Weak

Now, I am no Hercules, but I could not let this one go. At the pre-draft combine for the NBA the guy in this photo, Kevin Durant, who is 220 lb's, could not bench press 185 pounds one time.

The R-I-C

Almost too much to write after my weekend trip to Richmond, VA to see my main man, $$$.

It was really good to see him and crush Madden '05, old-school style. Got the chance to see the kids who are growing like crazy and bust out some old tag lines. "Why are you being so sensitive?", classic S-Braine-ism. Cannot wait for him to come up and visit us, I know alot of peeps would love to see him and he needs to meet The Reese.

Side note, he has a phenomenal business idea which I will tell you more about as I am able.

Bon is off playing volleyball tonight so I am trying to catch up on some homework now that "monkey" has gone to sleep.

There are also some big things shaking with 4 Corners as we are headed to a new location this week, very exciting stuff. If anyone needs proof that God is real and he works in amazing ways, I would like to share some stories with you.

I did not find drugs under my seat on the Skybus flight, it is legit.

You see a lot of interesting things on airplanes and in airports. For example, a couple of people get up to stand in line at the door to get on the plane, so everyone else does. I got a kick out of staying in my chair and reading my latest edition of Entrepreneur magazine while they all stood there for 20 minutes.

I also realized how unhappy most people seem, it is pretty sad.

Check out the new link to the right for your very own mullet gear, it's a little business that Slim is running.

Peace out, for now

That Floor is Beautiful

(Photo is not the actual office...yet)

Mad props go out to Jase for helping me throw down the new flooring in our office, and to Bon for doing 95% of the painting. I am telling you all, the amount of work Bon does on a daily basis makes me look like a posh Miami grad.

Lots went on this weekend, hangin' with Slim's possee, we had a great time.

More to come, stay tuned...

New Rubber

We were outside last night, playing with Reese and hanging out when I noticed that my tire had gone a little too flat. Talked with the guys at the shop and they said they could get me in at 7am this morning. So I put on the donut last night with Bon's help and headed over to Big O Tires at the crack of dawn.

I had some dry-rot issues and I honestly could not tell you the last time I bought new tires. It was easily five years ago. So after reviewing their bald state with the technician I decided to take the plunge and put new tires on the beast.

She is riding like a dream...

Better Than Ever

What an amazing weekend.

As most of you know I went on the Walk to Emmaus this past weekend and words cannot describe my experience. I learned things about Christ, myself, and others that have changed my life. I could never thank The Godfather and Carrie enough for their role in this experience.

I did miss my girls a lot, but I know I will be a better husband and father for them moving forward thanks to this experience.

In addition, a few weeks ago I had scheduled a client experience at the Reds game last night, not realizing it was the date coming off of Emmaus. We had a great time though, sitting four rows behind home plate and you could get a pretty good look at Squibb and I on TV. (I saw us on the Sportscenter highlights this morning)

Getting back in the swing of things now with a renewed focus and passion, to all of you who read this I want to thank you for your friendship.

The Heat is on...

Hiatus

The blog will be taking a break until next Tuesday, so I wanted to leave you with something to enjoy...

Check this out...

From 1998 this appeared on CNNSI's web-site!

Things like this link pop-up when you google your own name...


Getting Picky About the NFL Draft

Posted: Wed April 15, 1998
Peter King's NFL Mailbag

The most exciting time of the offseason is at hand, and SI's football guru returns to answer your questions.

What is the status of the Sean Gilbert trade?
—Dave Bristol, Wilmington, N.C.

I talked to Washington coach Norv Turner Wednesday, and he told me in no uncertain terms that Carolina has to include its first-round pick in any trade package for Gilbert. I think the Panthers, who are holding out for a lesser package of picks, will have to give up the first-rounder. Carolina has little choice. By not getting this done before the draft, the Panthers risk paying higher compensation in 1999 draft terms or Washington killing the deal entirely. I see this getting done by midnight Friday, the night before the draft.

Given the fact the Patriots are not in a rebuilding mode, does it make sense for them to trade up for better picks?
—Len Berkowitz, North Easton, Mass.

Len, it makes sense for the Patriots to do two things in this draft—get a very good corner and a cornerstone running back. I don't think they'll trade up to get Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson, nor do I think they'll trade up to get Penn State running back Curtis Enis. If I were them, I'd trade up with Dallas at No. 8 and try to get Florida's Fred Taylor. When was the last time you saw a 230-pound running back who could run a legitimate 4.35 40—on grass?

Looking at the big picture, if I'm Bobby Grier on draft day, I don't pay a ransom for anyone. With the 1998 and '99 drafts, New England is in the unique position of being able to provide a talent base for the franchise for the next decade. The Pats have 10 picks in the first three rounds of the next two drafts, and if fewer than six of those picks make an impact, then Grier has failed to take advantage of hitting the lottery with all of the Jets draft choices.


Do you think that the Bears would be best served to pass on Randy Moss, just for the reason that they don't have a quality QB to keep both he and Curtis Conway happy?
—Jeremy Furniss, Frankfort, Ohio

I don't think there's any way the Bears take Moss, nor should they. This is not a throwing team. They don't have a strong-armed quarterback, and who knows how long Erik Kramer's going to be there anyway. I like what I think they're going to do: take the best offer they can get for the fifth pick Saturday, either from St. Louis or Jacksonville, then move down and get a player who can serve as the nucleus for their defense.

Game on

Looks like my trip is on, and you get to see a new pic of my girl.

An e-mail I received on Friday:

Skybus is pleased to announce that we've received our federal certification to fly!

Mom's Weekend

Happy Monday everyone. It was a jam-packed weekend that started Friday night with a mowing festival as soon as I got home from work. She ran like a dream and we had no issues, which was awesome! It was the first time I had used the bagger, we had a lot of dead grass kind of laying around. 3 hours later I finished the 8th 42 gallon bag full of grass that now rests against the side of the house until trash day! I am still sore.

Saturday started off with a visit from Mom and Grandma and lunch at Johnny Carino's. We all dig italian and wanted something a little different than Olive Garden. It is always good to see my momma.

Saturday night I headed back to Johnny Carino's again to hook up with a group of friends from 4 Corners. We were not able to secure a babysitter for The Reese, so Bon stayed behind. Although this time, they had a balloon magician at the restaurant! He could make 500 different animals! (credit for that statement goes to Trent). I feel terrible that Bon could not make it and she missed hanging out with everyone.

One last thing, a shout out to my man Justin Swartwout, who was stricken by the 4 Corners four-wheelin' injury bug. He severely broke his leg, and I am guessing will be out for softball this year. Take care dawg.

That is all for now, tomorrow I will review the movie "Pursuit of Happyness" for you

Friday Music Pick

Looking forward to Mom and Grandma coming to see us tomorrow and also mowing with my OWN mower tonight!

Enjoy the show, love these guys...

Miss Photogenic

Starting her young folks, love the Notre Dame pink!

Have to throw some mad props to Kim DeVilbiss. She came by the house last week and took some pictures of Reese, which turned out PHENOMENAL! We are extremely pleased. They turned out much better than any pics we have ever had taken in a studio. We will continue to use Kim in the future and I 100% recommend her to take pictures of your families/children.

To schedule a sitting, you can call or email Kim:

(513)541-2632

kimdevilbiss@fuse.net

Technology Rocks...

The Oakland A's said fans will be able to download tickets to their cell phones beginning Friday. As part of a deal with Major League Baseball's Internet unit, the A's said fans who buy tickets at Oaklandathletics.com can choose to have the bar coded ticket delivered to a mobile phone. The bar code is then scanned at a gate at McAfee Coliseum.

W Story

Now, I try to keep my political views out of the blog and keep it a "happy place", but I just could not let this one go. This was forwarded to me from a friend of a friend who is currently stationed in Mosul.

Jack Tilley, a Sergeant Major of the Army, was with a group of people who recently were visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, DC. He saw a Special Forces soldier who had lost his right hand and suffered severe wounds of his face and side of his body.

Sgt. Tilley wanted to honor him and show him respect without offending, but what can you say or do in such a situation that will encourage and uplift? How do you shake the right hand of a soldier who has none? He decided to act as though the hand was not missing and gripped the soldiers wrist while speaking words of comfort and encouragement to him.

However, there was another man in the group who knew exactly what to do. This man reverently took the soldier's stump of a hand in both of his hands, bowed at the bedside, and prayed for him. When he finished the prayer he stood up, bent over the soldier, kissed him on the head, and told him that he loved him.

Sgt. Tilley was awed by the powerful expression of love for one of our wounded heroes he was witnessing! "What a beautiful Christ-like example!" he thought, moved to tears.

What kind of a man would do such a thing?

It was the wounded man's Commander-In-Chief, George W. Bush, President of the United States. This eyewitness account was told by Sergeant Major Jack Tilley at a Soldiers Breakfast at Red Stone Arsenal, Huntsville, AL, and recorded by Chaplain James Henderson, who was stationed there.

No Cheesesteak?

Bon has returned from her weekend excursion in Philly. She had a great time, and Reese and I managed to keep the house from burning down! We had the chance to head over to Chi-town and see Slim's posse and my mama. Reese had a rock solid time with her cousins and slept the whole ride home. One of the great pleasures in life I have learned, is when my baby girl has fallen asleep in the car for the night, I take her out to carry her upstairs, and she gives the greatest "Daddy I feel safe in your arms" hugs. It is absolutely priceless.

Reese got the chance tonight to see her Mom in volleyball mode. We headed over to Sports Express and watched Bon and Jill kick some tail. We came away very impressed.

Warning, I am on the verge of chopping my lettuce. It is getting a little long and it is summer. (Not real conducive to flowing locks...)

Peace out

Big Things

I apologize for the delay, a lot going on lately. Working on two papers for a final class tonight and had some car issues yesterday.

As I was driving around doing my thing, the car started making a weird noise. It was like little people were typing morse code inside the engine. I decided to take it by Oil Express and have them check the belts and hoses. It was not them, but something much more exciting, one of my spark plug wires had blown the end out and was not attached to the actual plug. Upon further investigation he revealed that the other three wires were fried and it was not going to be long until I was stranded on a road somewhere. They were extremely helpful and cut me a nice deal. If you live in the 'Nati I highly recommend them.

According to Sibcy Cline's web-site, the house next door to us is no longer available, sold already! Clearly they were informed of their potential wicked sweet neighbors and knew they had to buy.

At 12:01 a.m. tonight I will be watching Spider Man 3 with a group of friends...

Reese is having pictures taken this morning...

Bon is leaving us tomorrow for the weekend, I sure will miss her...

I give the Bears a "B" on their draft, Greg Olsen was a good pick, but nothing else moved me. I will give them a free pass this year.

NFL Draft

One of the beauties of blogging is that it stays here, in black and white, forever and ever. So 5 years from now you can come back and look at my draft preview and realize my genius.

It is nearly impossible to predict who everyone will take, because some teams are ignorant. What I will do is give you players that I think are legit, and players who are druts (turd spelled backwards).

Legit:
Calvin Johnson
Joe Thomas
Amobi Okoye
Patrick Willis
Michael Bush
Steve Smith
Brian Leonard
Tony Hunt

and, oh yeah, Brady Quinn!



Druts:
JaMarcus Russell
Gaines Adams
Levi Brown
Marshawn Lynch
Leon Hall
Ted Ginn
Kevin Kolb

26 hours...

Guinea Pig

So, I get a call from Slim and he drops some knowledge on me about a new airline called Skybus, (www.skybus.com).

If you check this site out you will see one-way fares for $10, insane! They only fly to a select number of cities at this point, and are actually based in C-Bus.

Fortunately, they fly to Richmond, VA. This means a dirt cheap trip to see $$$, aka S-Braine. I am very much looking forward to seeing him, we have not had a chance to hang out since ISP days, about two and a half years ago.

Skybus also flies to Greensboro, so as long as the airline is legit and I am not smuggling drugs on the trip, we will take a family trip to the NC and get a rental car to transport us to Fayetteville.

I am currently in class and watching a movie.

1 Day, 16 Hours until the fiesta...

Check back tomorrow for my draft preview

Rolling

Not much new going on today, Bon did a ton of work on the house yesterday and I managed to almost drown Reese in the bathtub. (Not really, she drank some bath water and got a little choked, but freaked me out!)

So in order to still provide entertainment, I have decided to provide some tunes for you to enjoy...

3 Days until the Draft baby!!!

Congrats...

To Guido and Emily who welcomed son #2 to the world yesterday, Hayden was born in Athens and all are doing well.

Weekend Update

(Look Chubbs, outside!)

A busy weekend is behind us, and it all started Friday night. I came home from work intending to knock out the mowing for the weekend. I got a good piece of the back yard knocked out and down she went again. The mower was not working. It may be a hidden talent, if I were a wrestler would I be the "Mower Killer." So big ups to The Godfather, who bails me out AGAIN, and loans me his mower to finish the job. Now we take ours to the shop tomorrow and hope the warranty covers it.

As I finished up today something struck me, it was the sound of a subdivision, the symphony of mowers, ahh...

Mad props to Trent and Michelle, who hosted our posse on Saturday and made some amazing BBQ ribs! We had a great time and are looking forward to the expansion of our group and getting to know each other better.

I also got the opportunity to meet some guys on the street and play a game of cornhole this evening, I am definitely a little out of practice, but it was nice meeting them.

I now have a 100 foot extension cord if anyone needs to borrow it...

Scholarship

So, this is my ticket to South Bend...

Biz is tough

OK, we are approaching our first hurdle in the new biz. The name we wanted is already taken. So now it is time to get the creative juices flowing and try to come up with something else. This should be interesting, I really, really want to stay away from using our family name in the business moniker.

Swing and a Miss

Props to the Godfather and the guys from CCM for picking me up for a softball double-header last night. My performance, was, lackluster at best. At the plate, two words for you, "swinging bunt". I did not get one hit out of the infield and struck out to end the second game. I see some batting cage work in my future. I must step up my game with a possible 4 Corners squad on the horizon.

Where to Start?

OK, I hope you all have had a chance to enjoy the video. Some of this is going to be pretty random, I apologize.

Last Tuesday I woke up with a little belly ache. This soon turned into attack of the aliens on my intestines! I will save you the details, but, the floodgates were open at both ends if you know what I am sayin'

Shout out to Daddy B, (for those of you who may not know he is my biological uncle, but has unofficially adopted me), he has completely torn his rotator cuff. Surgery is on the horizon and 4-6 months off of work. For those of you who know him, this is going to be a problem. He loves to work! The silver lining is that he will have a bionic shoulder once our business gets rolling!

An 82 year old client actually said to me last week, "Is that your real hair?"

I have not been able to mow my yard for 15 days, or use my new trimmer which was purchased 14 days ago...

On the horizon is the "Heat Endorsement Links", these will appear on the left side of the blog page and will link up to some of my favorite businesses...

Reese has yet to grasp spacial differences, she thinks Bon and I should be able to sit next to her in a box...

My favorite weekend of the year, the NFL Draft is twelve days away...

Reese Vid!

Photo Sharing - Upload Video - Video Sharing - Share Photos

One of the amazing things Bon has been able to do with Reese at home is teach her some sign language. She has got "more" down pretty well, which is touching the index finger and thumb of each hand together. In this clip, she decides her baby doll wants to do it too.

A ton to talk about expect a big update later tomorrow, don't want to take away from the video, let's just say I spent alot of time with our toilets for a couple of days...

Easter Update

OK ladies and gentlemen, the significance of the photo to the left is this: if you have ever wanted to be our neighbor, now is your chance. One of our neighbors have just put their house up for sale. I encourage anyone who reads this blog to seriously consider it...

Friday night we had a great time at the Godfather Casa, celebrating with Blake. Thanks folks, Reese had a good time.

Saturday was the festival at our house with 30 in attendance I believe. This required me to pick up some tables and chairs from a party center, which went very well. I think everyone had a good time, I bailed at 4:00 to head over to the gym to set things up for Easter at church.

Easter service was phenomenal, Reese adapted well to her big poofy dress. I have a ton of pics from this weekend and will try and get them posted in the next few days. Yesterday Reese figured out how to enjoy a ring pop on her own, that was cool.

Back at work, need to find some $$$ for April.

Keep it real

Hillarious

ESPN Radio host rips Cincinnati

THE ENQUIRER

Wednesday on his nationally syndicated sports talk radio show, "The Herd with Colin Cowherd," ESPN Radio's Colin Cowherd spent several minutes lambasting Cincinnati after reading a story about a woman - whose name and hometown have not been made public but Cowherd assumes is from Cincinnati - who Tuesday caused a CVG-to-Hawaii flight to land in San Francisco.

Click here to listen to the mp3 of Cowherd's rant about Cincinnati.

Excerpts from Cowherd's assault on Cincinnati included:

• "What is it with Cincinnati? ... For how small a city it is, is it me or does Cincinnati have a disproportionate number of bottom-feeders and low-level gutterballs?"

• "Jerry Springer, Pete Rose, the Bengals, Bob Huggins, wild chick on an airplane, Larry Flynt ... They're not serial killers, they just have no class."

• "I mean, I live in a city that's essentially the same size, Hartford. We don't have half the problems, half the weirdos."

• "I mean, it's just boring. People get in trouble. It's just boring."

He proposes coming up with a new slogan for Cincinnati.

"Because the Queen City doesn't really sum up their dysfunction."

Cowherd said listeners submitted the following slogans:

• "Cincinnati: You're under arrest."

• "Cincinnati: We need more razor wire."

• "Cincinnati: We're what happens three hours after you eat at Taco Bell."

• "Cincinnati: Just like Vegas, without all the really great stuff."

• "Cincinnati: Step out of your car, please."

• "Cincinnati: 'Cuz losers need somewhere to live as well."

Opening Day and an Oil Spill

Since yesterday was such a beautiful day, after getting home from church I decided to mow the yard. The first time I have ever mowed my own yard mind you, and we have a brand new mower thanks to Clark. So everything is going well, moving along and I decide to add more oil when I have some difficulty getting it re-started. Of course I did not read the manual for the mower and poured in WAY too much. It starts back up and starts smoking violently and spewing oil out the side into the grass. (This photo is not actually from our yard) I decide to turn it back off, and after a quick call to Slim decide to drain all of the oil out and start over. All of that went well and I eventually got her running and full strength again. The yard looks great and Reese had fun watching me doing it, so that was cool. Chalk it up to another life lesson...

Also, when we pulled in the driveway from church the neighbor we had not met was outside doing some yard work, so I decided to introduce myself. The best part is that he was wearing a Muhsin Muhammad Bears jersey! Turns out he is from Chicago and a big Bears fan. Awesome...

Go Tribe and the Reds I guess...

Crazy Story

Judge bars Bears fan from naming self 'Peyton'

Associated Press

DECATUR, Ill. (AP) - Chicago Bears fan Scott Wiese is no Peyton Manning after all.

Macon County Judge Katherine McCarthy ruled this week that Wiese can't legally call himself Peyton Manning because it would be too confusing and might infringe on the privacy of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback.

That's fine by Wiese.

The 26-year-old was only trying to change his name to make good on a bet he lost when the Colts beat the Bears in the Super Bowl.

"I had told the judge that I was not doing this because I wanted to change my name, but I was doing it because I was honoring a bet," Wiese told the Decatur Herald & Review after Monday's ruling. "I think she understood that."

A few days before the February game, Wiese signed a pledge in front of a bar full of people that if the Bears lost, he would change his name to match the Colts player who led Indy to victory.

Manning had a big hand in the Colts' 29-17 victory.

Wiese's parents, Debbie and Steve Wiese, were pleased by the judge's decision.

"Wiese is our family name, and we're proud of it," Debbie Wiese told the Decatur newspaper. "I also didn't want to go through the rest of my life calling my son 'Peyton Manning."'

Just a little tune...

...to move your rump, from the Heat archives

Check back tomorrow for info on my two latest man crushes, riveting blogging!!!

Home Away From Home...

Home Depot has become my favorite hang out, (including three times on Saturday). I am about to add a line item to our budget strictly for them. The projects are going good, glad to be back at the office and away from manual labor!

Clearly if I opened with this I did not win mass flow at Belterra on Friday. My Benji ($100) was gone in about one hour and forty-five minutes. I sat in the loser's lounge and waited on my co-workers to finish. It was a good time, even though I came out with the goose egg.

Was sitting in a restaurant today and heard the same waitress introduce herself as three different names to different tables. Pretty creative, it reminded me of my days at Elder-Beerman in college where I went by Xavier. Pronounced Za-v-a. I still have the name tag!

Good times, good times...

Blackjack

(I hope I don't get this guy as my dealer)

So, our office won a sales contest in the fourth quarter of 2006 and we get to "cash in" today. We will be transported to Belterra this morning, given $100 to gamble with, and provided lunch. It should be alot of fun, I work with some cool people. This is the first time I have gambled since Dragonfest. For those of you who do not know that story, myself and four other members of my family sat down at a blackjack table, between us started with about $300, and walked away 2 hours later with $13,000. So, stay tuned for the results post.

Bon had a bad night on her picks, losing two Final Four teams and falling to second place. I was able to pick up some points by picking 3 of four last night.

I am missing my girls this morning, as Bon took The Reese to Chi-town yesterday morning and will be coming back today. She got to see a lot of her family members and spent the night with my mama, sounds like Reese put on a show.

(Matt Lauer just gave an OU shout-out, sweet!)

Bears Make a Move!

Great news, the Bears have made a trade! They have acquired SS Adam Archuleta from the Skins for a 6th round draft pick. I have always been an AA fan, and my rationale is a little scary. I think as a species in general, we gravitate towards others we can relate to. Well at 6', 215 pounds, AA is someone I can relate to. Had I been allowed to show my safety skillz back int he day, maybe I could be him right now! (See, twisted, I told you)

I also need to correct myself, Bon is currently in first place in her pool, not second.

Big shout out to the crew from Four Corners, had a great time last night.

We've had some drama at work lately, but nothing that has really affected me. All I will say is that I am very thankful for my current position.

Tool Time

Already big update, sorry for the delay. The finance class I just finished up with was the toughest one to date, and I have started the home improvement process.

Yeah, that's right, for those of you who have known me for a long time you know how comical it is that I have willingly tackled a construction project. Let's just say I am "mechanically challenged".

Needless to say, it is a great learning experience for future endeavors and Bon and I are having fun with it when Reese decides to sleep.
I even rented a truck at Home Depot to bring the drywall home. Mad props go out to the Godfather for coming by on short notice and helping me get it off the truck.

Happy belated Birthday to my Momma, she turned the big 5-1 on the 14th and next time I see her she will receive a phenomenal gift! (Not really, but want to bait her to visit)

Bon and I are having dinner tomorrow night with some friends from church and looking forward to it! There are eight families all together in the group and we have a good time when we get together.

Now to the tournament, congrats to Vandy, I am very happy for my friends who are still there. Bon and I are in separate pools this year, (she fears me head-to-head and we prefer to both be winners). Currently we both stand in second place, she picked 14 of the Sweet 16 and I have 13. We will see how it shakes down next weekend, hopefully I bank some flow...

No class this Thursday, will actually get to stay for the entire church meeting, celebrate!

Happy Birthday Bon!

Happy 30th to my Ambassador of Kwan, Bon I love you, I wouldn't want to do this without you.

Also, a funny story, I go to leave class last night and have no keys. Can't find them, retraced my steps 5 times, I know I had them walking in. So Bon had to get Monkey out of bed and come and pick me up at school. Luckily, I only carry three keys so it is not world changing to replace them. Just makes me feel like I am losing my mind!

American Idol

OK, time for some American Idol commentary.

The men suck, and there are a couple of girls who could get a record deal tomorrow. I am a big fan of Melinda, Lekisha and Gina. And any night you hear Mary J. and Evanesence you know it is good...

Speaking of music, there are some songs that make me break down and lose it. Even while I am driving, I am not going to lie, I am a sensitive man.

You have got to listen to this new song by Mark Schultz. If you aren't moved by it, I must inform you that you have no soul.

Good night...

Beautiful...

Bummed

I will begin today with some sports commentary. The Bears have traded Thomas Jones, one of my favorites, for Jack Squat! I have never been a Ced Benson fan, from his draft day tirade of insanity to his brokenness that will not survive a 16 game season. He cannot catch the ball and will not pass protect. Good luck Rex! We traded our best offensive player to flip 2nd round picks, what??? Clearly I need to enjoy this Super Bowl off-season, things look to be heading back to status quo. 5-11 here we come!

Adam Schein said it best here: http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/6533778

I am feeling a little better today, back at the office...

Big ups to Funk-E who made it through with flying colors and is resting at home...

Birthday

(Reese and Blake chillin' in their pajamas)

Happy Birthday Jum!

Morning update, my cough is worse, but it seems like the girls are doing better, so that is all that really matters.

I finished my Finance final last night and got it e-mailed in to the professor. Now I get to focus on our group project which is a financial analysis of Apple.

24 tonight...

I'm Back

I have honestly been wanting to sit down and update this thing about 15 times since my last post, but was hesitant because I didn't have any new pics downloaded. Well, I still don't but I wanted to throw up a Reese Retro Pic which was taken right around a year ago. Time has flown by.

Where to start? In the present, our entire family is afflicted with various degrees of what I like to call "The Crud". Which sucks, it is Reese's first illness above a runny nose and the first time she has had a cough. For the most part she has maintained her spunky attitude, but it has definitely curbed her appetite. (For everything but raisins that is)

Happy Birthday-eve to Jum, the big 2-6 tomorrow.

Big prayers go up for Funk-E, my sister-in-law, we are thinking about you.

Have had preliminary discussions about trying to get a flight down to Richmond to see SBraine, amazingly it has been two and a half years.

(Pause for coughing fit)

Work is still rolling, my pod-mate is leaving so Squibb gets a chance to shine, as I know he will. He has been an absolute stud thus far, I am so glad they gave him this opportunity.

Big fantasy baseball draft next Sunday, stoked...

Lastly, but certainly not least, I am really pumped about Four Corners right now. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to get more involved with the staff and am thoroughly excited. This church is on a course of greatness and I am enjoying the ride...

Revelations

This is a photo of the newest member to the Furniss Male Order, (FMO for short), Jake, the snake. Jum has scored a new pet in the form of a Ball Python.

I have come to realize some things over the last few days...

I am WAY out of shape and this must be addressed. The Y that Bon goes to is minutes from our house and I think it is time to bump up to the family membership...

Installing light fixtures is fun...

Last night was also the first time I had evered shoveled my own driveway, ah milestones...

Kudos go out to Bon who showed off some master negotiation skillz with DirecTV. The receiver in our bedroom is on the fritz already and Bon was able to get us Showtime for free for two months, in addition to a new receiver.

Looking forward to tomorrow and temps above freezing...

No Video

I was hoping to be able to post my tv appearance, but it has yet to be posted on the WCPO archive list. A number of friends got to see it, so it has been a pretty cool experience. Sitting in class now, ready to get started, I sure do miss my girls on Thursdays...

TV Time

Like you always hear, the early bird gets the worm.

Since I was the first one to arrive at work this morning, channel 9 decided to interview me and ask me about my commute. If I make the cut I will be airing on the news at noon today. (My television debut)

There is definitely some ice on the ground, but I really did not have any trouble this morning, except for the fact that I have an overzealous neighbor who makes me look bad by shoveling his driveway at the crack of dawn!

Congrats Mary

Big shout out to Mary J., one of my all-time favorites, for winning 3 Grammys last night! We caught bits and pieces of it, just a tough match-up for them since "A Time to Kill" was also on.

On a side note, for some reason I was wide awake at 3:30 this morning.

I am off to gather nuts and wood, the white death part II is coming...

Silence Lifted

I come to you now, after the completion of my self-imposed one week ban on communication. This is mostly due to my extreme disappoint and the inability to fully describe my feelings after Sunday evening. (Slightly melodramatic)

Reese is on Day 4 of a cold that has her nose running like Payton down the sideline against Detroit. (Fast and looking at lots of green)

Had my annual review at work and did not get fired, that's a positive.

We enjoyed our first day of sledding down our hill in the back yard yesterday, it is the perfect slope to give kids a thrill and to throw Bonnie like a broncing bull

Update coming tomorrow morning...

A Little Motivator...

4 Days until Domination...

Played some good hoop last night, I am clearly now a 15 feet and in player. (After air-balling three from downtown)

Big shout out goes to an old friend from Vanderbilt/Nashville who has accepted a job in the athletic department at Miami of Ohio and has purchased a home minutes from us. We are pumped to hook up with him again, Bon loves his t-shirts...

Part II

I feel extremely blessed to have Bonnie in my life. I could go in to great detail with the number of recent examples, but they are extremely numerous.

Busy weekend ahead with Reese's 1st Birthday party on Saturday and the football game of the decade on Sunday night.

Happy Birthday props go out to Amber today. Keep it real Funk-E.

Enjoy the second clip...

Clarification

I always kind of cringe when I tell people I am a "Christian" because of the preconceived notions that a lot of folks have. I am a "Christ-Follower", living my life for Jesus, with Jesus, and not by societal "rules".

Holla out to Dave Foster in Nashville and the guys at Four Corners, this is AWESOME!

Miami Anyone?

For the first time since I was 9 years old, Da Bears are going to the Super Bowl! It was a great game, of course, and as I type this I am watching the AFC game.

Now to the real important stuff. The move went awesome, with the Magnificent 7 carrying stuff, myself and six other studs, we knocked it out in a couple of hours. Super Mad Props go out again to The Godfather who delivered a sweet truck for us. We absolutely love our new house and have some great pics of Reese already to send to you.

A nice surprise today, one of our neighbors plowed our driveway and sidewalk this morning after the white death came overnight. We took Reese out to play in it, and I think the fact she was layered like the Michelin Man took the fun out of it for her. She did not like that very well.

24 tomorrow night, in the new house, holla!

Idol Returns

I forgot to mention in the last blog entry about the re-arrival of American Idol. We absolutely love this show in the Furniss casa and this year's start has not disappointed. And it all started with this girl...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Happy 1st Birthday to my baby girl, Reese, I love you, this year has flown by. Slow down the aging process for Daddy. There will be a big birthday bash scheduled once the move is completed.

In addition to that, lots going on in the last week or so.

- We are in the process of moving, the big move will come this weekend with all of the furniture and the official move of the beds

- The Bears are playing in the NFC Championship on Sunday!

- Have had a great visit with Jum, will be hard to see him go back to Alaska

- Our office has earned a company sponsored day trip to Belterra, with gambling money being provided! How sweet is that

Having Jum in town kind of got me out of blogging, but I am back.

Go Bears!

Was that a week that just past?

Wow, what a week, things have been crazy. Jum and Katie arrived on Wednesday, (see photo of Reese meeting Uncle Jum for the first time), and if you have never seen me cry, you missed an excellent opportunity. You know what one of the coolest things is? It's like Jum never left really, it's like we have been hanging out everyday for the last 13 months, we picked up on the same jokes and shared some funny stories, I am very blessed to have both of my brothers.

The house is nearly in our possession, looks like Thursday we will get the keys and start moving some smaller stuff and cleaning this weekend. The "big move" will be next weekend and we will finally be engulfed in our new home.

Don't want to overwhelm you on the first post back in a while so I will leave you with this...

GO GATORS!!!

Happy New Year!

Anybody who thinks much cannot change in a year, I will tastefully disagree. One year ago we knew two things, we were going to have a baby sometime, and we were moving to Cincy soon after.

Most of you know the story for 2006, but if you missed anything it is all pretty much logged here in the archives. It has been an amazing journey and we are extremely excited about what God has planned for us in 2007 and beyond. Honestly, at the end of the day I just want to enjoy my family and touch as many people's lives as I possibly can through Jesus Christ.

One of the biggest things I learned this year is that I do not, nor will I ever "own" anything here on Earth, I simply want to be the best manager of what God gives me.

I absolutely love Bonnie and Reese more than anything in the world, what a phenomenal year 2006 was. It will be hard to top on shear number of milestones, but I have learned that through God anything is possible. (I think there may be a verse a little similar to that in Luke somewhere).

One song meant a lot to us towards the beginning of 2006 and has become kind of a reminder of where to keep our focus moving forward...

"Walk by Faith" by Jeremy Camp, you can listen to it by clicking below...

Tube Socks and a Cigar...

Ladies and gentlemen, the great Reese Karnak! She predicts presents before opening them...

Just a great shot of our wonderful Christmas, we had such a great time with Reese, and I am sure it will only get better as the years go by. As far as I am concerned, you know you are getting old when you get a mower for Christmas and are extremely excited about it. My first mower, what a milestone...

Our Gift

We got the best gift of all this Christmas, and it came early! New for 2007, a basket full of Reese!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

My Favorite Christmas Song...

"Last Christmas, I gave you my heart"...

I can joke about alot of things, but on this one I am dead serious. I know making this fact public puts a SEVERE ding in my street cred, but I have got to give George Michael his props. I mean, The Cheetah Girls just re-made the song, is there any other greater form of flattery?

Enjoy...

Congrats to one of the good guys...

Grobe earns coach of the year honors

Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Jim Grobe held Wake Forest together after a couple of potentially devastating injuries, refused to let his players feel sorry for themselves and turned the perennially downtrodden Demon Deacons into champions.

For orchestrating one of the most surprising turnarounds in college football - and the best season in Wake Forest's 105-year football history - Grobe was honored as The Associated Press Coach of the Year on Wednesday.

I can't put into words how satisfying it's been," Grobe said in a recent phone interview. "It's just now that we're starting to appreciate what we've done and to enjoy it a little bit."

In his sixth season at Wake Forest, Grobe took the Demon Deacons (11-2) from worst to first in the Atlantic Coast Conference without their starting quarterback and top tailback. Wake Forest set a school record for victories and won the ACC for the first time in 36 years.

"This is one football team that appreciates the opportunity to go to a bowl game and especially appreciates the opportunity to play in the Orange Bowl," Grobe said.

Italian and Hoop

What a great night, Bon and I had the chance to get some nice Italian at a restaurant called Johnny Carino's with six other couples from our church. We are all in a similar place in life so it is definitely a blessing to have that available to us and build those friendships.

Tuesday also happens to be the night of church basketball now, so Mr. Hartsock and I ran over after dinner to get our hoop on. What little skill I ever had has now clearly vanished and I should now look into "Over 30 leagues". I was taken to school all night by Joel, including the game winning shot at the end, he dribbled between my legs, crossed-over, and took it to the rack. Amazing! I then proceeded to pick up my shorts and head home...

I have aged...

Just for kicks I google my own name sometimes, apparently I am a wicked sweet businessman in England. See my altar-ego's photo at left, (Jeremy Furniss, part two).

So my plan is to fly to London in a few years, flash the ID around and use my name to help me gain world domination.... (Boo Ha-Ha)

Sweet Sorrow

Congrats to The Godfather who has knocked the ThunderCats out in the semi's for the second year in a row. He owns the Sharks, thus the photo to your left. He had the better week, and I wish him the best in the championship, hopefully Jum gets a shot at redemption.

The Bears secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs yesterday and Reese started clapping when Rashied Davis made a big-time catch in OT. (She is learning already who the good guys are)

Should be pretty slow this week in the office, leading up to a weekend of family beginning Friday night. We took some more pics of Reese this weekend, so will try and get those up ASAP.

Peace out...

Gas Fun

Our service project was awesome, I really enjoyed it. We hooked up almost 200 cars with some free gas, and it was great to see the reactions that folks had when you ask them, "Can I pump some free gas for you?" I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to doing other things moving forward.

We had Reese's dedication this morning, kind of bad timing on her part, she woke up wicked early this morning and was falling asleep in the car on the way to church. So unfortunately she was pretty tired throughout the service and a little irritable. She was out in two seconds on the way home, but overall it was another great experience. (We are full of them lately)

Big day in sports today, ThunderCats in the semi's...

GO BEARS!!!

Strike a pose...

More proof that these are strange times...

I have been asked to model, not really, here is the scoop. At our church, like most, there are Sunday bulletins. With each teaching series our pastor does there is a new theme. With each new theme comes a new cover shot for the bulletin.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been asked to appear on said cover. If you visit our church for about 5 seconds you realize they do everything with a twist of sarcastic humor. Why else would they ask me to do this, huh? Well the new theme is related to having a gameplan, so a few of us are lacing up the tennys and hitting the hardwood for some photos. Should be hillarious!

Also, we have a little service project on Saturday, let's just say there is a gas station in town where an unknown consumer will pull up, get some hot chocolate, their windows washed, by me possibly, and pumped a tank full of gas, FOR FREE!!! All courtesy of the crazy guys at 4 Corners Church.

Peace out homies...

Bet you didn't know

As a tribute to Steve Carr, who about this time last year revealed his "top 5 things you may not know about me", on his blog, I have decided to give some inside info.

I am a Pink fan. The Sunday Night Football intro on NBC always fires me up. I guess it is the perception that she doesn't give two craps what anybody thinks which is cool. If you have yet to see her True Hollywood Story on E, I highly recommend it. Some of my other music favs include: Mary J. Blige, Usher, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, Tobymac and Sugarland.

Bon had the chance to do some Chrsitmas shopping last night, while Reese and I chilled here at the casa. We had a great time, and I was able to hit the sack pretty early.

Another day, another day closer to moving...

I could have caught him...

The Bears game was awesome, how sweet is Devin Hester?

I haven't seen speed like that since Aaron Hough was sprinting down the sideline of Bostic Field. For the record, I plan on donating enough money one day for the field to be renamed, how about the "Reese Dome"?

Man, I have not been this excited about the Bears in a long time, they are so much fun to watch.

Update

A new pic of the girl, she has grown alot, it seems like her retired clothes pile gets bigger every day.

Big game tonight, the Bears are on Monday Night Football, definitely want to see a strong showing from Rex.

Church was awesome yesterday, solid message and got to meet some more folks. We are having Reese dedicated next Sunday, so that is very exciting.

Bon and I had an epiphany over the weekend and have decided God is putting it on us to launch a second company in about 5 years. More to come on that, but want to plant the seed. It involves bringing multiple family members on board.

Christmas is two weeks from today, amazing!

GO BEARS!!!

Welcome Home

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, our back yard. Perfect for cornhole, backyard football, snowball fights, and even some sledding for the little ones.

God has truly blessed us, and this is just the beginning!

All able-bodied males within a 60 mile radius, (and Uncle Bruce of course), expect a phone call in a few weeks...

Closing Time

Bring on the righty, the wild thing, it is closing time!

We are closing on the new house at high noon today. Cannot thank The Godfather and Buff enough for their help with this entire process.

Big shout out to "The Rock" Stu Detter, yep another friend, another nickname. Stu and I go back to the OU days, selling Tommy Hilfinger to folks at the Elder Beerman in Athens. It was great to get an e-mail back from him and hope to get together with his family soon, they live in Piqua, which is not far away at all.

Mad props to SBraine on getting his blog up and running, he has some phenomenal kids.

Took the whole day off, so hope to catch some more 24 this evening.

Peace out!

24 and the wig

Reese loves bath time, or maybe it is being without clothes... Anyway, she was running around in excitement for her bath and ran over, gave me a great hug, and then sat in my lap for this great photo op. She gets her skin tone from Uncle Jase at this point...

Some of you also get a look at my wig for the first time in a while, some folks are buzzing at the shear volume of hair I am carrying around these days. Everyone seems to like it and my boss doesn't seem to mind, so rock on! You only live once, now if I could talk Bon into letting me get tatoo sleeves down each arm...

Other big news, we got the first disc of 24:Season 5 last night, holy crap! This show is unbelievable. The new season starts on January 15th I believe, if you have never watched it, start that night, it is awesome.

Mad props go out today to N2 for hooking me up with a TJ "Whozyourmomma" autograph for the little boy we are buying the house from. (Yes, the 5 year old is the one making it happen)

In my simple way guess you could say I'm living in the Big Time...(Big & Rich)

We are back!

So many things to update you on, closing on our new house Friday, a Whatif Sports Championship for the Cincinnati Heat, an old friend getting hired into our office at the Enquirer, Jum is back in Alaska, ThunderCats are in the playoffs, Reese is as cool as ever, Bon is rockin', etc.

You will get DAILY updates here on what is going on with us, or just random thoughts from my mug.

Be prepared...

Happy October!

There is so much going on, I am a slacker.

Reese is walking completely on her own, across the room, starting, stopping, changing direction, it is awesome! My little girl also has her first tooth. We have taken some new photos that I will try and get up later today. I also intend to get a video clip of her moving and her new dance skillz. She danced throughout the church service yesterday and entertained everyone surrounding her, she loves music.

The Bears are the best team in the NFL.

I will be 30 in 22 days.

Bon and I had a phenomenal time this past Friday night, we went a murder mystery dinner on a train in Lebanon with the eats from the Golden Lamb restaurant, it was delicious. Mad props to Brian and Carrie for taking care of The Reese for the evening.

More mad props go out to Brian and Carrie for giving Bon a new cell phone. We found out what baby slobber can do to a cellphone once it gets inside. It is now...inoperable.

Live From Fairbanks

Check out the webcam from Fairbanks City Hall

http://arcticcam.com/cam/

Newsweek Story About Jum's Brigade

MSNBC.com

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Straight to the Heart

Battle Cries: For U.S. troops and their wives and children, the Iraq war's invisible costs just keep on piling up.

By Michael Hastings

Newsweek

Sept. 18, 2006 issue - Toward the end of July, Capt. Brad Velotta began daydreaming a lot. He thought about making the summer's last run of salmon in Alaska's Russian River, where bears lumber down from the woods and chase fishermen out of the water. He thought about getting a kitten for his 3-year-old daughter, Sophia. Most of all, Velotta hoped to see his 83-year-old grandmother Mary one last time before she died of cancer. "She thought she could hold on," says Velotta's father, Albert, at the family home in Alexandria, La. Her grandson was supposed to leave Iraq on Aug. 2. "She thought it would only be a few weeks more."

But it wasn't. On July 26, Velotta learned that he and his unit, the 172nd Stryker Brigade, were going not home but to the core of Iraq's sectarian blood feud: Baghdad. After a solid year of battling the insurgency, from Mosul to Tall Afar to the westernmost reaches of Al Anbar province, the 172nd has been extended until after Thanksgiving—if not later. Velotta, 29, Blackhawk Company commander in the 172nd's 4-23 infantry battalion, gave a tough talk to his squad leaders: "I know it f---ing sucks. But you don't have the option to not be motivated. You don't have the privilege to be worn out. This is Baghdad. This is graduate-level s--t."

No one has to tell the 4-23 that every war is cruel. Its members freely admit they've been luckier than a lot of units in Iraq. The 172nd has lost fewer than 20 of its roughly 4,000 troops in the past year, and the 4-23 has had no one killed in action. Their record in the field, along with their almost indestructible armored vehicles, made the 172nd an obvious choice to clean out Baghdad's sectarian death squads. "We were victims of our own success," says Capt. Phillip Mann, the 4-23's intelligence officer. Even so, the war's emotional and spiritual costs keep rising for them and their loved ones back home. Velotta's little girl tells of bad dreams that he's going to die. "No, baby," her mother says. "He is coming home"—wishing she could be sure of that. The wedding of Spc. Shawn Mott and Nina Herrera was set for Sept. 16. Eight hours after she mailed the invitations, he called to say he had to go to Baghdad instead of flying home. "I was so scared to call you," he told her afterward. "I thought you'd leave me."

The Army says troop morale remains high. For the first 11 months of fiscal 2006, two out of three soldiers who were eligible to re-enlist have done so—a rate unchanged since 9/11. But whatever the numbers say, the strain is showing. Capt. John Grauer, the 4-23's chaplain, describes the scene when the order came down: "There was a rush of soldiers trying to get on the phone to call home. Some literally threw up when they heard the news. Some were extremely angry ... Some went to sleep for a couple of days, hoping maybe it was all a bad dream." It was tough for Grauer to tell his wife, Tyra, and their two girls—especially Morriah, 9. "She started crying," he says. "That's when I put the sunglasses on." Behind the shades, he wept.

Back home, the news hit hard. Some 172nd wives are too proud to complain. "At least our husbands are out there saving the world," says one. "They're not wussies just sitting there on the couch." But at Fort Richardson, Alaska, the 4-23rd's home base, chaos erupted at the announcement of the extension. Some wives had already packed up and shipped their household goods to their husbands' next duty stations. There were families without a place to live; children pre-enrolled in schools thousands of miles away; parents scrambling for winter clothing they had given away; household goods in storage; airplane tickets for vacations that could not be taken—not to mention thousands of broken hearts. Grauer says soldiers have told him, "This has killed my marriage, It's been my third deployment in five years, and we've only spent 15 months together."

Staff Sgt. Chad Denton is on his second deployment. "It takes its toll," says his wife, Beth, back home in Anchorage. "You just don't know each other anymore." The Dentons have five children, 1 to 13 years old, and the two middle sons, 6 and 8, are having trouble. "They need their dad," Beth says. "I keep telling him, 'I know you guys are getting blown up, but I'd rather be on that side, doing what you're doing, than on this side, being mom and dad'." Telling her about the extension was "brutal," says Chad. "At first she said she couldn't believe it. I guess there are three stages: denial, shock ... " His voice trails off. He doesn't get to the third stage.

The 172nd is in the thick of Baghdad's largest military action since 2003. U.S. and Iraqi officials call it the Battle of Baghdad. Gen. George Casey, head of all Coalition forces in Iraq, told 172nd officers it's "the defining moment, the defining battle of the war." This summer's sectarian violence was the worst Baghdad has seen since the war began, with roughly 1,800 killings in July alone, according to the Iraqi Health Ministry. Large parts of the city have fallen into virtual anarchy. Privately, senior U.S. officials say the Iraqi government has only a few months to stop the killing or collapse.

The Stryker teams are supposed to hold the line. They spend their days searching bad neighborhoods for weapons and evidence of death-squad activities. But Baghdad, like much of Iraq, is suffering from "whack-a-mole" syndrome. The militias keep popping up elsewhere. "With two Stryker brigades, one on the east side, one on the west side, we could secure Baghdad," says a 172nd officer, who asks not to be named disputing Coalition strategy. Even then, he adds, it would take more than four months to finish the job. As things stand, many 4-23 members say the sweeps are no more than a temporary fix. Some argue that the aim is only to make Iraq look good before the Nov. 7 U.S. elections—"fighting for the House of Representatives," as Sgt. Brian Patton describes it.

Meanwhile, families are falling apart. Back in Alaska, one 4-23 wife has a suicidal child in the hospital; another suffered an ectopic pregnancy and had to beg her husband's commander to let him come home to care for her. Another wife attempted suicide. Her husband was sent home, but his career, the other wives say, is over. Gossip is running wild: who drinks too much, who has a compulsive-gambling problem, whose kids are left untended.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld got a taste of this rage and frustration in August when he met with family members of the 172nd at Fort Wainwright, near Fairbanks, Alaska. In a video of the meeting obtained by NEWSWEEK, one woman asked him why the 172nd was spending most of its time clearing houses, instead of patrolling the streets in the relative safety of the big armored vehicles. "My husband hasn't set foot in his Stryker since he arrived in Baghdad," she said. "Over 90 percent of the house clearings are being handled by the Iraqis," Rumsfeld responded, whereupon women in the audience began shouting "No!" and "That's not true!" Flummoxed, Rumsfeld shot back, "No? What do you mean? Don't say 'No,' that's what I've been told. It's the task of the Iraqis to go through the buildings."

The 4-23's soldiers say they, not the Iraqis, do 95 percent of the searches. "I'd like to punch [Rumsfeld] in the gut," says one seasoned NCO on his second Iraq tour. "He treats us like we're not human. He acts like he's not destroying families."

Baghdad in August breeds thoughts like that. Outside it's 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside a Stryker armored vehicle it's 130, sometimes 140. Team members sweat more than seems humanly possible. Their mustaches leak with sweat. Their soaked pants leave damp marks where they sit. The sweat collects in the protective goggles they wear, pouring off the eyebrows and into the lenses. Each soldier has to wear 15-pound side plates, 20-pound body armor, and a three-pound helmet that feels like it's baking the brain. When the vehicle stops, the teams dismount and go to work, climbing stairs, scaling walls, breaking down doors—always watching out for snipers and booby traps.

The unit has had plenty of close calls. Capt. Benjamin Nagy, who goes by the nickname Ox, has been hit by 15 IEDs. Chaplain Grauer has been IED'd seven times. Strykers routinely drive away unscathed from explosions that would kill everyone in a Humvee. Sometimes Velotta's men, sick of the drudgery of house searches, say things like: "Please, can someone just shoot at us?" But a single call over the radio can turn the tedium into something far worse. In the Adamiyah neighborhood, a soldier from another 172nd unit, the 4-14, recently became the extension's first loss. He was shot in the face by a sniper and died a week later after being evacuated to a hospital in Germany.

Postscript: Mary Velotta died on Aug. 19. Her grandson missed the funeral.

With Scott Johnson in Baghdad, KAREN BRESLAU in Anchorage, John Barry and Michael Hirsh in Washington, Catharine Skipp in Alexandria and Margaret Friedenauer in Fairbanks

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14757928/site/newsweek/

The Strut

It appears in this photo that jeans cause Reese to strut...

Reese is doing extremely well and is getting the crawling thing down. Last night she went from the kitchen to the back bathroom without stopping and then pulled herself right up into a seated position, it was awesome. Not sure what her aversion to crawling previously was, but it looks like she has overcome it.

I also need to review this past weekend's checklist:

Notre Dame win- x
Bears crush Packers- x
ThunderCats crush Jum- x

The Enquirer has a policy that when distributing tickets to clients for events, priority is given to cases where the rep goes with them. I have a client who is from Cleveland who wanted to take his daughter to the Browns-Bengals game Sunday, so I get to go for FREE. Not a bad deal...

Things are going really well at our church as well, we have started connecting with some couples there and have dinner plans in the next couple of weeks. I have been given the honor of helping them with some advertising/marketing ideas and will be helping them set-up the stage a couple of times a month. (We currently meet in a high school auditorium.) The children's director will also be in touch with Bon regarding helping with the kids during service.

It was awesome this past Sunday where a father baptized his 13 year old daughter, it gave me goose bumps. I definitely look at things differently now that I have my own little princess.

Love you Reese.

Pure Joy

Oatmeal cereal, good for your health, and good for your skin...

Dream Team

So you know about my speeding ticket a couple of weeks ago, going 45 in a 20mph school zone...

Well, similar to OJ Simpson I had my own "Dream Team" with two of the finest attornies in the world. They have managed to get me out of points on my license and get me dropped to a non-moving violation. I can't thank Schad and the Godfather enough, I owe them big for this one. They are getting the judge to overlook that small weapons charge against me a couple of years ago as well...

One of the funniest things that just keeps popping into my head is at the end of the movie Kingpin when Bill Murray's character wins the tourney and collects the $1 Million prize, he says, "Finally, Big Ern is above the law".

That's kinda how I feel...

#1

A win is a win. Notre Dame held on to beat Georgia Tech 14-10 Saturday night. The defense played very well in the 2nd half but the new kicker missed a couple of short ones. Saturday it does not get any easier as they face Penn State on NBC at 3:30.

Mad props go out to Momma for hosting us all day Saturday, we had a great time.

More props go out to Jum for scoring us the entire Disney collection, 130 movies, on DVD for Reese. I know they will get used a ton, you da man.

Thursday night marks the beginning of the NFL season, I love this time of year...

Celebrate!

Want more proof that prayer works? Try this one on for size...

Our pediatrician called and after reviewing Reese's EKG has determined that she sees no abnormalities and at this time sees no need to proceed with further testing for the elongated Q-T interval.

We feel humbled that God has shown his grace to us again and answered our strongest prayer.