New blog I've been reading...

I still read the FireWire every couple of days. (Yes, I'm still here Larry)

I found this one today that reminds me a lot of a more obsessed me.

Lost Season 5

Well, It's finally here! Last nights episode was intense. I won't go into detail as not to spoil it for anyone.... But there were several questions answered and a few more asked....

(I'm watching Alias right now BTW!)

Not much is going on recently. Work is still well, work. Ran 3 miles yesterday. Tomorrow's high is near 70. I'm hoping to do at least 6...


Somebody give me something to write about.... I'm running dry......

Banana mashing is fun!!!

I just finished baking my first loaves of bread. I made three small loaves of Banana bread from scratch. One is Apple butter banana bread and the others are plain banana bread with walnuts. It smells delicious in here!! I've always wanted a bread maker. I still don't have one, but I think I can manage. I used loaf pans. I made them for our Sunday School class. I wanted to do something besides donuts or breakfast casserole. I saw these recipes in the Betty Crocker and realized that I had found a project! It's 1:30 am right now and I have to be at the Alzheimer's walk at 7:30 or so. I also have a cook out at Wes' parents at noon and then we have to go to my High School reunion at 6pm. I'll be tired tomorrow, but I'll manage. I'm currently waiting for the bread to cool so I can wrap it up and go to bed.

Yesterday, I finished reading Flags of our Fathers. It's a great book. I've seen the movie, but books are almost always better. This one hits closer to home because my (great) Uncle was a flamethrower and was there when the flag went up on Iwo Jima. He wrote a few short memoirs of his experiences that day and the days following. His stories are nearly identical to the book, but you can tell in his writings that he was haunted by what he saw. His English is bad which makes it a bit difficult to read, but I find it fascinating. I am proud to say that I have relatives who served our country on such historic days. I am also proud to say that my 6th Great Grandfather on my Dad's side was a man named Ferdinand Kowall. He was Copernicus' Assistant. He helped Copernicus prove that the world was round and traveled with him during his academic quests.

This morning, I started reading Randy Pausch's book, Last Lecture. I have not been able to put it down. I have read over a hundred pages already. It's a small book, but full of wonderful life lessons from a man who knew his fate. I'm pretty sure I'll finish it before the weekend is up.

I think my bread is cool enough now. I'm going to bed. I have to be up in 4 hours... If you see me yawning tomorrow, pinch me and tell me it's my own fault for staying up so late. I could have just bought donuts.....

Writer's Block... cont.

Image #3
A mallard duck. Floating on top of an oil slick surface. The sun creates beautiful rainbow of colors on the black diluted oil swirls. The green feathers are the only identifying markings left on his matted oil-drenched body. He's among a few other ducks, all of them are jet black and barely distinguishable from the water's surface. A few dead fish are floating nearby. To the left is the gloved hands of a man, reaching down to rescue the struggling mallard and his pals. His waiters are yellow at the top, but turn oily and black at his waist. His face and hair sweaty and weathered. His eyes compassionate and concerned.

Image #4
A dead end street. Empty, abandoned houses line is cracked and potholed pavement. The street sign is barely legible, saying only "..th Ave." and "Dead E..." The house on the corner is a two story brick house with all its windows broken. One faded blue shutter hangs sideways from one of the second story windows. The front door is made of oak with an oval opening that once held beautifully decorated glass. A large ornate chandelier hangs just inside in the foyer, rusted and broken. There's a sign hanging on what's left of the fenced in front that states "For Sale." Another sign is stapled next to the door. It reads "Condemned."

Image #5
A cat sitting in a bay window. Her tail curled slightly down. Her ears are perked up. Her eyes large and determined. Just outside the window a bird feeder hangs on a shepherds' hook. A small robin is eating birdseed. The cat is carefully watching the bird, every movement, every breathe. Her eyes staring intently at it, waiting for the right moment to attack as if there wasn't a pane of glass between them.

Writer's Block #?

"Write a story about the images on a roll of film--using only 12, 24, or 36 paragraphs."

Image #1
A young girl. Sitting alone on a bench looking out over the harbor as a container ship passes by. The bright blue sky lights up the scene as a group of small sailboats milling swiftly around in a close circle, like a cat chasing it's tail. A small fishing boat is also visible, a man with a green hat with several rods cast out into the water. A cooler sits next to him as he leans back in his chair and reads a book. The girl has her eyes closed, enjoying the cool off-shore breeze blowing in her face. A happy, simple smile is on her face. She's dressed shabbily, wearing a worn, stained, dingy white t-shirt and blue jeans unevenly cut off at the knees. Her hair dishevelled, in a messy ponytail. On the ground next to the bench is her bag containing all of her belongings. A few changes of clothes, a worn, dirty comforter, a few pictures, a Gideon's Bible. A small journal containing her deepest thoughts and prayers sits on her lap. She seems content, as if deep in meditation. The cool breeze and the sun on her face gives her a glow, like that of a new mother.

Image #2
A cemetery. Military rows perfectly lined up and perfectly spaced. In the foreground, an bright white unknown soldier marker with a crisp new American flag at attention. In the background, an unending sea of order, white marble stones, dark green grass, and a touch of red and blue. Permanently at rest, permanently at attention, permanently serving our country.

Image #3
coming soon...

Please Recycle.

Found this bottle on the beach a few weeks ago. I thought it would make a pretty compelling picture and message. Notice that the bottle has barnacles on it. Bottles like this don't disintegrate and often end up in places like this.

Mom and I found this bottle intriguing. We started imagining how it may have ended up here. I said that I'll bet Pete threw it of the ship years ago, and it coincidentally made its way to the Gulf and washed up on the beach on the weekend that we were going to be there. I would have peed on myself if it actually had "Kowall" written on it. How funny would that story be.

Writer's Block #5

"Describe a time when you were afraid of something that wasn't real."

I made this one up because for some reason, this memory came to me today as I was sitting with Papaw at the hospital. (He's doing fair by the way. Very confused. His temperature is down though.) I don't know why I started thinking about it. Here goes....

When I was a young thing, about 8 or so, my brother and I were at home with a babysitter. I won't mention her name because, well, I don't know why. It's not her fault. Anyway, it was getting late that night and we were watching a TV movie. Pete had already fallen asleep (he was about 3 or 4 at the time) and I begged to stay up and finish the movie.

The movie was called "David." It was about a little boy (named David) whose parents were separating and competing for his love. I can't remember all the details, but it seemed that the parents were trying to get David to want to live with each and both were doing things to get him to "love" them more than the other. The boy's father decides to take little David to Disney World. On the way there, Dad goes to a convenience store and buys a gas can & gasoline, matches, cigarettes, and some sleeping pills. They end up a hotel room for the night to rest up for David's big day which he is overly excited about. Dad gives him a sleeping pill, telling him it will simply help him sleep better. He takes it and promptly passes out on the bed. Dad then pores gasoline all around the room and on the bed around David. He pores a trail of gas out the door and into the parking lot. (You can guess what happens next). He lights a match...

In the end, Dad goes to jail and David miraculously survives with severe burns all over his body. (In reality, he wouldn't have had a chance.) I don't know why Dad did this awful thing. Maybe because he thought that if little David was disfigured, Mom wouldn't want him. Or maybe he was selfish, thinking that if he couldn't have him, no one could.

I guess I was at an impressionable age then, because from then on, I was terrified of someone coming into my room while I was sleeping and poring gas on my bed. At times when I couldn't sleep or would hear noises at night, I would cry. On a regular basis, I would go to sleep with either an arm or a leg (or both) hanging off the side of the bed so I would be able to "feel" it. Of course, I was perfectly safe and there was no reason for all this anxiety, but my young mind didn't know any better. I think I did this off and on for years. I eventually began to think I was crazy or something. I knew I was being ridiculous, but in the back of my mind, that small amount of fear made me subconsciously let my leg hang off the bed. I eventually got over it. But I still think about it on occasion. Remembering how scared I was. Looking back, I think it's a bit ironic that the little boy's name was David. Maybe that's why it effected me so much. Either way, I'm over it now, if you're wondering.

I do have random, anxious thoughts about things on occasion. I'll find that my mind begins racing with all these scenarios of things that could happen and how I'll react to them. Things like what would happen if a family member had a car wreck and was seriously hurt, or what if Wes was at school and someone was there with a gun, or what if my parents get hurt at work. How would I find out about the event? Who would be the one to tell me? What would I do? How would I react? (Think about how you found out about 9/11. Where you were, how you reacted.) Sometimes, I'll have a physical reaction to these thoughts, usually when I'm alone. Of course my mind only races like this when I'm driving, trying to sleep, etc. Times when I'm not mentally engaged. My new friend Juliet told me the other day that she does this as well. I'm sure everyone does this in some form. But I'll bet that not everyone is driven to tears from these baseless thoughts. Don't think I'm crazy, it doesn't happen every day. But it's more often than you would think. Sitting in the car for a while or forcing yourself to sleep late at night, your mind starts to race and the "What if?" scenarios start coming. Then later in the day, my mind goes back to that thought and I'll think to myself, "What's wrong with me?"

I don't think my anxiety and this movie experience are related. Well, maybe just a little.

Writer's Block #4

"Describe the most meaningful and/or important gift you've ever received. What does it reveal about your relationship to the giver?"

There are several of those. Several years ago for my birthday, my parents drove up to Birmingham to surprise me with a beautiful cedar chest that my Dad had been working on for months. The wood came from a tree that had been in Papaw's yard for years. A tree that Pete & I and our cousins used to climb when we were kids. It was cut down a long time ago and Dad got the wood from it. I had been telling him for years that I wanted a cedar chest. I don't know, he may have been planning on building it long before I thought of it. The day of my birthday, I was nearly ready for work when I texted Mom to tell her I was awake. Funny, I was a little upset because they hadn't called yet. (Of course, Wes knew all about the surprise). Mom called me back and skirted around the issue until I finally figured out that they were on their way. What I didn't know is that they were bringing the cedar chest with them. I was completely surprised. Mom & Dad both wrote a note and had it inside. They both made me cry. I now have the cedar chest in my living room which is where it will always stay, prominently displayed for everyone who comes by to see. I have a lot of memories inside it, from our wedding & honeymoon pictures, cards, scrapbooks, some things that belonged to Mamaw, and many, many other memories. Of course, I'll never part with it. It'll be passed down through the generations.

Lazy and Phoebe are gifts that have meant the world to me over the years. When I was in Junior High, my dad came home one day and told me to go outside and look in his truck. I didn't know what this meant or why and I was a little scared. I walked out in the dark and looked in the passengers side window and found a pair of gold eyes staring back at me. At first I was startled. I quickly realized that looking back at me was a cat. I had had a cat before. Her name was Ms. Kitty (I know, I was 9). She had gotten run over. The cat in the truck would turn out to be Lazy, my first "child". She slept with me nearly every night for the next ten years. She was the perfect pet. She kept me sane during the grueling adolescent and High School years. When I left home, I left without her. Mom & Dad took care of her. I wanted to take her with me, but she loved to go outside and would have been miserable stuck inside an apartment and I wouldn't want her to be in that environment. She spent her days chasing birds, eating them and terrorizing the dog, chickens, etc. One day Dad had killed a chicken and Lazy snuck up behind us while he was preparing to clean it and attempted to drag it off. That chicken was bigger than she was and she was dragging it away. I don't know how old she was when she died, but I had had her for about 14 years. She died two years ago.

Phoebe was a pleasant surprise. Wes gave her to me for Christmas in 2006. We were living in Birmingham. I was in Charleston for my job interview and Wes picked me up from the airport. When we got home, he wouldn't let me go inside the apartment because he had to "hide" my Christmas present that he bought while I was gone. I had to wait on the stairs. I was tired and irritable because one of my flights was delayed. When he finally told me I could come in, he was standing there with this little ball of fur in his arms. My heart sank! I was in tears within seconds. She was so sweet and innocent. She took to me quickly and is now our "second" child. Although she looks similar to Lazy, she has a completely different personality. Phebs is very playful. She has her toys that she loves to play with, but her favorite is what we call "Yellow thing." (It's a yellow feather on a stick) We regularly get it out and play with her. She loves to chase it around in circles until she's panting and her little heart is racing. It's good exercise I guess. She knows where we keep it and she will stand at the closet door and cry until we get it out. (SPOILED!!) She also fetches. We have several little foam balls laying all over the house. She'll occasionally bring one to us and we'll throw it down the hall a few times for her. She will follow us around in the mornings to remind us to open the window shades so she can watch the birds.

I know I've received countles gifts that are priceless to me. Memories are priceless. I wouldn't be able to write about all of them because I receive gifts every day. There's nothing like being able to step outside in the sunshine and take a deep breath. Waking up next to the best husband in the world. The love of family surrounding you. These are all priceless gifts from God.

Writer's Block #3

"Trace the journey of a five dollar bill through the lives of five different owners. What was exchanged during the transactions? How much (or how little) did the transaction mean to each of the people involved?"

On Tuesday, I took Papaw to a doctor's appointment. Afterwards, I took him by Sonic to get a hamburger. The total was $2.77 and Papaw paid with a five. The lady at the drive-thru took it and gave us the change. She stuffed the five in the money drawer and went about handing us our food. She went for a bathroom break and then a few cars later, a guy buying a couple of burger and fries combos paid with a $20. The fabulous five dollar bill then went into a overstuffed leather wallet with a few ones and took a ride down North Hills Street in the center console of a Jeep to a house to watch the olympics with its new owner. The guy ended up loosing a bet about whether or not Michael Phelps was going to win the 200m backstroke. $15 bucks down the drain..... The five ended up on the coffee table with its fellow bills until the party ended and they all got stuffed into the front pocket of some large guys' khaki shorts. After the olympic party, large guy went home and went to bed. He got up early to go cut his neighbor's grass. He put on the same pair of pants he wore the night before. His neighbor paid him with a 20 and a 10 and large guy gave him the infamous five. Neighborman then prepared for his weekly lunch meeting with his Senior Citizens group and made his way to Arby's, this week's meeting place. $7.50. The five again landed in the cash drawer of another fast food joint, his home sweet home.

If you think about it, money is probably covered in germs and bacteria. Think about how many hands have touched this one bill today. Look at the date on the bill and think about how many hands have touched it in those years. I think I'll take my five and go get some anti-bacterial gel.

Gross.

Writer's Block #2

"Describe your most intimate experience with Mother Nature."

Well, That's fairly easy. There are two places in which I truly felt like I was a part of "Mother Nature." One was when Wes and I went to Italy for our honeymoon. We spent over a week in Rome, Venice, Florence and Vernazza. Vernazza took the cake. It's the most beautiful place on earth. The town is so small and secluded. There are no cars allowed in the town except for one morning each week for deliveries. There's only one street in the town as well. Walking is the only way to get around. The city is built in a valley and there are thousands of staircases that lead up to hundreds of houses and alleyways, so many that you could easily get lost in. There's an old fort on a cliff that provides a magnificent view. Vernazza is part of the Cinque Terre, or Five towns. The train now connects the five towns, but the hiking trails are much more interesting. One day, Wes and I took a hike between two of the towns. It was one of the longer hikes. It was hot and hilly, but it was amazing. We walked through terraced farm fields of grape vines and other fruits. We walked down narrow pathways with a cliff on one side and hills on the other. There were times when you thought you were going in circles. The sun was high and the ocean was crystal clear and still as glass. The occasional sailboat would pass on the horizon. We stopped for a picnic at some tables along the way and noticed that there were several food bowls there with signs asking people to donate change or food so the locals could feed the animals that ran wild there. We watched several old men in their wineries, checking on their vines and plowing or weeding their rows. These men were weathered, with leather skin and wearing torn overalls and straw hats. Once we sat and watched two old men speaking Italian and untying their fishing nets. They kept looking at us and smiling. We watched them, fascinated by their movements and language. One day we sat on the beach for hours and just watched the sun, the water, the locals, some walking the beach for shells or small fish, others were getting ready to go out on their boats. The sunrise and sunset there was so beautiful. Vernazza is a place where you can truly forget that you're on vacation. I felt like I was in another world.

Vernazza

My other favorite "Mother Nature" place is on the river. You can't beat floating down the Chunky and listening to the birds chirping all around you. The last time we went down, Dad & I floated for a while and let the current take us. It was the most relaxing, calming time I've had in a long time! There's nothing better. The scenery changes every time we go down the river. Sometimes we'll see birds, deer, turtles, snakes... Sometimes the water is real low and you can see the bottom, sometimes you'll have to pick your boat up and walk a while. Sometimes the waters high and the current is swifter. Either way, it's amazing. As a matter of fact, we're going down the river on Sunday after church. It'll be the first time we've been since we moved back. I can't wait!!

Writer's Block #1

So I've been wondering what to write on here lately. Life has been slowing down a bit since we moved back home. There's not much to do outside of work now that we are not in a touristy area anymore. Yesterday before our cook-out, I was looking for a few coffee table books to put in the living room when I saw this book (I guess you can call it a book) that I bought a long time ago. It called "'The Writer's Block,' 786 Ideas To Jump-start Your Imagination." I have decided to try to use this little book block (It's shaped like a block) to do just what it says. Hopefully I'll keep up with it on a regular basis. So here goes.

"Tell the story of your nickname....or the story of the most unusual nickname you've ever had."

Well that's kind of an interesting story. My childhood nickname is (I can't believe I'm sharing this!) "Peanut." I tried to hide this from people, but living next to my brother for the last 6 months killed that attempt. Anyway, so the truth is that when I was very little (months old) my Dad would feed me peanuts and I loved them. I still love peanuts. Any type of nuts for that matter. My favorites are cashews and almonds. So that's it. Simple as that.
When I was in Junior High, my friend Rachel started calling me "Eggy." I really don't know why. But that was my school nickname. At first it didn't bother me, but then it gradually became an annoyance. I'm kind of glad that one wore off. When you think about it, it doesn't seem very pleasant. I also used "MERK" on occasion. (The letters are my initials) There may be a few more that were short-lived, but those are the main ones. Pete on the other hand, has had many many nicknames. At first he was just "Bud." Then we started calling him "Dub." I can't remember why. He also suffered through "Peter Pan," "Pistol Pete," "Pete & Repete," and simply "repete."