Katrina

I'm not sure what to say regarding Katrina. I haven't posted about it yet because the magnitude of it is still sinking in. My company has a client that is one of the top 100 largest credit unions in the country and they lost their home office and five branches. As of this afternoon they had only located two of their employees and these two were trying to recover all operations. I'm not saying that all of the employees are lost but some many either have evacuated or can't be located because of down phone lines and no power.

Shelley has a post that is very moving. Link

Here is a link to another blog that has a lot of places to go if you want to contribute to the relief efforts. Link

No Power

Last night we lost our power for about an hour. It is amazing how something as powerful as electricity is taken for granted until it's not there. I found myself saying, "It's going to get hot, I'm going to turn on all of the ceiling fans." Now, how would I do that without electricity? Or, "I'm hungry, I'm going to cook something to eat." Again, with what?

I quickly realized how dependent we are on electricity and then my thoughts went out to the people in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Our prayers go out to them.

The Newsboys

Our church is amazing. Shelley and I went to what we thought would be a typical Saturday night service at Fellowship. We should know now that nothing is typical at Fellowship. Tonight Fellowship had the Newsboys leading the worship service. Yes, the actual Newsboys.

It was amazing. Fellowship is amazing, the Newsboys are amazing.

Sex Offenders

Here is a good website to track sex offenders in your neighborhood. It uses a combination of Google Maps and the Registered Sex Offender database. It will also allow you to enter your email address and receive alerts when a registered sex offender moves in near to you. Send this to all your friends.

The Filling Station

When Shelley and I were dating we once went to a restaurant called The Filling Station. During that date Shelley entered into a conversation with a woman at a neighboring table and discovered that the man she was with was married. She was the "other woman". Shelley evangelized and lectured her that she needed to change her ways. When her date returned from the bathroom he was not too happy about the conversation but didn't take his anger out on Shelley but on me.

I'm telling this story because last night Shelley and I went on a date. We went out to a restaurant that we had to wait an hour to get a seat and it didn't have a kid's menu. We had a wonderful time and during this date it made me remember times such as the one described above when we were dating.

Our pastor, Ed Young, always talks about the importance of married couples having a "Date Night". Shelley and I have done a poor job of following his advice but now that we have 2 children and very little quiet time, I am realizing how important it is. Last night energized our relationship and I hope we can continue this practice. I'm reaching out to our family to be there when we need that babysitter.

I'm Back

I'm back. After taking a week off from posting so that I could clear my head, I am ready to begin blogging again.

Good Bye Dusty

This is a post I knew I would have to eventually write but it still doesn't make it any easier. Yesterday I had to say good bye to a member of our family and a faithful friend. We were together for almost 16 years and I am thankful to God for every moment we had together.

Dusty was a very special dog and I don't say that just because she was mine. I think if you ask anyone who knew her they would tell you the same.

I wish I was better with words to give her an appropriate tribute but I can't so all I can say is that I will always love her, I will miss her incredibly and I'll never forget the impact she had on my life.

Dusty,
* I will always remember the day I picked you out at the North Richland Hills Humane Society. You were the only one awake among your brothers and sisters and I just knew you were special.

* I will always remember you sleeping in my lap on the trip home from the Humane Society and thinking you were going to be a calm dog. I was wrong about that. :-)

* I will always remember how you loved to play ball. You could always out last me and I would end up kicking the ball because my arm was getting tired.

* I will always remember our walks together.

* I will always remember sleeping on the couch with you during those stormy nights.

* I will always remember how you loved to play with a rock and a shoe.

* I will always remember how good you were with Seth and Chase.

* I will always remember all of the trips to Kansas City we made together and how well you traveled. You were always so patient.

* I will always remember the feel of your cold nose on my cheek.

* I will always remember the frantic call I got from Shelley one day needing me to come home because you had a rat and wouldn't put it down. I assumed you had found a dead one in the yard but I was surpised to find it still alive. How you caught it I'll never know.

* I will always remember how Jeff Nickerson's laugh would always excite you.

* I will always remember how you greeted the Jehovah Witness's that one morning and amazingly they never returned.

* I will always remember the sound of your scratch on the back door when you wanted out.

* I will always remember how you loved uncooked pasta.

* I will always remember our morning routine of me making my lunch and you eating one of my carrots.

* I will always remember how you loved to play tug-of-war.

* I will always remember you making "spit holes" in the carpet and how it just drove Shelley crazy.

* I will always remember how like Houdini you could escape from your kennel. I will always wonder how you accomplished it.

* I will always remember how you would hide under the bed when something scared you.

* I will always remember how you ate the window sill in the apartment and tore up 2 door frames in our rent house.

* I will always remember how you just loved to lay in the yard and smell all of the smells of the neighborhood.

* I will always remember how you loved to fight with Shadow, Shelby and Sheena.

* I will always remember the time I almost burned my apartment down how you greeted me at the door, wagging your tail and holding a ball as if nothing was wrong.

* I will always remember how you got bit by another dog when Shelley was walking you and Shelley and you ran all of the way home and we thought it might send Shelley into labor.

* I will always remember right after we brought Seth home from the hospital and I was just learning to take care of a baby. When he would be with me and start to cry, you would run into the room and look at me as if to say "Do I need to go get Shelley?"

* I will always remember how you were there for me through two marriages, one divorce, the birth of Seth and Chase, through layoffs and promotions and every other significant event in my adult life.

I love you and will miss you.

(Shelley wrote a good post that you can read here.)

Marathon Withdrawals

I have run 5 marathons in the last 6 years but have made a decision to take this year off because of the recent birth of our second son. I made the same decision when our first son was born. But this past weekend would have been my first weekend of training if I was going to run in the Dallas White Rock Marathon and I'm missing it a little.

Shelley has encouraged me to stop running marathons but no formal decision has been made. I am taking this year off but no retirement decision has been made. But you never know when a press conference might be scheduled.

Morning Good Bye Kisses

I usually leave for the office very early in the morning and Shelley is almost always asleep. This morning she was awake and I got to kiss her good bye. This made me realize a small change that having children brought to our lives.

Prior to having kids, every morning before leaving for work I would kiss Shelley on her cheek while she slept. Once we had Seth I remember the first time I attempted this. Just as my lips made contact with her cheek, she lept about 3 feet in the air and instantly began checking on her sleeping baby. My lovely wife was now in "Mommy Mode." No longer would she sleep so soundly that I could kiss her without disturbing her. She now sleeps with one ear listening for that next hungry cry.

Chase is 2 Months Old

Chase turned 2 months old this past Sunday. It's hard to believe we have already had him for 2 months.

Congratulations Phil!

Phil Mickelson won the 2005 PGA Championship.

Armed Citizen #3

Two teenage thugs in Dayton, Ohio had the tables turned on them when one night in June they targeted a man licensed to carry a firearm. They approached Mark Hill and one of them shoved him. When he turned around, they both flashed handguns according to the police report. Hill backed away and then pulled out a Glock 23 and fired, hitting one of the gunman several times. Both men fled shortly thereafter. The men were later arrested when they sought medical attention.

Cowboys Pre-Season Game 1

Yuck!

That is all I have to say. If you can't think of something good to say then don't say anything at all.

Why I Blog

The other night Shelley commented that she thought I was addicted to blogging. This statement had been preceded by me rattling off various stats like the number of first time visitors, returning visitors to my blog, page loads, my Google Page rank and other various search engine results.

This morning two buddies that I work out with asked "How do you have time to blog?" and "Why do you do it?"

First to my wonderful wife, I'm not addicted to blogging, I can stop any time I want. Yes, I can stop any time I want. :-)

Now, why do I blog? The reason I blog is to:

Evangalize
Politicize
Socialize
Plagarize (with given credit of course)
and
hypothesize

Joys of Fatherhood #12

Last night Shelley was working and Chase was a little cranky so I got up since Shelley was busy. I laid him on my chest and he fell asleep. What else could be better than having a 2 month old sleeping on your chest.

And here is another Joy. Read here.

France Funnies

Today, Jacques Chirac raised the terror alert level across France from RUN to HIDE. Paris residents fear that this may continue to escalate to the next level of SURRENDER or possible the highest level of COLLABORATE. These events were triggered when a massive fire broke out at the white flag factory outside of Paris, which has temporarily crippled the French military. - Reuters.

and one more

How many French soldiers does it take to defend Paris?

Nobody knows. It has never been tried.

Who I Am

George Essef paid for this ad last year in the Washington Post. I couldn't say it better. It's long but worth it.

Read here.

Joys of Fatherhood #11

Cheers!

Our niece taught our oldest son how to toast. He now wants to click his glass with yours and say "Cheers" before he drinks.

100th Post

I have been blogging for a little over 2 months now and this is my 100th post. I thought I would list out some of my favorite post up to this point.

The Ordeal
Nana, Grandmama, Where are You?
God's Plan
Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway
The Lake
Brothers
Happy Anniversary
Chase
Quitter or Failure
Terry Storch
Swimming Lessons
July 13, 1968
Saddam and Osama
Accidents
Introduction from Terry Storch
Life's Curve Balls
The Night I met my Wife

The Power of Terry Storch part 2 (and the power of a Blog)

Look what happens now when I google my name. The top 2 entries are from Terry Storch's blog. Prior to his post the first result that actually referred to me was number 10, now I have 1 and 2.

Shows what a Blog can do for your search engine placement.

The Night I Met My Wife

As I promised this is my version of how I met my wife. If you want to read her version then see below. Also, this might be "too much information" so I apologize in advance.

First, a little background. I was in the process of going through a very painful divorce from my wife of nearly 6 years. She was leaving me and had no desire to reconcile.

My sister-in-law at the time (my soon to be ex-wife's brother's wife) loved nothing more than doing the "set-up". So, she got the idea she would orchestrate a happy hour on my behalf and invite all of the single woman from her office with the intent of hooking me up with one of two woman in particular (neither being my current wife). (The other woman were invited so it wouldn't appear to be a set-up).

I really didn't want to go but it became obvious that was not an option for me, my sister-in-law was going to make this happen. Well, the night finally arrived, February 6th, 1997, and it was a horrible night. It was cold, pouring down rain and the location of the happy hour was 20 miles from my house and I was going to have to make my way through some of the worst possible Dallas traffic to get there. But, my sister-in-law had left no stone unturned and had planned on the fact I might try to back out at the last moment so she sent my brother-in-law over to drive me there.

On the way there I kept hoping that the weather would keep everyone away and I could go home peacefully.

When we got to the location of the happy hour, a hotel bar(sounds sleazy doesn't it?), my brother-in-law and I made a direct path to the bathroom. On our way there we ran into one of the two candidates I was there to meet and I instantly ruled her out as a possibility. We then located everyone, which was just a handful of people, and we found our spot at some tables. I was seated directly next to candidate number two and she was eliminated from the running in about five minutes. Now that my work was done, I could relax.

The turn out wasn't very large because of the weather and several people made quick exits leaving just a few of us around a small table talking. Sitting catty-corner from me was a cute brunette wearing a plaid jacket and a little hat. I noticed she seemed to have spunk, a little attitude, a good sense of humor and was well versed in the ways of Seinfeld. We all talked for several hours and I must say I was interested it this girl but really didn't think there was any interest on her side. Then an Elvis medley was played and this spunky little thing got up, didn't really ask, and pulled me to the dance floor. Now, I could have put up more of a fight if I wanted to because I HATE to dance. In fact, the last time I had danced was at my wedding nearly 6 years earlier, but I didn't.

On my way home, I stared out the window and just kept repeating to my brother-in-law, "this isn't suppose to be happening". I knew it was too soon for me to be interested in someone and I really didn't want to be, but I was.

We were married June 12, 1999

Shelley's Love Story

The Happy Husband blog Has posted a story Shelley wrote about the night we met.

See it here.

In the next few days I will post my version of this story.

Raffy Update

It appears that Raffy tested positive for a "potent" steroid called Stanozolol which isn't found in any dietary supplements. It is appearing that Raffy's assertion that this was an accident is appearing even more unlikely.

Raffy, please just tell the truth.

Read the entire story on ESPN.

Raffy

I am really disappointed in Rafael Palmeiro.

Back in March he told Congress "I have never used steroids. Period." Then yesterday he said "I have never intentionally used steroids."

Intentionally?

Raffy, please just tell us the truth.

West Nile

When I came home yesterday the city had posted a notice on our door that a mosquito that tested positive for West Nile was found in our neighborhood. It then continued on with tips on what to do and what not to do. It basically boiled down to not going outside during the morning or evening hours and if you do wear long pants and long sleeves.

It's August in Texas and the only time you want to be outside is in the morning or evening, and long pants and long sleeves? Again, it's TEXAS!

As I was dumping the water from my son's blow up pool in order to "eliminate any possible breeding grounds", I was getting irritated. Not only do my kids face the threat of sexual predators, abductors and other various sickos, they can't even play in their own back yard because of a stickin' mosquito.