here and say HECK YES he can win ...no question about it . I really do think he has a great chance to be our next president. My concern is the pattern of how he has won during the primaries. In some states he has won by a HUGE margin and thats great but many of these states have high african-american populations. In other states where there is a huge white majority he has won but he has not carried the states like people would like to see him .

Hillary has made the observation that she has carried the big states like Pennsylvania,New York,California and New Jersey. She has also stated that in many states with higher concentrations of middle class/blue collar voters she has won and won big. Take West Virginia the other night .....she won BIG.

Is it a Black and White thing? I think that it's a part of it .....I was talking to a friend of mine in Georgia last weekend and he said he did not see Obama as a black man ....but I do. This does not make me racist it just makes me human and honest. I also see Hillary as a women and John McCain as an older white guy.

I think many people still see Obama as the black guy running for office and that being black is a good reason NOT to vote for him.
I am not voting for Obama because he is black , I am voting for him because he is the best choice in my eyes. But he is still a black man......and Hillary is a women ....I think you see the point.

Hillary will be the Veep I think .....Obama needs her on the ticket .

Of course I wish the candidates would annouce earlier who they want as a running mate ....

My buddy in Georgia also said that he rememberd hearing Jon Stewart saying something to the effect "he wants a President to be smarter than him ...not be his buddy and his pal" I agree with that ....

Speaking in friends in Georgia .....
I got to spend last weekend in Georgia and had a chance to see a good friend,Ryan. It was nice seeing Ryan and his friend Rick. We talked politics and had dinner then watched a movie.....It was a very realaxing evening.
I then got to go see my Nana on Saturday. To my suprise she is doing pretty damn good.....She is very thin but her mind is sharp and it was really nice to sit and talk.
My Nana is the reason I am a democrat. I used to sit and listen to her talk about politics and as a kid I learned alot about her ....She was happy to hear that I am voting for Obama!!
I then made a stop in Atlanta and spent 2 hours at the IKEA store.....WOW I really dig that store.

Talking Politics
Why is it hard to talk about politics with people? I mean, I can mention certain things around people and you can sense them tense up.....I LOVE talking politics with folks...
Whether you are a Repulican or Democrat....I dig talking. I dont like to argue but I love to talk.....I wish others were like this

Wednesday marked the 10 anniversary of the death of Francis Albert Sinatra. If you know me then you know I am a HUGE fan of Sinatra. He was not the best singer of his time but he was the best at making a song his own.....His phrasing and timing was unmatched. People are still trying to copy him. Michael Buble even has used the same arrangements of certain songs on his recent albums.
Sinatra also had incredible style...he gave millions to folks in need and never once did he ask for anything in return. He has his down side of course but ...Man what a talent!!

If you are one to pray then please keep Nick and Laura in your prayers as they continue to deal with being in the hospital and all the stuff that comes with being there.....I have a huge phobia of hospitals and this prevents me from being a good person about visiting folks who are sick. I went last week to see Laura and I had to leave ....my being nervous was not a good thing for her and the babies. BLECH ....
Also keep Luke and Jackie in your prayers as they travel to England and Wales for a vacation.



Nothing much else from me .....Maybe more tomorrow night

The Sahara is a big place .......

I am a LOST fan ....no denying that fact at all ...I plan my week around LOST. ABC has not done the fans right with moving the show around this year. To me that is the best way for fans to stop watching is to always move something around on ya ....
This past Thursday LOST returned after a month off and I will be honest .....I am one confused fan.
I have no idea anymore where this show is going .....there are new story lines and threads....New people are on the island and main characters are off the island. I mean Ben shows up in the Sahara Desert and then on to Tikrit ........ Its confusing for sure....
Here is the thing.....I am growing a bit weary of it all!! The show has stretched itself so far from where it orginally started I almost dont recognize it . I would love to have some questions answered about LOST. A few. Just to keep me and other fans happy. It has gotten to the point that there is so much to keep up with each week that it makes it almost not worth it.....
Whats a guy to do ?? Stop watching ?? Nah ...I cant do that but some answers had better be coming soon .......

Alicia Keyes....

I promise this post will not be much of a rant ....but instead just a replaying of my visit to the docs office Monday morning. My friends will tell you that I maybe go to the doctor too much...

I get a slight twinge in my shoulder and I head to PriMed. I cough and go to PriMed. I dont think I go too much but others say I do.....

I went today to my regular doctor for my yearly exam. The day started with me getting to the docs office at 8am. There was a note on the door that said "Office Closed on Fridays. We apologize. Please call office on Monday to make appointment"

I walked on in and was the only person in the waiting room. Typically It is packed ...even at this hour but today I was it ....A lady came in right behind me and asked if the office was open. It was . The problem was this ....it appears people were coming to the office and upon noticing the sign ....THEY LEFT !!! It seems that they did not check the door, did not ask anyone at the front desk in the building, did not notice that the sign said CLOSED ON FRIDAYS ?!?!!? ....WOW.

So I sign in and am told that Dr Sargeant is on his way from Jackson Hospital after dealing with an emergency. I am ok with delays ...just let me know .

The waiting room quickly fills up and I am the only white guy in a room full of nice black ladies. Then a 61 year old white guy comes in .....and the fun begins .

He is a talker ....I mean he really really liked to talk ....Thankfully I had taken a copy of DIXIELAND DELIGHT to read and was sitting in a far corner. He sat next to a lady and immediatly started chatting ...ABOUT ANYTHING!! He was of course loud enough to be heard by everyone ....This guy was bad in a waiting room I could not imgaine him on a plane.

He then got to talking about a lady singing on the TODAY show ....she was a popular black lady who sings....he made mention that she reminded him alot of Alicia Keyes and her style ...But Alicia Keyes had her beat....The lady on TV was good but no Alicia Keyes....Anyone out there wanna take a guess as to who was singing on the TODAY SHOW ??????? YUP ...Alicia Keyes!!

He then proceeded to tell a everyone in the room that he loved the Tyler Perry movies.....Diary of a Mad Black Women,Madeas Family Reunion,Madea Goes to Jail...etc. Anyway ....maybe it was just funny to me .....

TV,BOOKS and MORE...

I have become addicted to JOHN AND KATE PLUS 8 on TLC. Such an incredibly good show....If you are not watching then TiVo it and catch it sometime.

I finished the book JOHN ADAMS about two weeks and ago and for me it was a page turner. I could not put it down for the last 200 pages or so....A great read.

And speaking of John Adams ....the HBO miniseries wrapped up last night. It was based on the book I just finished and the show was great.

MY HEALTH

Many people have asked me about my recent health problems and todays checkup revealed that I have an enlarged heart. I have a stress test and an ultrasound image test of my heart next week to determine more about my heart "problem".

To say I am a little concerned about this would be a gross understatement. I will do my best to keep you all informed.

Thats it for now ....headed to the Mielkes to watch this weeks Bachelor .

46 Other States......

Have you ever broken the law ?
I think it would be a safe bet to assume that most of the readers out there have broken a few laws here and there.....I am guessing that we have likely all gone a tad bit over the speed limit. Perhaps you threw trash out once while on a long stretch of quiet deserted highway....maybe you cant help but jaywalk. I dont know what it is that you do but for me its beer. It is illegal in this great state of ours to brew my own beer. I brew my own beer and for that I could go to jail. I could be arrested for buying brewing supplies. It is a Class A misdemeanor with a punishment of up to a year in jail and a $2000.00 fine for each count. I could go to jail for a long time....
Here is the kicker ....What I do is legal in 46 other states. 46 OTHER STATES!!!!!
The law goes back to the era of prohibition. Its a stupid law and should be changed and the great guys at http://www.freethehops.org/ want to see to it that Alabamians can buy good beer.
No Bud Light or Natural light for these guys ...they would rather drink sand than let something like Miller Lite pass over their lips. I know Alabama has bigger fish to fry right now than to worry about passing a law changing the laws regarding beer in this state....but a man can dream.

Something is in the air.......

This is gonna be one of those posts that jumps all around .....Here Goes

Lane mentioned over on his blog that Spring is all around us ....Here in Montgomery all you have to do is look around and you see the evidence of springs beauty.
I love looking at the all the color around in the springtime....but my favorite is the dogwood tree.
It has such a beautiful color that contrasts so nicely with the dark green of the other trees and shrubs.....there is also a variety of dogwood that has pinkish/white blossoms .
Spring this year brings me to a point in my life where I am getting rid of stuff.......I have not gotten rid of any clothes,shoes etc in YEARS.
I got a trash bag and went to work .....tossing this and that and before long my closet and drawers were looking mighty bare. Here is the kicker though ...it felt so incredibly good to get rid of things . I had pajama bottoms that had holes in all THE WRONG places so they had to go ....Tshirts I remember buying but never wearing ....old pants.....shoes I had meant to get rid of at least two years ago . So, I kinda enjoyed this so after I was done with clothing items I turned my attention to my bookcases. I got rid of books. Not a ton but some that I knew I would never read again. It was harder tossing the books than anything else....I love my books. And speaking of books..... I dont understand how people have books but dont display them. I once had someone ask me why i kept all my books ....once they are read you can get rid of them. But to me books are part of who I am and could never imagine getting rid of a copy of Gone With the Wind (i have about 40 copys). Or maybe something by CS LEWIS, FAULKNER,BILL BRYSON...the list goes on. I have a love affair with books .....have for years.
I pulled maybe 15 books off the shelf to donate to the church book sale....but it was a hard 15.
All this tossing or giving away of items had a wonderful effect on me ....felt great to get rid of things....I felt new in many ways. I felt good.

AMERICAN (this show blows) Idol.
Have you seen AI this year ....I was really enjoying it on many different levels. Even though Mr Lucas tried to rain on my parade earlier, I have had a fun time watching and keeping up with my favorites. Well one of my favorites got booted last Thursday. Michael Johns has a really good voice and a great presence on the stage.....but guess what ?!?!? This show once again showed us that its a popularity contest .....Other less talented folks go on to the next week while He wonders WHAT THE FRIG....??? Just what I think anyway ...

Before I forget.... This area is expecting some low temps this week ...lower than we are normally used to at this time of the year. I welcome it ....August is right around the corner!!!!

Night and Happy Sunday

If you were gay.....

it would be ok......
Unless you are my dentist and his little hating helper. If any of you know me you know that for a long time I have been having problems with my teeth. Not just "oh, that tooth needs to be looked at " BUT " OH MY DEAR GOD PLEASE PULL THEM ALL NOW ".
As part of my new process of better tooth care I have decided not to put off getting things fixed...So after $1600.00 dollars in tooth care to repair a broken tooth,get a root canal then have a crown put on...I found myself at my dentist office again on Tuesday morning having two small cavities filled.
As I am sitting there in the chair and Dr. M starts working away and at some point while he was working on my teeth he started talking about gays...homosexuals if you will.
Perhaps something was mentioned on the Today show which was playing on the nice flat screen mounted on the wall. Perhaps it was a commercial about something that seemed "gay" I dont recall what got things going but here is what went down...
Dr M made a very audible grunt and said " I dont know why people cant just stay in their places" His helper chimes in and says "Yup"
For the benefit of not having to type alot the rest will follow in a script fashion ...something like this .......
Dr.M-I mean I am old fashioned and all.... but I get so sick of seeing them everywhere.
Helper-I know ....even in grocery stores!!
Dr. M-You can tell one when you see one .....they way they walk and all.
Tooth Worked on some ....
Dr M-I went to NYC with my Daughter a few years ago and she said "Dad,men work in stores up here selling perfume " Back when i was coming up Men worked mens jobs and women worked womens jobs....
Helper-My husband works with one and he is not like most gays....he is normal.

I will stop here and proceed with my venting .....NOT LIKE MOST GAYS? Dont get me wrong I get uncomfortable around many things ....loud people in restaurants,children crying in restaurants and yes very vocal gay people. or the sterotypical "gay" person ...it is a fault I have and continue to work on but for my dentist and his helper to sit there and talk they way they did without any knowledge as to who I am or what I stand for .....PISSED ME OFF!! Did they know that it makes me sick to see people discriminated based on how they live their lives.....Did they know that it burns me to my core to sit and imagine that someone would be denied something solely based on being WHO THEY ARE??????
They did not know if I have a brother who is gay , or a nephew or a cousin or a sister or an uncle. They dont know if my best friend is gay or if I have great friends living in Atlanta, Birmingham, and St Louis. ....Not to mention Montgomery who might possibly be gay. What if I was gay ?? What if you were gay ? What then ? UGH!!

Being gay does not MAKE these people who they are..... Being willing to drop whatever they are doing to come and be with friends at a moments notice. Sending you a card on the anniversary of your Dads death just to say they are thinking about you ....Working hard,raising families,going to church,taking vacations,spending holidays with family,travelling with friends. Being real people is who they are ...they just happen to be gay also .
People are entitled to their opinions ....I understand that and appreciate it when I can sit and talk to people about the issues that matter.
But to go into a dentist office at 8am on a Tuesday and have to listen to what borders on hate.....
Well ...it just makes me sick.
Not the kind of dentist I will be going back to .....
Anyway ....just my thoughts

Better to be hated for what one is than loved for what one is not .
Andre Gide.