Is it 2012 yet?"Now he must convince a disbelieving world that the nightmare has already begun ..."
paoguy118
read my profile
sign my guestbook

Visit paoguy118's Xanga Site!

Name: Miles, I prefer Lee
Country: United States
State: Tennessee
Metro: Nashville
Birthday: 7/27/1961
Gender: Male


Message: message me
AIM: paoguy118
Yahoo: macparks


Member Since: 2/22/2005
True

SubscriptionsSites I Read
Lilyofdavalley84
martindigesu
DearRicky
alexx87
SerenaDante
someone_to_love_you
Luvlystarr
so_far_away16
JeNeSaisQuoi86
momaroo@momaroo
Brittles27
mycontinuity
mrsprosa
Dennis1979
spicyhotcoffee
darkarin88
SingingMom
NightCometh
Grampa_David
BEAUTIFULCINNAMONQUEEN
Torri
achoba
dropsofjupiterihh
DearSnippie
Darn_it_danube
CiaoBella810
abn2739
datingish@datingish
casmarie
cokebottlefigure
AlterEgo909
PastorBlastor
BrittMiles27
bellflower5507
heycrystal2052
ShamelesslyRed
candymlynch
Mighty_Men_of_Valor
radicalramblings
SwordAndSacrifice
DANKNIGHT
BarelyJen
subarcticsuburbia
candylashes
antisoccermom
PASTORMASTOR
izakura
TiRocKiinPiinK
voyeur2
HersandHers
Opposite_Way
JandJinJapan
rhino153
immortalwithout
WiLD4SURFiNG
Chesschick01
They_Call_Me_Jane
revelife@revelife
do_it_on_a_beach
yearinthelife
ComplexedButterfly
yourusernamehere
epitomeof_aberrance
deep_deep_dark
LoveAlwaysMyStruggle
hannahtan528
justhopingnow
SaadiaOnline
oOBuBBLes711Oo
Starlight_Leigha
Complex_Simplicity_0705
TinyPinkPrincessT
ArafaxDeep
AvaAdore
Umnenga
swtcharmedlilnina
LesbianSoulChild
queenhannahray
SkyL1ght
december5591
resnovae
firstbaptist
oo0beautiful0oo
brownize221
Rxy25
LadyTerri
Pandoras_Pleasurz
Misses_A
pinkmojomama
Luv2BMama
Burly13
parentingpartner
Little_Lady27
waiting2xhale
DancinginDreams
StormieWeatherz
scifiknitter
flatpick46
TNuts
asrael_goldwing
Anoif_Fergussen
Dewaynes_Diva
BlueEyedTalaidh
Jesse4Jesus
kamomlisa
CynaraJane
TheTheologiansCafe
upw1
Sexuality_Unveiled
CandyDiamonds
soundtransit
Bapspal
blonde_apocalypse
TheWindCrashesAroundMe
TORIE1982
bda16981
this_shitisbananas77
DaBombMom2
Still_groovy
ApproachingDusk
sandeecb
daisywriter
Falling_inversely_from_hell
RunAwayCOW
perelandra29
ThaIncubus
cara_mia42
writehisword
Followingthenight
HalfaCent
l0st__with0ut__y0u
rightwinggirl33
totalnutcase
alwaystruggling
Gojake
spazlauren

Blogrings
Older than Dirt - Born before 1965
previous - random - next

Did you grow up in the 60's and 70's?
previous - random - next

George Bush fan Club
previous - random - next

Over 40? Write on!
previous - random - next

Christian Thinkers and Writers
previous - random - next

Former Independent fundamentalist Baptists
previous - random - next

Desert Vets for Truth!
previous - random - next


Posting Calendar

|<< oldest | newest >>|
view all weblog archives

Get Involved!

Suggest a link

Recommend to friend

Create a site


Sunday, November 29, 2009

Currently
Facing the Giants Dvd!
see related

A New Twist on Black Friday

I normally don't partake in the Black Friday festivities.

No, I've been Mr. Mom on this day caring for the children while my wife, sister and mother-in-law go out and battle the crowds. I have been quite content to stay home, cook the kids breakfast and get a head start on all those Christmas movies.

This year, things were different. Both my sister and mother had to work and my mother in law didn't feel well. The kids were with my folks so I thought I would call a few old friends and maybe watch a more mature of movie while my wife shopped.

Think again.

My wife said she thought it would be a good idea if I went with her. I could help her finish her shopping and make it easier on her during this hectic day.

I didn't commit myself. Frankly, I hoped she would just forget about it even though I was concerned with her being out there alone in the rush of shoppers.

My alarm clock went off at 3:15 a.m. I woke her, rolled over and went back to sleep.

I woke up a couple of hours later thinking she was waiting for me downstairs. She had gone on without me.

I already was starting to feel guilty. It didn't help when I turned on the local news to discover that a local woman had been trampled when a Toys R Us had opened at midnight.

"Hey baby," I said as I called her on the cell. "Where are you?"

She gave me her location and I was off. However, it was not before getting an earful from my mother in law. She wanted my wife to get her something so I told her she would call in once I met up with her.

While the stores were crowded, it was not the madness I had expected. My wife had knocked several items off of our Christmas list, and my first order of business was to wait in a line at Office Depot.

We then hit another shop. It stood in the shadow of Governor's Square Mall, our city's biggest shopping complex. I knew that was our next destination.

I couldn't even find a place to park so I walked to the mall. It wasn't far and I knew I could use the exercise.

The mall was packed. We kept walking into a bunch of stores only to have my wife say we didn't have the money to buy anything in each of them so we quickly walked out. I finally suggested that we save ourselves the trouble and just walk by the stores.

Yeah, I got quite a glare from my wife. However, I could tell she was starting to tire. I also learned that she had skipped breakfast.

Chic-Fil-A didn't have terribly long lines so I ordered her favorite combo. We had a few relative quiet moments to talk and plan our strategy for the rest of the morning.

After the mall, I waited in a long line at Toys R Us. I was kind of upset that they had sold out of one of the games I wanted, but I did find a couple of things there to help whittle our list down further.

I got home early in the afternoon. I was glad to be out of the crowd and my wife went back out a short time later with my mother in law.

All in all, it wasn't a bad experience. I would like to go back to our old routine next year, though.


Friday, November 27, 2009

Currently
Star Trek (Single-Disc Edition)
By Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto
see related

That Awful Place

I had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

 

We had one of the best spreads at our house that I’ve ever seen. We had a smoked turkey, baked ham, stewed beef and some great side dishes and deserts.

 

It was the first time we had hosted the big meal in our new house and we had 16 people on hand. It was a very nice time.

 

I sat at a table with my folks and my Aunt and Uncle. We discussed how badly our president is running the nation, and my Aunt and Uncle are convinced that Sarah Palin is our saviour.

 

"I admire Sarah as much as ya'll do," I said. "However, I can't seriously consider her for another office after she left the state of Alaska like she did. She broke her promise to the people."

 

I assured him that there were plenty of good Republicans left to end the madness. I suggested we all start praying now that God would annoint somebody to defeat Barack Obama in 2012.

 

My biggest challenge was holding my tongue. We are having issues now with both my niece and nephew.

 

My nephew is still hell bent on going to Pensacola Christian College, a “Christian” college based in Florida that both my wife and my sister in law attended. While my wife was repudiated the school and its mean-spirited form of Christianity, my sister in law is still loyal to this college.

 

Between her and my nephew’s Christian day school, they have convinced him this is the place he should go to college. We’ve tried to tell him about the school’s many flaws: it’s harsh disciplinary system and antiquated rules, its lack of accreditation and academic mediocrity and the difficulty many of its alumni have in landing jobs.

 

Even my Pop is onboard. He has stated his belief that this young man go elsewhere to college.

 

Then, there’s my niece. Her boyfriend came back from Iraq earlier in the fall and they are now planning a spring marriage.

 

She’s 18 years old and in her second year of college. My sister has begged them to wait. He’s not a bad kid, but we all think she can do better especially since he has no visible way to support himself let alone a family.

 

Pop sat them down a few days ago. He said it was nothing personal, but our family had real concerns about their pending marriage.

 

In true Pop style, he said they should abstain prior to marriage, get premarital counseling and find a church home. He also told the groom that despite his advanced age he would come after him if he mistreated his first-born granddaughter.

 

Since the would-be groom is a fellow Guardsman, I had planned to pull him aside yesterday and talk to him. I was going to be nice about it, but I wanted to let him know that I didn’t believe either of them were ready for marriage, especially him.

 

I had to shelve my plans for a speech, though. My sister asked that we not bring it up. It seems the happy couple had talked about being no-shows to avoid a confrontation.

 

Therefore, I promised them there would not be one. I said very little to them and bit my tongue.

 

I couldn’t be totally behaved, though. I at least had to say one thing to my nephew.

 

We had retired upstairs after the meal to watch football. I asked him if he enjoyed the feast and the company.

 

Of course, he said yes. I then had to slip in a reminder.

 

“You realize that you’re going to miss the next four Thanksgivings with your family,” I said. “Your Thanksgiving will consist of a church service, a soccer game and a cafeteria-style meal on campus.”

 

One of PCC’s bizarre rules is that it has class the day after Thanksgiving and it’s a no-cut day. Unless students live in the Pensacola area, they must spend this wonderful family holiday on campus.

 

He just sighed and looked down. I saw I wasn’t going to get any more support so I let the subject drop.

 

I was glad to at least have gotten a word in. My wife wasn’t pleased with me afterwards, but she understands my zeal.

 

I just hope he’s with us next Thanksgiving. It will take a lot of the fun out of next year knowing he’s in that awful place.


Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Currently
Monsoon
By Little River Band
see related

Here We Go Again

I can't believe we are already discussing this issue again.

If you've read my blog for a while then you know what a drama it is whenever we have our national meeting. We had our past two meetings in Las Vegas in 2007 and 2008 and were slated to have one there this year until budget cuts spoiled the show.

I took my family with me both times. It was pretty expensive, but we all had a good time. My kids loved Las Vegas, and I fulfilled a promise to my oldest daughter in 2005 that I would not return there without her.

It seems now that another is in the works. I just got the word a couple of weeks ago and the speculation is that it's between Orlando and Las Vegas.

When asked my preference, I said simply that I didn't mind. I always have a good time when we get my colleagues together from around the country and get to swap notes, tell stories and recall the good times.

I passed that on to my wife and she was livid. Her reaction surprised me.

"You didn't say you wanted to go to Orlando?" she fired. "Go back tomorrow and tell your friend you vote for Orlando."

I reminded her what a logistical feat it would be to put three kids, a mother in law and a bunch of luggage in our minivan. However, the enticement of Florida and our first trip to Disney World since 1998 would be well worth it, she said.

I assured my wife that I would do what I could to lobby for a Florida destination. However, we're not telling the kids.

We didn't tell them this year since our big vacation depleted all of our recreational funds. I was going to go to Las Vegas alone and that would have been tough.

I'll never forget Thanksgiving two years ago when my Little Guy raised eyebrows. He was helping say the blessing on the food when he asked God to let us go back to Las Vegas.

For months, he beseeched the Lord for a return trip. I told him it was unlikely, but he kept on praying. Sure enough, we went back to Las Vegas and he was delighted.

We should know in the next month. I did share the information with my oldest daughter. She said I should tell the Little Guy.

"Maybe he can get God to help us go to Disney World," she said.

We both laughed, but I don't doubt it. It looks like I've got to start saving my money for Disney World either way.

I'm just dreading that nine-hour drive already. A three-hour flight Vegas doesn't look so bad compared to that.


Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Currently
Together Through Life
By Bob Dylan
see related

An Unlucky Lucky Guy

Have you ever felt lucky yet unlucky at the same time?
 
I did a few days back. Here I was right in the midst of work only to get a call on my cell phone.
 
I wasn’t sure who was calling, but I noticed it was a local number so I picked up the call.  It was one of our local radio personalities. I recognized his voice immediately as he told me I had won Titans’ tickets for the next Sunday.
 
“Great,” I said happily. “I’ll ask my wife to come by and pick them up.”
 
My glee soon met the cold reality of the situation. I realized that I had to work that Sunday.
 
My mind began clicking. I thought about maybe cutting out early or ways I could get somebody else do it. Alas, I finally figured out there was no way I was going to get to use these wonderful Titans’ tickets.
 
After going 0-6, the Titans had won a couple of games and gotten people’s hopes up again. One of my old college buddies is a Bills’ fan and I knew I could get him to go with me.
 
Still, I was the only one in my shop in town that weekend. There was no way I could get out of it without something dropping off.
 
I sighed when the realization hit me. The worst part is that it’s not the first time it’s happened.
 
Several months earlier, I had gotten a similar call. This time, I had won tickets to see the Atlanta Braves.  I felt the same kind of excitement until I realized that on this particular weekend stand I would be doing my thing with the National Guard.
 
So, the thrill of the game was gone. The energy of the ballpark, the taste of a ballpark hotdog and the thrill of just being in Atlanta would not happen. All these images danced in my mind and they were quickly dispatched with the realization I would wake up at 5 a.m. don my Army Combat Uniform.
 
Having done this since 1986, you get used to missing things. Drill weekend will always, always come on a weekend when there’s lots going on and plenty of other things to do. It's part of the price you pay.
 
This time, it wasn’t even drill weekend.
 
The consolation I did get was being able to give the tickets to a young soldier and his family where the wife was a Bills’ fan. Of course, the Bills got walloped and their coach was fired a couple of days later, but they still got to see their team play. This made me happy.
 
Maybe my time will come later on. Maybe I can get lucky and then get really lucky.
 
I need to get lucky again this week. They are giving away $25 coupons off of hams. I won one a few years back and my wife was very happy.
 
Oh, but I can’t win more one contest in a month. Nuts! 


Monday, November 09, 2009

Currently
The Best of Semisonic: 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection
By Semisonic
see related

A One-Girl Reception Committee

I expected to slip into the house quietly, grab a quick bite and then go up to catch a little football before bed.

It was a teaching night and I was getting home later than usual.  I quietly opened the door and got a surprise in the form of my 3-year-old girl.

It startled me at first.  I looked up and there she was standing there expectantly.

She appeared to be the only one in the house who was awake.  Of course, I was concerned thinking about all the trouble an unsupervised girl that age could get into downstairs.

“Hi Daddy!” she said happily.

“What are you doing here?” I demanded.  I instantly felt badly as I saw disappointment and hurt swell up in her face.

“I just wanted to see you when you got home Daddy,” she said softly. “I wanna peanut butter sandwich too.”

I swept her up in my arms and gave her a kiss.  My teaching days are long, often arduous 14-hour affairs, but I should never be too tired to accept a little girl’s love.

Besides, this girl has always been a night owl.  She doesn’t need much of an excuse to stay up late most nights since she doesn’t have school and can sleep in the next day.

We both had a late dinner together.  I couldn’t help but ask her why she wasn’t upstairs sleeping with her brother and her mother.

“Daddy, I couldn’t go to sleep without kissing you good night,” she said.

I felt like even more of a heel now.  What could I have done to deserve such unconditional love? We finished up and I took her upstairs.

My wife was stirring and she saw us come into the room. She raised herself up and looked at us sleepily.

“Look, I had a one-girl reception committee,” I told my wife.

She called my Baby Girl’s name out.  However, she was tired.  She had a long day too so I let her go back to sleep.

The next morning, my wife said she was a bit aggravated that she had crawled out of bed and gone downstairs.  However, she's always been a night owl and we'll have to be mindful of that in the future.

We cuddled up together on the couch and watched a little Monday Night Football.  As she lay in arms finally giving way to sleep, I thought about what a miracle she was and how we were so blessed to have her.  I thought once again of my three-day trek to get home from Iraq in time for her birth, and how holding her that first time made it worth all the effort and aggravation.

I had papers to grade and there were dishes to be done downstairs.  However, I took a few moments just to relish this time.  I know it won’t always be this way, but I’ll always have this memory.



Next 5 >>