We've gotten a lot of rain in the past day and a half.  We needed it.  Things were very dry last summer.  Rivers became trickles, reservoirs mud beds, things like that.  Things got so dry that people began having prayer meetings to ask for rain.  I believe in prayer.  Over the summer someone sent me an email with copies of letters written by children discussing their prayers with God.  The funniest one to me was: Dear God, I am thankful for the little brother that you sent me but what I asked for was a puppy. Love, Susie.
During a spare moment, I invented a font tonight.  In the morning, I'm going to run it by our brilliant draftsman to see if we're on to something.  Wielding power through copy brigands from coast to coast, inspiring the unbalanced to shift upright, addicting bloggers to a neuron popping symbol system, things like that.

debit

In control or out of it, doing the right thing should always be done, whether or not anyone will ever find out that you did or didn't do it. Every week, sometimes daily, a certain female keeps telling me what a liar I am. I'm not going to claim that I did the right thing and I'm not going to accept that I am a liar. As diligently as I have attempted to reject the wholesale acceptance of society's inertia, I realize that there are times when I have to simply accept something as being true, even though I can't prove it at the moment. I'm not perfect and I love goofing off, but I don't go through this world trying to deceive people. What is the right thing? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

45-42

It rained all night before "the Game." They asked and we wondered who would benefit the most from the rain. Their game was passing, our's running. They tried to say that we would benefit from the rain. I told that them that it would slow down the speed of our defensive ends, but I did believe that it would benefit our running game. It continued to rain off and on during the morning. Fortunately, it didn't turn cold. The rain began falling harder during the second quarter. Our hopes of winning for the first time in eight games began to fall as well. At halftime, we trailed 28-12. Our defense could not slow down their SEC leading quarterback. It didn't look good for the gold and white. To start the third quarter, their kicker kicked off out of bounds. We lined up at the 40 yard line and ran a toss sweep for 60 yards. That was how it began. We ruled the third quarter scoring 26 points and overcoming a 16-point defecit to enter the fourth quarter with a ten point lead.
We won by three, ended a seven game losing streak to our in-state rivals, and finished the season 9-3. We began the season ranked 80th in a Sports Illustrated preseason poll. Our in-state rival began the season ranked 1st. We entered the last game of the season with 16 of our 22 starters as freshmen or sophomores. We have the best coach in the nation.

"we had joy we had fun"

I'm a year older but not one lick smarter. Whew, what a crazy year it's been. Earlier this evening, I watched a Bio.com video on Henry Ford. It's interesting to think about how a certain mind at a certain point in time can influence civilization to such a huge extent. I guess what made me choose to watch something about Ford was the possible end of Ford Motor Company. Maybe in a few months, we'll drive (or crawl) to a Buddy Motor dealership to purchase a Buddy. "Everybody needs a Buddy." Of course, it's not even going to matter that gas is $.10 a gallon because no one's going to have any money. We're all going to be cooking squirrels in our backyards or growing potatoes.

is

Life is good!

richer and naked

Time is the mirror into which you stare. That's what Robert Penn Warren called it. Who the heck am I to disagree with such a brilliant human being? My spin on the whole can of oysters is that Time is a paradox. Time takes you to where you want to be while simultaneously taking you away from where you want to be. 2 1 3 will regulate Teens want to be older and twenty's want to be richer and thirty's don't know what they want and forties just want to get naked and fifties want to be younger and if you're extremely fortunate you'll consider yourself extremely fortunate to have someone you can love. How did suck become such a negative verb? It's just odd that the lines aren't longer for honey. Alas, people have things to do. Xboxing, playstationing, spouting off political persiflage, mowing, trimmin', designing tacky clothing and hats, photographing celebs, fudgin' about their age, fudgin' about their weight, and stranding shopping carts no where near the cart alley. Yeah, blogging too.
Count me extremely fortunately.
I love you, Gorgeous.

question

I thought about life and beauty
I thought about you and your eyes
I thought about land and water
I thought about rainbows and dreams
I thought about the sky and eternity
I thought about the question:
Will you marry me?

zing

Peace screams from the abandoned boulevards and desolate avenues, larynx bloody. The power to be human is stolen daily. The poor ignore themselves hourly. The rich kill themselves religiously. It's beyond sad and way past time to walk down another path. The economy is good and the harvest is high. There is no good reason to sink teeth into other than the irrational belief that bigger is better and decisions are best left to the institution. Stronger is better and strength requires a decision and hard work. Waving flags and slinging slogans are merely hand jobs for the fear in our hearts. Peace is strength. Stand up, dadgumit.

She makes my body zing, my mind ring, and my soul sing. By her side is where I want to be forever.
I love you, Gorgeous.

Savannah

I had forgotten how beautiful Savannah was. Naturally it was crowded for the weekend of the Fourth. We didn't have a problem finding a room though. Parking was tricky. Once we got parked Friday evening we walked a two blocks to River Street and got on the waiting list to eat at the Cotton Exchange. We stood on River Street to wait for a table to become available. While waiting we watched the fireworks. We had a fantastic view. Seeing the fireworks light up the sky over the river was really beautiful. The food wasn't too good and I doubt that I'll ever eat there again. Fortunately, there's a wide variety of restaurants to choose from along River Street.
On Saturday we looked at antiques and a wide variety of "stuff" for sale at all the shoppes along River Street. It seemed like we went into a hundred different stores. I enjoyed every minute of it though. When I'm with Gorgeous, everything is beautiful. It started raining like crazy while we were "plundering" the shoppes. Lightening flashing, thunder smashing, and us two lovebirds just as happy as could be.
She laughed until her body shook. From ear to ear her lips spread and her teeth shined and the sound of her laughter filled my ears and heart. Time with Gorgeous is beyond the best dream that I could ever imagine. Despite good advice to the contrary, I do believe that we'll be married within the next weeks. What's the rush? Why wait? It's right and the time is now. Know your time. Own it.
I love you, Gorgeous!

you crazy diamond

As I said several posts ago, we looked at diamond rings a week after we met. Gorgeous fell in love with one of the first ones that she saw. I loved it too. It looked fantastic on her. We had a misunderstanding over that and she said that she wanted me to get one that was less expensive. I'm not, but to humor her we looked at estate rings at a pawn shop yesterday. The lady behind the counter was very knowledgeable. The second ring that she showed us was ten thousand american dollars. Time stood still in my little, disbelieving heart. I didn't like the way the ring looked and neither did Gorgeous but the fact that they had a ring that expensive at a pawn shop/estate jewelry store was quite an eye opener. Whoa.
We're going away for the weekend. Her son is spending the weekend with his dad. We're going to the ocean. Whew. It's going to be a fantastic weekend. It amazes me how compatible we are. Whether we're cleaning, shopping for groceries, plundering the Goodwill, watching a movie, licking each other, discussing theology, collecting receipts, people watching, just whatever, there's no place that I would rather be than with her. People get on to us for our public displays of affection. Teens are getting hooked on meth, husbands are beating their wives, politicians are selling and stealing our votes and our future, and people are running red lights left and right, and people have problems with our love. Let it ring... Happy Fourth of July!

come on people now
smile on your brother

oops

We had our first misunderstanding. It lasted less than twenty-four hours but it was heart-wrenching. We made it through it though. Things were different for several hours and I thought that we weren't ever going to get back to the way it was. Everything is good now. I've got a plan in motion that I should have started last Thursday. Things are really good now but they are going to be fantastic by next weekend. I can't say anything else about it now, but I can't wait to write all this down.
It is a beautiful day.
Peace and Love. Everything else is small stuff.

abandoned

Fernbank might be plan B. The Georgia Aquarium has vaulted to the top of the go list. The dam tour was abandoned because they discontinued the tours several years ago. Instead, we cleaned internal combustion machines. We also gained another boy. Gorgeous told me that one day a young boy just wandered down the road from his house to stay at hers. Apparently, his mother is on drugs on pretty heavy and isn't capable of looking after him. Occasionally, his grandmother will pick him and keep him for a week or so. Yesterday we were sitting on the porch and his grandmother drove by to drop him off. She had called beforehand to make sure someone was at home. So basically, Gorgeous has reared an extra boy since he was a toddler. Gorgeous has a huge heart and it's made of gold. Last night we ate blt's and talked about the future, love, and sex. It's all good.

get a girl inside your head
get out of the way
write yourself a postcard
when there's nothing left to say -furs

tragic

When I was a kid my parents would take my brother and me to Six Flags instead of the county fair. It was a sweet deal. The fair never had anything to compare with the Flags. I spoke with my parents this morning about my recent Six Flags visit on Friday. They told me that a young boy had climbed over a fence in a restricted area and got his head cut off by a roller coaster on Saturday, the day after we had gone to the Flags. Story here. It is terrible to imagine the devastation that that boy's family is going through.
I've got the week off but no major travel plans. We might go tour a dam today but the plans are sketchy. Tomorrow we're going to drop down to Atlanta to visit Fernbank. Fernbank has giganotosaurus, the world's largest meat-eating dinosaur. Now who wouldn't want to see that. It's great having a family. We're not officially a family yet. We'll be married soon enough though. Yesterday we went to see Wall-E. It's a funny movie.

six flags

Today we go to Six Flags. Her son suggested we go. I love Six Flags. I've been plenty of times by myself. This will be the first time that I've had a family in tow. It's unique; the forty-five year old bachelor gets an instant family. She says that she thinks I'll be a good dad. She's just saying that because she wants my body so bad, but it's still good to hear. I'll drive out to her house in about an hour. Last night her son was "very excited." He went once before when he was very young. This will be his first time that he will remember. He talked about it all day yesterday. He cooked us pancakes yesterday. Not bad for a ten year old. He's a beautiful kid, full of energy and curiosity, and a lifetime us experiences that no kid should have to endure. He's started to imitate me. That's new and strange and funny to me.
We've only known each other for two weeks tomorrow. It's fast and exciting and right. There's a slight possibility that we might get married next weekend. Yep, crazy. There's only one way to live life. No mater how cautious and prudent one moves through life, there will always be regrets. Just go, baby! Last night, she whipped up a salad for us. Watching her move in that kitchen ignited my heart and excited my body. She doesn't fit many categorized definitions and each moment is a door into new experiences. She's got a fire that makes all the others seem dull and unfocused. Her wit is sharp and quick. It's fantastic being with her and I can't get enough, even with a ten year old crawling all over me.

good strange

Golly, life is beautiful. My girl rocks like thunder, smiles like lightening, and sings like an angel. She's the rivers and trees across my landscape memory. She's Occam's razor cutting deep across my every action. There's no time to waste and no waste to deal at America's flea market experience. My Supergirl, my Wonder Woman, my free-spirited hippie-chic, my karate Mom living clear and waking populations by the hour. Hearing her laughter is similar to the experience felt when tasting hand picked blackberries in the woods behind my great-grandmother's house. Yeah, my girl is primed, primal, and pure. One ounce of her and I was addicted. One hour away from her and I'm jonesing serious. I think of her and smile from ear to ear while strange things happen to my body. It's a good strange. Yep.
Her best friend advised her that we should have a fight before we get married. We tried to think of something to fight about. We came up empty.
I love you, Gorgeous.

the edge

I just kept believing that somewhere, somehow, there was someone on this green earth who loved life more than money and truth more than ritual who could love me and whom I could love without being related to me by blood. Family is enough to get through this life, yet it seemed the possibility for wonderful with another such human being was a slight enough dream that I never stopped believing in it to keep waking up alive. I walked right up to the edge of not believing to a place where I wouldn't ever wake up again. Right there at the edge, when hope was beginning to unravel, becoming less than a thread, our eyes met and looked upon one another with a disbelieving curiosity that we had actually found that one human being we were reluctantly, slowly beginning to quite believing existed.
Walking a path that screamed insanity, I woke up one morning still believing that another day would be worth living and that my wealth, my ability to see beauty, could sustain me through a few more spins on this green earth. We found each other in the nick of time. As thin as that moment was, it will always be the best moment of my life. It was only nine earth days ago and I just had the best weekend of my life. She takes my breath away and gives it back again better than it was before. We ate delicious food, skinny dipped in a state park, rescued a turtle, laughed like the insane, saw the perfect diamond ring, looked deeply into our souls, and never took our hands off one another for very long. She loves me, I love her and everything in life is more than it was ten days ago.
Never, ever, ever give up.
I love you, Gorgeous.
Together we've fallen over the edge and the rush of the air past our mouths and eyes is exhilarating.

bananas foster

The evening air was sweet. We ate a delicious tomato soup with a fancy name that I can't remember, tenderloin appetizer with champagne applesauce, mountain trout accented with almond and bananas foster for desert. The meal was truly scrumptious. She was splendid and beautiful and engaging. She called her silky black dress a "hippie" dress. Her eyes have a sparkle when she smiles that will always own my heart. She told me about a young girl who she pulled from the bottom of a pool who wasn't breathing and how she breathed into the young girl's mouth to bring her back.
pause

learning

She told me tonight that she was going to teach me how to kiss. I've never been the best student. I have to go over things over and over and over and over again very slowly. My little body's percolating with a hurricane backdrop and a tsunami vista over all those little things that I don't understand so well. She's the pantheon of nature goddesses that we all see when we skinny dip in rivers and creeks on this green earth. Slightly tilted, laughing eyes, multi-colored hair, toe rings, hips made for rockin and lips made for lockin. She's as country as the moon over a hayfield. A cave boy's dream. Her cheeks are unique and prominent, her smile sparkles brighter than Connecticut handcuffs. Study hard.

when she smiles

Two Fridays ago, I met a female on a river. It would be more accurate to say that I spotted a female on a river. She was wearing a cowboy hat and a green bikini. She and some friends frolicked on the water and they were a delight to watch. Something about her fascinated me. She was smooth without pretense, calm without distance, Beauty in every sense of my imagination. In the past, I had contemplated the existence of such a female. While I believed that such a female existed, I doubted that the opportunity to interact with her would ever be a reality. Our first encounter on that specific Friday was very brief. I went back to the same place one week and one day later. She was wearing an orange baseball cap this time that said something about bass fishing. She watched me eat a steak and some shrimp. I told her about my name that made her laugh. She told me about her three sons. She told me about her grief over losing one of them. I told her about working out and riding a bicycle. She told me about how long it had been since she had dated. I asked her for a date. She laughed some more about my name. She hugged me. Life makes sense. The universe has meaning and everything is cool.

goofy

Watched The Happening, last night. The beginning was interesting, but despite two fantastic performances by Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel, the movie just didn't have enough of a storyline to make it enjoyable.

Rode nine miles on a bike out to the state park this morning.

A somewhat funny thing happened at work yesterday. At break time, one of the workers looked out of the plant and saw guy run out of the woods with his arms full of something. Last week, a guy had been caught attempting to steal some tools from our plant. We thought there might be a connection and immediately called the police about the "guy in the woods."

I'm not feeling goofy right now and that's very troubling. Feeling goofy is a comfortable and exciting way to feel and when I'm not in it, it just seems like something is wrong.

WCWS 2008

Whew. What a bunch of great athletes. The NCAA softball tournament and WCWS was a delight to watch, even if it was only through a television. Nothing makes you feel more alive than competing in a sporting event. Watching Division I athletes compete against each other can be very exciting. The objective in most sporting events is to win. That's a good thing. Of course, a lot of fantastic performances can be experienced in losing efforts. My heart went out to Angela Tincher as her Virginia Tech Hokies were defeated in a grueling nine inning battle with #1 Florida. Florida has a bunch of talented players and most of that talent is young. Another great competitor who finished her collegiate career is Taryne Mowatt from Arizona. Mowatt played on two national championship teams during her career. If you mention competitor, better include Megan Gibson from Texas A&M. She did so much to get A&M into the championship game. On the way, she was named Big 12 pitcher of the year and player of the year. Unfortunately for A&M, Arizona State was between them and a national championship. I've mentioned State several times this season: here, here, here, and here.
Arizona State defeated Texas A&M in two games to claim the national softball championship. Katie Burkhart was just too strong for the A&M batters, giving up just six hits and recording 24 strike outs in two games. Though Arizona State will lose five seniors, including Burkhart, they have some power returning in Krista Donnenwirth and Caitlin Cochran. In game one, Donnenwith got 3 rbi's and a home run. In game two, Cochran hit a three run homer in the fifth inning that broke A&M's back.
game one
Arizona State 3-0

game two
Arizona State 11-0

disc

Hi. We talked a day or two ago. I'll get all the photos on a disc to give to you next weekend. I'm not a professional so it might not be something that you like.

http://pinetreeswatermelons.blogspot.com/2007/05/kayakayaka.html

http://pinetreeswatermelons.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-dont-know.html

The web based massive, multi-player online, role-playing game, Goal Line Blitz has been a lot of fun. My player is on the Phoenix United. It's a cpu team in the developmental league. Currently, I'm at level 6. Eventually my player will get a contract offer from a human owned team. I'll have to play in the developmental one more season to reach a level high enough to play for a non-developmental team. We went undefeated through the regular season.

Los Angeles Vampires 16-0
Honolulu Flames 20-17
Austin Falcons 17-14
Boise Samurai 17-6
San Diego Lizards 23-7
Tulsa Elves 36-3
Rochester Terror 24-10

The playoffs begin today. Another season starts in about ten days.

http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=12146773

every

I just disappeared over the weekend, watched some softball on ESPN and drifted. The Big Gun is really sick and things aren't getting better. Though inevitable, getting old isn't a good thing. Time can connect a human being with experiences that are worthwhile and all that but too much of it takes a high toll. Time always wins. Enjoy the moment. No matter how much paper we accumulate, words we read, bodies we lick, water we dip, or fires we start, we all know there's an end to it all. Bummer. There's really no reason to be practical at all. Every day should be a vicious fight for the moment; anything else is just a waste of time. Time isn't a dimension to be controlled. I wish it was quittin' time. Every second is "quittin' time." Every second is "gut check" time. Every second is winning time, losing time, mental time, emotional, spiritual, whatever.

Finalist

She's the first female from her high school to sign with a Division I program in any sport.
Was offered only one scholarship to play college softball.
Lead her collegiate to their first appearances in the NCAA softball tournament and the WCWS.
Was one of eleven finalists for National Player of the Year in 2007
Is one of three finalists for National Player of the Year in 2008

Stats to date:
148 starts
123 wins
2121 strikeouts

Angela Tincher has had an incredible career with Virginia Tech. This past season, she no-hit Team USA, ending a 185 game winning streak in exhibition games with a 1-0 Virginia Tech victory.
Held Michigan to three runs in three games in the Super Regional at Ann Arbor.

Wildcats vs. Sooners

Arizona played Oklahoma yesterday in the beginning round of the NCAA super regional softball tournament. It was one of the best games that I've ever seen. Oklahoma tagged Taryne Mowatt for a home run with their lead off hitter in the first inning. Mowatt shut down the Sooners the rest of the game. The Sooners went 1 for 24 after their lead hitter, Amber Flores scored their only run of the game. Mowatt struck out 13 Sooners. The wind was fierce during the whole game. Arizona's left fielder, Brittany Lastrapes misplayed a fly that hit her glove before she dropped it. Oklahoma's left fielder, Hayley Anderson made a beautiful, full stride catch in the bottom of the third or fourth. After that, Savannah Long, Oklahoma's shortstop made a leaping catch to steal a base hit. With a runner on second, Mowatt struck-out Flores. Callista Balko, Arizona's catcher dropped the pitch. Flores made a dash toward first. Balko checked the runner at second, then fired the ball down to first with her cannon arm. The ball hit Flores in the back of the head. Flores was called out for running inside the base line. Lastrapes scored twice, one of a home run, and Jenae hit a homer in the fifth. Arizona won 3-1.

already

Can you believe it's already Wednesday? Can you believe gas will be four dollars the next time that you blink your eyes? Can you believe the school year's about to end? Can you believe that we've still got six more months in presidential race? Can you believe we're down to the Sweet Sixteen in NCAA softball? Can you believe how magical it is to experience life?

It was a really good weekend. Weighed in at 179 lbs. on Saturday. Had a kayak trip and watched Prince Caspian. Great movie. Apollo had told me about this really good grill, so I walked uptown and ate there early Saturday evening. Steak and shrimp. Excellent. I hope to eat there some more. Another busy week ahead.

good days

65 degrees fahrenheit at 10:30 am. Perfect. The sun is warm and the air is sweet. Went out to eat last night. Oysters on the half shell, broiled shrimp, and grilled chicken salad. The oysters were flat, but the shrimp were scrumptious. Got my first seat belt ticket. Twenty-five american dollars. The policeman was really cool because he could have given me a speeding ticket.
Had a beautiful conversation with a truly beautiful human being yesterday. Got a haircut yesterday as well. What a good day. Already had a pretty good workout with Apollo this morning. If I can just work in a kayak trip and a viewing of Prince Caspian, it'll be a terrific day.
I think it all got started on Wednesday at the grocery store. My two favorite check-out girls were working. They're both very physically attractive and they both work hard. As I was checking out, the young woman being rung up in the next lane said,
"Didn't you used to substitute teach?"
"Yes."
"I was one of your students. You were a good substitute."
"Thanks." I have a huge ego, but I'm constantly working on keeping it in check by doing stupid things. It did make me feel good being complimented in the grocery store. Now I'm going to go out and compliment some people.

Goal line blitz American Football MMORPG

If you enjoy football, take a look at this website: here. If you have a few minutes, follow this link: http://goallineblitz.com/game/signup.pl?ref=12146773

I know it's springtime and not exactly football season but if you sign up, which is for free, and create a player it will give me 850 flex points. Once you create a player, the league automatically simulates games and you can watch the progress of your player through a season. Each season lasts 40 days. Thanks.

la la la la

i don't know

I don't know what the world will see
Here is where the earth is free

mini-human

When I was five years old, my parents bought a Victorian house that was slipping calmly toward dilapidation. Even after we moved in, big rugged men would come to the house early in the morning and begin sawing and hammering away. It irritated me. Being the thinker that I am, they disturbed my thoughts. It was fun when they left, though. Then I was free to rearrange the saw horses and random lumber to my perfect clubhouse scheme. Apollo wasn't much bigger than a football, so I was free to roam around on my on. The ceilings were so high that I could yell and hear the hint of an echo. I don't think Mom ever understood how much fun that was for me despite my efforts to demonstrate. It beat the heck out of watching Apollo eat. That image might be attached to my first memory of vomiting. Baby food doesn't have the best smell in the world. Take a couple of spoonfuls of that smashed up food and smear it all over an infant's face and watch him push it back out of his mouth with a tongue that he didn't know how to use ...ugh. Maybe I was really impressed with how Mom just kept smiling and hugging the mini-human during that messy, smelly ordeal. She had to have an incredibly strong stomach to manage that. Of course Dad was sure to remind me that I was much more smelly than Apollo.
Like I always say, MOM is WOW spelled upside down.

more living

Today, work was very, very hard. All I want to do now is soak in a tub of cocoa butter or strawberry jell-o. May is a beautiful month and life is a beautiful experience and smelling the wisteria is an essential step along the path. Unless, of course, you don't enjoy doing that sort of thing. Maybe you enjoy turning up lite beer on sawdust covered floors listening to Willie Nelson while shooting pool. Maybe you enjoy turning up tequila a little past civilization while popping off M-16 rounds. Maybe you enjoy digging up the soil surrounding your abode and planting things while bonging indica bud. Maybe you enjoy wearing tight Wrangler's while turning money into food for hungry people.
I am very glad that it's the weekend.

living

Today, work was very tough. We had a very critical piece of machinery break down at about 2pm. The week was hectic from day one and this current situation, which hasn't been resolved, is increasing the pressure on production. After our workout, I went back to The Company to check in with some guys that were working overtime. They were doing great. The critical piece of machinery is probably going to have to be replaced. Maintenance is currently attempting to repair the machine. We did have a good workout this evening. Working out makes me feel better. Even with all the headaches going on at The Company, I still feel pretty fantastic. There's a good chance that the sun is going to rise tomorrow and we will be able to tackle each situation forthwith. Until then, I'm just going to goof off in the beautiful experience of living in the South.

sweet air

I am fortunate and thankful that I was able to work today. The day was gorgeous and the pull to leave work to picnic after a walk down a long country road beside a creek was strong. I stayed with the task at hand and finished the day at work. We rushed through our work out tonight because Apollo had something at home that commanded his attention. I didn't go to the state park as I did yesterday after our work out. Instead, I stayed at home and thought about my blog. There wasn't much to think about so I ate a banana, some bagels, and some pepperoncini peppers before drinking some vanilla chai. Yesterday while at the state park, I misstepped on the rocks crossing the river. My arch hurt all day so I didn't ride my bicycle. I heard a cool song by The Lisps on NPR called Ann Marie. I tried to find it on You Tube but it wasn't there.
I'll think about water and canoes and kayaks tonight. I'll think about skydiving and touchdowns and laughter for a while as well. I'll think about you for a little while, too. Tomorrow will be similar to today. It's a high reward to be able to enjoy this weather and I get to enjoy brief walks outside going to different departments in The Company. I'm probably not going to write the ultimate thesis on War or Poverty tomorrow. I'm probably not going to be interviewed on CNN, NPR, or Fox news tomorrow. Whatever the day brings, I will endure the pain, enjoy the sunshine or rain, and breath the sweet air. Of course, it all starts with two raw eggs before the crack of dawn.

let's go

It was such a beautiful day, yesterday. Apollo got hung up with work and didn't make it to the gym. My work out was okay but there was one lift that I couldn't remember how to do, so I skipped it. Smith Bench Press Machine. Something like that. I need to pick up one of those scales to measure fat to see if anything is being accomplished with working out. I definitely feel better when working out on a regular schedule.

kayak

Yesterday was gorgeous. I took a short kayak trip on the river. It lasted about three hours. Flipped over in the first five minutes and the water felt great. Didn't get flipped after that. There were turtles on just about every rock. Some scuttled off their rocks quickly but a few held their ground and just watched me glide by them. There were several egrets swooping up and down the bank. They're pretty to watch with their wide wing span. There were also a couple of mallards frolicking on the water. It was a good day to be alive.
I don't have a waterproof case for my camera so I didn't take any photos going down the river.

yesterday was fun

Yesterday, I saw the number one softball team in the nation and my first WNBA game. The WNBA game was an exhibition match up between the loaded, LA Sparks and the brand spanking new, Atlanta Dream. The Dream got hammered even though the score ended up being 86-80, LA. LA was up by at least 20 points in the third quarter. Our passing was pretty bad and we took a beating on the boards. We're new and young and it'll take time to develop team chemistry.
As for softball, Alabama is tough. They won a doubleheader 12-3 and 10-1. In the first game they 5 runs in the first inning. They had a grand slam in each game. They have a hoss freshman pitcher in Kelsi Dunne. The Tide has both athleticism and power. Usually there's a trade off between the two. An extremely athletic team, such as Alabama, doesn't usually have a lot of power. This team has both. Keep an eye out for them meeting up with #3 Florida in the SEC tournament. Bama is quite worthy of their number 1 ranking.
In the photographs posted yesterday:
00 Kelsi Dunn
photographs 7-13 are Jordan Praytor before and after hitting her first collegiate grand slam (Jordan is a finalist in the Lowe's Senior Class Award)

Number 1: Alabama

Now I dream

running faster than cancer
swimming deeper than hate
jumping higher than greed
quietly alone
and in groups with quilts and cloaks
made all over the world
by human hands
on earth
where I can hear
the steady breathing, greetings
for every ear and heart
beneath love and clear blue skies
beside kindness and cool creeks
around truth and tall pinetrees
never waiting again for anything
where the air is comfort
where the sun is growth
where the stars are sight
and every human being knows
the value in every human being
Awake now
I selfishly hide
when children are battered
when children are scarred
when children are ignored
not believing in me
or anything I've ever written
outside the shark rich water
clear and unevolved to falter
equipped to pitch disaster
or reach
another dreaming hand
to fight and stand

whuh?

I'm really enjoying the new work out that Apollo started us on last week. He talks about what we need to eat. Protein, protein, protein. Carbs, too. Fish is my favorite food and it turns out that some fish is kinda good for the body. The human brain has a high amount of DHA. DHA is an essential omega-3 fatty acid. Fish is a great source of DHA. Fish that eat algae are the best source of DHA because that's where it originates: photosynthetic microalgae. The great thing about eating fish is the high concentration of protein, with a low fat content. There are several types of pre-cooked packets of tuna and salmon that have really high protein content. I haven't learned how much protein is required for my weight. Still learning. Low fat, skim milk is another good source of protein. I've just got to find the balance between proteins and carbs to maximize work out with eating habits. Red meat is a packed with protein but it's got a much higher fat content. Of course, kids need a lot of fat in their diet. I'm a bit past that point though.
Something that I really like to drink is Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccino. It's got about 42 grams of protein per bottle. It's also got whey protein which accelerates muscle development and aids in recovery. Another great drink by Bolthouse is Vanilla Chai with soy protein. There's a study that says the high level of estrogen in soy protein can lead to cognitive impairment in males. Now what was I talking about?
It's going to be funny to look back and see how ignorant I am about all this.

need

It's working. My canoe is floating. Smile, smile.
Why isn't easy appealing? Water is excellent but most of us drink sugarwater. Nudity is fun but most of us wear clothes. None of us enjoy being lied to, yet we all lie. Most of us want more money, but few of us spend less. Most of us enjoy freedom but we all cling to structure. Few of us want to rule the world but we all know we'd make it a better place. We're all poets but few of us communicate. We all love to dance but few of us boogie. Maybe I didn't boogie enough. It's obvious that I have no idea what I'm typing. My fingers are simply energetic dynamos searching for that dynamic string of consonants and vowels to make babies warm, youth smile, and the aging to slowly shed their clothes with vigorous joy. People don't need another war, flag debate, budget meeting, stop sign, red light, mile of asphalt, plastic stuff, hero picture, neighborhood watch, bag of chips, political slogan, or another diet. We, the people, need more pools, watermelons, honesty, dogs, trees of any kind, bicycle rides, monkeys, green fields, muddy river swims and mountain trails. We need more action, bull riding, bat swinging, hoop shooting, lip-locked smackin', booty-shakin' all-nighter boogiein', and crazy hill rolling. Of course, tomorrow I'll sit in my office trying to convince the world that the current crisis isn't nearly as big as the last one while daydreaming about monkeys and muddy rivers.
Gonna ride my bike. Dreamgirl used to name everything. I'm gonna take her example and name my bike. Dasher, my bike.

dreamin'

Last night, I dreamed that my CBS sports WNBA widget was all lit-up with game dates and information. It's not and I'm really relieved. That means that the dream about all the hit-men chasing me all over creation and setting elaborate traps to terminate my life might not happen after all. It was one of those bad feeling dreams that make me wake up tired and confused. I still wonder what's up with my WNBA widget, though. The Atlanta Dream play the LA Sparks this Saturday at 7:30pm in exhibition. This information should be showing up.
It was a little bit hectic at work today. The Big Gun is ill and wasn't able to show. He probably needs to sale the place and look after his health. There's not much point in being wealthy and dead. So the Little Gun had us scrambling to do the impossible which we all agreed we could do. It's going to be a rough week. I've already got a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for me at the end though. We just don't plan ahead enough. We did hire a GM last year, but it seems it's just an empty title.
WOW. Just read that UCLA hired Nikki Caldwell for their head coach. Caldwell has been at Tennessee for the past six years. She also played for Tennessee during her college career. She's been studying under the best. This is an excellent hire for UCLA.
It's so beautiful outside now. I'm going to goof off on my bike for a while.

magnolia tree

It was 68 degrees at 6:16 this morning. Yes, I love spring. Springing through the universe clueless and fast isn't the best way to pass through time. It's the only way that works for me, though. There's so much beauty in youthful mistakes that it takes all the luster off aging gracefully. Yeah, we're all going to age. Super bummer, there. Several years ago, a co-worker, perplexed by my singleness, asked me who was going to take care of me when I got old? My wise-apple response was:
"I'm not gonna get old." If I die young, then I didn't lie. Not everyone gets old, but why in the world would I think in terms of someone taking care of me if I did get old? Wouldn't that be self-centered? Maybe it would just be prudent. Of course, having fun is self-centered. Heck, you've gotta do something with time. Putting the words and rhymes down for the ages to ponder would be worthwhile, but if I'm not understood now, I wont be understood then. So set the ac to your preference, grip that remote and kick back. It's another beautiful day in the neighborhood and there's a bike to be ridden in the backyard beneath the magnolia tree.

We swept the three game series. The tournament starts on the the 8th of next month. Hope to have some photos up later.

this and that

I saw part of a doubleheader. I left the second game at four innings to get to the NCAA Gymnastics Championship individual meet. Interestingly enough, right after I left the game was postponed due to weather. We won game one, 2-0. The second game resumes today at noon. After the gym meet, I watched a bike race. Number 11 hit a two-run homer in both games and leads the ACC with 49 career home runs.