Pitch and Green

2003-09-23T06:16:00.000-07:00

Moving to Chattablogs Okay, I've caved. Josiah has helped me(heck, he did it for me, thank you Josiah) to move this to chattablogs. Here's the new address: http://chattablogs.com/james or http://james.chattablogs.com original, huh? Thank you Josiah.

2003-09-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Soccer, Week 1 Well, Will's team had their first game on Saturday morning. They lost 4-0, but outshot the other team 19 to 6. We only had 6 players(there are only 6 kids on the field at a time) but the kids did fantastic! They had a ball!

2003-09-22T06:30:00.001-07:00

What do you call a boomerang that doesn't come back?

2003-09-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Who said it? I've heard a saying for years-"The only constant in life is change". While it's not always true, it's more true than we'd often care to admit. Who said it? Does anyone know? Is it a paraphrase of a scripture?

2003-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

John James got sick last night. There are few things that make a parent feel worse than for their child to be sick.

2003-09-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

I believe I will be moving this page to chattablogs. Josiah is helping me, please be patient with me.

2003-09-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

You know, I really miss "The Muppet Show".

2003-09-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

Protection My brother is in Iraq and his town was attacked yesterday. He called to tell us that he is safe. I am SO GLAD. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

2003-09-18T06:51:00.000-07:00

Fishing The manager of a sporting goods store comes in to find out what all the excitement is about with a new salesman. He finds out the salesman has only made one sale, but it is for a whopping $76,000.00. "How did you do it?", asks the manager. "Well", the salesman begins, "this guy wanted to buy a fishhook, and I told him he needed some good line and a good fishing rod to go with it. I then sold him some fishing tackle, and then some more fishing tackle. I then sold him a fully loaded fishing boat. I told him that car he had was not something he wanted to pull a boat with so I sold him one of our 4-wheel drive trucks to pull it with." "Amazing, and all of that from him coming in to buy a fishhook", said the manager. "Oh, he didn't come in to buy a fishhook" says the salesman. "He came in to buy some aspirin for his wife because she has a migraine and they are vacationing for the next few days. I told him, 'You're weekend is shot, you may as well go fishing.'"

2003-09-17T09:42:00.000-07:00

Children You can have a terrible day and come home to a houseful of little one's and a wife that love you and it makes everything right again.

2003-09-17T08:40:00.000-07:00

High School Soccer Okay folks, you've got a good reason or two for going to some of OCS' soccer games this year. Josh is helping coach and I will be refereeing some of their games. Won't that be funny to watch...;)

2003-09-17T07:47:00.000-07:00

GOLF SCRAMBLE Okay sports fans, Drexell Boggs and I are arranging a golf scramble for the end of October/beginning of November. We are going to play it at the Trails End Golf Course in Arcadia, La. The cost will be approximately $29.00 per person and that includes cart and green fee for 18 holes. We are planning on 4-man teams. Who wants to play?

2003-09-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

Old friend An old friend called me last night and we talked for 3 hours.

2003-09-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Beautiful morning When I run in the morning, the first leg of my run is to the east, so I usually get to see the sun rising. This morning...beautiful, just beautiful. Cool and crisp, slight breeze, the moon shining down and the sun coming up. Sweet.

2003-09-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's a beautiful day today! I'm going home to play with the wife and kids!

2003-09-12T11:07:00.000-07:00

Thankful Something happened a couple of weeks ago that really...well, scared me and made me more appreciative of my wife. She was supposed to be home at a certain time and she wasn't, by a whole lot. Well, I found myself wondering if she was in a hospital or car wreck, etc. This is unusual for me as I'm not a big worrier. I called all of the local law enforcement offices, hospitals, and such. I finally decided I could do nothing until the morning, so I crawled into bed. I couldn't go to sleep. I got up and went into my children's rooms and just looked at them. What would I do if something has happened to my wife...their mommy? I was floored. I sat down on the floor of the boys' room and just thought about it for a long time. There are so many things that we all take for granted concerning our mates. I will not begin to list them, but I was so relieved when I heard her drive up in the driveway, I can't even tell you. I'm not the sort that gets mad when someone's not on time(unless it's me) and she was so afraid that I would be. She was beside herself with the anxiety that she was sure that she had caused(I of course tried to play it off...tough guy). I just hugged her and helped bring the groceries in. Amazing, how just a little while before I was wondering what I would possibly do if my wife never came home again, and now she was sleeping next to me. I deserve much less than I have, but I am so happy to have the wife that I do. She is a fine woman, a fine mother, and a fine wife. Don't let her tell you different. -end of sentimental attack

2003-09-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

Women's World Cup There are only 8 days until the Women's World Cup begins. I'm seriously having trouble resisting the urge to get cable for the next 2 months so that we can watch it. Help!

2003-09-12T07:22:00.000-07:00

Josiah asked me why I haven't moved to Chattablogs. I ask those of you that come to this site(I really don't know how many that is), do I need to? I'm not very educated on websites, I only got this one up and running correctly because a few of you helped me out. What's so great about Chattablogs?

2003-09-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

Johnny Cash Johnny Cash died this morning at 2am. I don't really get upset when celebrities die, no offense intended, I usually don't think much of them. I liked Mr. Cash. He will be missed.

2003-09-12T07:18:00.000-07:00

Soccer update Well, the Monroe people went running back to their side of the river. We currently have 6 kids left on the U10 boys team, we can have as many as 9. Does anyone know of a 9-year old boy that wants to play soccer and won't mind practicing in West Monroe? It's okay if they've never played before, they'll play at least half of the game regardless.

2003-09-11T11:52:00.000-07:00

Christin's Interview questions: 1. When and where did you meet your wife and what attracted you to her? At a soda fountain machine. In the Superdome. At an Amway convention. The machine was letting of CO2 in rythym and we were both snapping our fingers to the tempo when we both happened to look at each other at the same moment. It was her smile and her bubbly character that kept my attention. I was comfortable with her from the first moment that I met her. I knew that there was something special about her the moment I met her. 2. What is your favorite personality trait of each of your children?This was tough... Will- Sticktuitiveness-he doesn't give up. Stephen-Joyful, he's always happy. Jane Beth-Helpful, no matter what I'm doing, she wants to help(they all are that way, but for some reason I notice it more when she does it...don't know why) John James-I really don't know, since I must choose something, I'll say his desire to be with his family...goofy, huh? 3. If you had an endless supply of money, what would you do with your life? We would travel, extensively: Alaska, Colorado, Europe, Australia, Brazil, Africa, the Mediterannean. We would take care of our extended family as they grow older and we'd all live close together. We'd buy my father a helicopter, he flew in the Army and it's probably the only thing that I've ever heard him say that he really misses doing-flying. We'd play golf at every course we could. We'd go to the World Cup every 4 years. We'd have season passes to DisneyWorld. We'd take care to support things we believe in. We'd own a little bit bigger home and we'd entertain in it often. I'd buy my wife the Neptune machines(you know those ones that I mean, she loves those things) and we'd go on a vacation by ourselves, every year. There's not enough room for all that we'd do. 4. You think soccer is the best sport in the world. Defend your opinion. Soccer is the only sport that I've ever played that I can truly say that I've seen the whole family can and does embrace. You can see the worst arch rivals in the world go at it on the pitch for 90 minutes and when the game is over, they are shaking hands, hugging, and making dinner plans for later on. You don't have to be great at it to be good, and anyone can do it or teach it, if they apply themselves. It breaks down barriers like nothing I've ever seen. I was in Germany and there was a group of men playing football(soccer). They spoke very little English and I didn't speak German, but as soon as they discovered that I played football(soccer), they accepted me. The same thing happened to me in Mexico. It is the only sport ever to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. It is a sport that the whole family can play together, and they can do so for their entire lives. It encourages people to stay in shape, although this doesn't mean that they'll do it. The biggest reason is this, when I think of this sport, I think of many, many happy memories with my family. 5. What was the most important thing you learned from being in the military? (And which branch were you in, by the way?)The most important thing I learned in the military was to SET THE EXAMPLE. You can't preach it, if you aren't willing to practice it. I was in the Army National Guard(they nicknamed me RAMBO and were always trying to get me to go full-time). ::If you woud like to participate too, here are your instructions: 1. Leave me a comment saying “interview me.” 2. I will respond by asking you five questions (not the same as you see here). 3. You will update your blog/site with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions. And the cycle continues, on and on and on... I'll warn you now: it's easier said than done.::

2003-09-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Why? I have a couple of questions that I'm seriously wanting to know the answers to. Ya'll help me out. Why is it that so many Monroe people look down upon people from West Monroe? What is it that so many Monroe people think they have or do that makes them "better" than people from West Monroe? Seriously, these questions perplex me.

2003-09-11T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll just take my ball and go home... Brotherrrr.....don't ever try to get Monroe people to practice a sport in West Monroe, they are ready to quit. Bummer.

2003-09-10T07:25:00.000-07:00

A recent conversation with a would be customer. J-How did those prices look to you? C-Oh they were better than I'm getting! J-Great! Is there anything else I need to do before you start ordering? C-No, I'm not going to order from you. J-Really? Why not? C-Because then I wouldn't have an excuse to be out of the office for 2 hours every Thursday. J-Well, I can certainly see how that would present a problem.

2003-09-09T13:38:00.000-07:00

Deep Thoughts(yes, the ones from the tv show, I certainly didn't come up with this on my own) If you work on a lobster boat, sneaking up behind people and pinching them is probably a joke that gets old real fast.

2003-09-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

Who said it? "You gentleman can all go to hell. I'm going to Texas!"

2003-09-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Today is our first soccer practice. I'm really excited about this season. We have a lot of new kids on both teams so Will and Stephen are going to make some more friends. I am a bit apprehensive about what the "upper crust" Monroe parents are going to tell me about driving over to practice near the "stinky paper mill", but we shall overcome that as well.

2003-09-09T06:24:00.000-07:00

Candice and I both get up early to work out before breakfast now. I must say, our whole day goes better now.

2003-09-08T07:31:00.000-07:00

If you wash your car at one of those coin-operated jobs, be sure that the sprayer tip is pointed DOWN before you move the switch to Soap or Hi Pressure Wash when it is in the holder. Trust me, you'll look very silly otherwise.

2003-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

Well, the head UN Nuclear adivisor announced this weekend that he wants Iran to come clean on what it is they are producing all that power for in their country. Apparently, he figured out that they are producing enough power with their nuclear reactors for 2 or 3 Irans, so he figures that they could be developing nuclear weapons with the reactor waste. Wow, imagine that! Hard to believe, huh?

2003-09-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

What song? "There you are, standing there, loving me...whether or not you should...

2003-09-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

Things to never say to your wife: Of course I want to talk about it...as soon as the game is over. That dress makes you look fat. That color simply doesn't do anything for you. Do you have any idea how many carbs are in that? You sure look tired, what's for dinner? Well, my mother used to...(fill in completely stupid comment here). Your hair? Of course I like it. Why, did you get it cut or something? No, I don't want to hear how much money you saved me...the only way you save money is not spending it.(this may be a valid point men, but trust me, since when do valid points find inroads to a woman's heart when she thinks she is about to please you because she got something on sale? The correct answer is "Tell me!") No, I don't want your parents to stay for the weekend. Honey, this is (girl's name here). She and I dated back in high school. She hasn't changed a bit!(I almost did this, but she had seen her picture and said it before I could...whew!). Why would I want to get a babysitter for this weekend? Do you have any idea how much that will cost? (After awakening her out of a deep slumber)...Want to wrestle?

2003-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Did anyone see the sunset today? Breathtaking.

2003-09-05T14:44:00.000-07:00

Sherrif's race. Who do you like? This one I have an opinion on already. I like Richard Fewell. His deputies have spoken highly of him ever since he's been in. They seem to admire him and that says a lot when the troops respect the commander. I don't know him, but everything in his office and that I hear of him leads me to believe that his is a Believer.

2003-09-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Governor's race. Who do you like?

2003-09-05T14:40:00.000-07:00

Riddle: A man is standing on a dock. Behind him is a boat and the sun is setting in the distance. The temperature gets very hot, there is a building brightness of light and then the man, boat, dock, all are gone. Why?

2003-09-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

I'm going to post this before I hear people criticize what is going on right now. The 527th Engineer Battalion is coming home today and there are people out in force to welcome them home. As a former soldier and a former member of the 527th(among other units), I remember how I felt when the troops came home from Desert Shield/Storm. I was relieved and thankful that my friends were coming home. I knew the guys that went over there and I remember thinking, "There is Murray, there's Williams, there's Hicks. These men were friends of mine that I saw all the time. They were sons, brothers, fathers, and husbands. Please don't criticize what is going on, realize it's a bunch of family and friends welcoming their own home. If you've never been in the military and/or never come home from a deployment to a combat area and you're thinking about saying something critical, just smile and don't say anything.

2003-09-05T06:16:00.000-07:00

For years, West Monroe parents have driven to Monroe to take their children to soccer practice and not made a big fuss about it. We have been doing this as well for the boys, simply because some of the kids from the church on the team lived in Monroe. Well, of the two teams I am coaching this year, 13 of 19 kids live in West Monroe; of the 6 that don't 4 of the parents are very upset that they must drive to West Monroe to practice. You've never heard such whining from grown adults. When I explained the reasons for practicing and suggested that they realize that West Monroe folks have done this for years, one of the parents said, "Well that's the way it should be, West Monroe doesn't have the lifestyle of Monroe!" Lifestyle? What the hell does lifestyle have to do with driving across a bridge to take your kid to soccer practice? Maybe I'll just move the practices to Calhoun...

2003-09-04T11:00:00.000-07:00

FOOTBALL(Or as Aaron calls it, SOCCER) Did you know that the first college soccer game took place in 1875? Anyone want to guess when the first American football or basketball game took place?

2003-09-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

Guess what?

2003-09-04T06:25:00.000-07:00

Did you know that you can come up with the funniest things in the world to post whenever you don't have a paper and pen with you or a keyboard to type it on?

2003-09-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite thing about Louisiana?

2003-09-04T06:23:00.000-07:00

I found out last week that the only reason that I did not get chosen for the LA State Troopers this time was because I have no law enforcement experience at all. That will not be a challenge next time.

2003-09-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

We've started a new schedule at the house. I get up and exercise and by the time I get back, Candice and the kids are awake. I shower, dress, and we all sit down to breakfast together and then do family worship. I hope we can keep this up because it makes my whole day seem to go better.

2003-09-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

Well, we are back from Plano and we had a marvelous time. I saw some excellent football and they put us up in a really nice hotel. It was a good break. We took the kids to the Fort Worth Museum of Natural History on Friday and then we all went to Grapevine Mills mall on Saturday. The kids spent a couple of bucks a piece on video games and Candice and I played some of the video games that we grew up with(Pac-man, Galaxian, etc.). That mall is huge. While we were in Plano, I met a mutual friend of Ricky Rees(my buddy the Lafayette Policeman) and we were telling Ricky stories and talking about law enforcement. This fellow is a police officer in Plano and he makes 67,000 a year. He expects to make close to 75K this year. Wow. He understands the desire to stay in Louisiana though and said he wishes that he would have felt that he could have afforded to stay. He asked why we stay in Louisiana. I told him family, friends, food, culture, church, and because it's our home.

2003-08-28T22:13:00.000-07:00

NASA I was at my parent's house Tuesday night and my dad and I watched this show on the History Channel called "Failure is not an option". It was really, really, interesting. It was about the Gemini program all the way to the space shuttle. There were a lot of really neat little tidbits in there. 1) When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed The Eagle on the surface of the moon, they landed with only 15 seconds of fuel left in the lunar lander(they overshot the target landing site and Neil Armstrong had to improvise and find another place...not bad for an Eagle Scout, eh?) 2) The vast majority of the engineers in "Mission Control" in Houston were in their mid to late-20's. I'd say the young guns did quite well! 3)Apollo 12 was struck by lightning as it left the launch pad and had a complete electrical failure. They were at the verge of aborting the mission(this is as the Saturn 5 is still on full burn and only about 1&1/2 minutes into launch) and launching the capsule off the Saturn 5 and then blowing up the Saturn 5 while it was still in Earth's atmosphere when one engineer remembered an obscure switch that he'd flipped one day when he'd been in the capsule during a test. Well, he told them to flip "OES to AUX", they did, and everything came back on. Way to go dude! 4)The space shuttle program was approved in 1973. The design has changed very little since then. Each of the main engines of the space shuttle produces more power than something like 100 Hoover Dams. WOW! And they use them over and over again. I mean, that's 30 year-old technology! Good stuff!

2003-08-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Standards Christin and Jeremy have both talked about rules on their sites recently. I know that I break rules on a regular basis, some conciously(speed limit), some unconciously(like fashion "rules"), but where I get frustrated is when I see someone breaking a standard that is repeated again and again from our pulpit such as dress. I can always remember the term "Sunday Best" growing up. They were the clothes that you wore only to church and they looked good, at least compared to what else you had. Why do some people at AAPC not see dressing up for church as necessary? I'm talking about both children and adults alike. We ourselves are going to have the boys in more than simple polos and nice pants in the not too distant future. I simply don't understand what the defense is in wearing "street clothes" to church. I've done it on Sunday evenings on occasion, but I make a sincere effort to not do it... however, I'm guilty of it too since I still slip. I've spoken to a few of these people that dress so laid back about their outlook on the matter and I've never gotten what you could call a real answer. So help me out. Why don't they dress up for church when they own the clothes to do so in?

2003-08-28T06:44:00.000-07:00

The family and I are going to Plano tomorrow for a soccer tournament. I can't wait! I love getting paid to watch a truly fun sport! We are also going to go to some museums and play in the pool at the hotel that they put us up in. The forecast says that it's only going to be in the low 90's. 3 years ago, it was over 100 degrees every day and referees and players were collapsing from the heat all over the place. Bring on the low 90's baby!

2003-08-28T06:42:00.000-07:00

Well, once again we are shelling out money on our car. My front tires are without inside tread, thus, an alignment and 2 new tires are necessary. I told a relative about this and he said I just needed a new car. Why? Don't tires wear out on new cars, too? I guess I should have told him that those 2 tires are the original tires that came with the car. Sheesh.

2003-08-26T14:03:00.000-07:00

Places I plan on visiting someday: Australia(No explanation necessary) Scotland(The birthplace of golf, not to mention William Wallace and such) England(So that I can be called a "bloody yank" without being terribly offended, and see some real football) Greece(for the Dolimar, and the Parthenon, and the like) Germany(been there once, 2006 World Cup, we'll be there for that) France(for the wine you understand) Spain(to stay ahead of the bulls....okay, to watch the idiots trying to outrun them) Ireland(Because it's there) Switzerland(the chocolate, why else?) Checozlavakia(because I've been once before and I loved the people, felt at home sort of)

2003-08-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

What movie? "Well pilgrim, looks like you've done gone and got yourself surrounded."

2003-08-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

Ranger Rick The boys get a publication called "Ranger Rick" that has all kinds of neat things about animals and nature. It also has a very liberal slant. I've had to explain quite a few things to the boys about the difference between being a good steward and being a tree-hugger. Will thinks that tree-huggers are crazy.

2003-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

The piece of paper Wow. I can go back to college and take 24 hours worth of credits to get a degree in General Studies, then another 26 hours to get a Master's in CJ or I can take 50 hours and get a BS degree in CJ. I don't get it.

2003-08-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

TOP TEN REASONS WE LOVE LOUISIANA Okay, I read or hear about all kinds of top ten lists. Let's make one. Everyone tell me the reasons you love(or like) Louisiana. Here's a few for a start: Mild winters Fishing AAPC Cajun cuisine LSU Tigers Good Friends

2003-08-25T06:16:00.000-07:00

Arnie Okay, so "The Terminator" is running for Governor of California. Why is he running as a Republican? He's for abortion, for homosexual rights, for more welfare, and for gun-control(so am I, but I define gun-control as hitting your target with the first shot). I think political parties should have a minimum requirement to register as a member...like a brain.

2003-08-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Captain Jesse Marsalis US Army Well, my brother is now in Iraq. I've talked to him a dozen times over the past month, but he's not much of a talker on the phone. He's not likely going to be out among the areas that are considered "in harm's way", but please remember him in your prayers if you think about it.

2003-08-16T21:03:00.000-07:00

Read to your kids We just finished reading "Summer of the Monkeys" to the kids. They loved it. It's really a great little book. The boys just sit there and listen as we read. They laugh when it's a funny part and cry when it's a sad part. They hate for us to stop reading. Seriously, if you don't already read to your kids, do so. You won't regret it.

2003-08-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

We are reading Summer of the Monkeys to the boys right now and they are loving it. Stephen really liked this one line we read the other night: "Aw, now Daisy. Stop making it sound like I went and burned the barn down." He breaks out into fits of laughter every time he says it.

2003-08-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Children We took Jane Beth and John James to Shots for Tots yesterday. I hate that. I thought I was the one that was the most upset about it, but I think Will was more upset than me. He did not like seeing his brother and sister hurt, not one little bit. Will and Stephen both look out for each other and their younger siblings. I'm very thankful that the Lord has seen fit to give us children and even more thankful that He's given us obedient and compassionate children.

2003-08-13T06:24:00.000-07:00

Fellowship I'm not one to post things from other sites, but this one hit me. It's simple and it should happen more often, not so much where they are as what they are doing. -James August 12, 2003 The World of Mocha Latte Terri Camp Home school author and mother Upon entering the Mocha Latte World all my senses become aroused. The aroma is intoxicating. Even though I am not a fan of coffee, the scent is irresistible as the different blends mix together in the air causing my mouth to water. Being unfamiliar with the Mocha Latte World, I am unsure what to order for my introduction. I read the menu, along with the slogans that go with each particular item. As I am trying to figure out which flavor will be worth the four bucks my sister is paying for this, my eyes are distracted as I am absorbed by the ambiance. A couple of girls behind the counter are bopping around as they perform the cappuccino ritual. I am well known for not noticing the ordinary, like if someone has worn the same shirt for three days, or if they have changed their hair, or even if my son has gotten an earring. Oh, wait! I would notice that. I would also notice that he is missing the ear when his dad finds out. However, in order for me to notice things, I have to purpose to soak it all in. Since this is my first experience in the Mocha Latte World, I vow to take in everything. The girls behind the counter are wearing shirts that say, "Life's Short - Stay Awake!" I love that! I want the shirt! I don't really care at this point if I'm going to enjoy the coffee; I've enjoyed the experience. I finally settle for a Turtle Mocha Latte. The slogan to go with the Turtle Mocha Latte says, "Why NOT a Turtle Mocha Latte?" I decide, "Yes, why not?" I love caramel, so if I'm going to like anything, it will be coffee with caramel in it. Of course I can't just have a Turtle Mocha Latte without something special to go with it, so I choose a pretzel covered with white chocolate. The verdict is still out as I take the warmth in my hands and head to a seat by the window. As the rain pours down outside I sit with warmth in my hands, watching as the world goes past my window. But there is something very real going on inside my window. Sitting next to me is my sister. Together we are enjoying the Mocha Latte World. I think she is laughing at me, as I seem to get a kick out of everything. But the most important part of the whole ambiance thing is being with her. We are not the same. We share parents but have vastly different views on many things. Does this make us love one another any less? No. Does this make us not enjoy one another's company? No. Does this mean that together we cannot share tears? No. Our struggles are different, our successes are different, and our family size is different. But we have something together, besides being sisters that bridges all those differences and turns us into a united duo. Together we have a common love for our Lord. That love is what caused my sister to pray me into salvation. It is the love that had me on my knees for her every day as she went through a difficult time in her life. It is the love that unites us in a love for our Lord to overlook the differences, to enter into one another's world, and to consider it a privilege to be able to pray for each other. I entered into the Mocha Latte World so that I could spend time with someone I love. We hadn't spent time alone together for almost a year. Even though we hadn't been alone together, we keep in touch through e-mail, instant messaging, and phone calls. So it wasn't catch-up time, but absorb time. It was just a time to absorb one another's company. A little less than a year ago my sister moved from the small town where we grew up together, spreading her wings and heading north, she landed in Minneapolis. In the small town, we would often walk to the store together, to get our bit of alone time. There were times in the past when our alone time was filled with pain. There were times when it was filled with sorrow. There were times when it was filled with joy. This time, it was filled with successes. As we shared the Mocha Latte World with each other; we connected. We shared with each other the latest sermons at church, the profound books we've read lately, and even our struggles with some of the relationships in our homes. As I talked of my recent excitement for the Lord, she felt it. As she talked of successes at work, I felt it. Over a cup of Turtle Mocha Latte, we grew in our love for each other. Mocha Latte anyone?

2003-08-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

What movie? "Well, may I have permission to date your daughter?" "No!"

2003-08-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

We went to Kenner a couple of weeks ago and toured the Kenner Police Department and met some of the people. All I can say is that it is one of the most professional organizations I've ever seen. I was extremely impressed by their sense of duty, professionalism, and community. The kids really liked seeing everything as well. Candice felt a whole lot better about the possibility of my being a Kenner Police Officer if it should come to that after the visit. We looked around Kenner for possible places to live but I must say, we may just have to not have the take home car and live in Hammond or Covington or LaPlace...we really love being able to go home to the country. For those of you that don't know, we've been seriously considering this move to the Covington area for some time(years, in fact). My grandmother has Alzheimer's and my sister has recently moved back to the area with her husband, Jim. My mom and dad have voiced great interest in us living closer and we really want to(any time we are down there and have to head home, I tell Candice when we get to Hammond, "You know, if we lived down here this would be about as far as we would have to drive to get home.") Candice's family lives just over an hour away and we haven't seen her grandparents and parents nearly as much as we should. I don't care to see her parents a great deal...but we really should, even if they are quite rough around the edges. Funny, huh? Some of you probably consider us rough around the edges...well, just imagine....

2003-08-10T06:21:00.000-07:00

We all went to Clarksville, TN to see my brother's new baby girl. She is absolutely beautiful, as all babies are, but she seemed to be even more beautiful than most(except of course my own). I suppose it's because it's my brother's child. It's very good to be able to get around family as much as we have lately. The kids all got to see the baby and it was very sweet to watch. While we were there, we got to go to a couple of museums with the kids as well as the Opry Mills mall and Opyrland hotel. It was a lot of fun. Candice got a membership to SciPort in Shreveport and the membership allows us to go into any of some 200+ museums around the country for free. It was well worth it.

2003-08-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the lack of blogging over the past several weeks. I shall get back to a regular posting this week.

2003-07-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

Oh Brother where art thou... My water pump went out today at 2:55pm. My staff manager had me drop him off at his truck in my overheating car and said see you later. Bad form, I'd have at least offered use of my tools. Anyway, Candice and the kids are on the way with my tools(I left them in the van after the past 3 weekends trips in the van) and we are another $80 lighter. Here's the bright spot: I have a car that can break down, tools to fix it with, money to purchase the needed parts(okay, a check to purchase the parts), and a family to bring me the tools and keep me company.

2003-07-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

My boys and I watched "Gods and Generals" today. I really don't understand what some of you out there found to knit pick about it. I can't say enough good about that movie. My boys absolutely loved it, too. I think Will is playing on naming his first son Stonewall or Jackson.

2003-07-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

In the job hunt again I got to work this morning and my boss told my that he was at the home of the father of the "man" that attempted to rob me. I said, "Great! So did they arrest him?" "No, why would they?" "Well, didn't you call the police?" "No." "Why in the world not?" "Because they wouldn't do anything anyway." I decided right then that I was going to put in my 2 weeks notice. When I went in the office to do so, they told me I had one week left. "Great! I was about to tell you I was leaving in 2 weeks. This is more dangerous than being a police officer." For the first time since I've been there, neither Bert nor Tom had a response. Finally, Bert said, "Well, let's just call it a mutual agreement not to continue." I said okay and that I was harboring no hard feelings and that I was sorry it wasn't working out. So, the search goes again.

2003-07-15T21:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you that don't know, someone attempted to rob me last week. Pretty cool, huh? It was actually the second time in two weeks, but the first time was almost a none event. A guy walked up to my car and told me to give him my money bag. I reached down and picked up the money bag in my left hand while grabbing my .45 in my right hand and brought them both up. I then asked him if he really wanted it. He ran away. Really fast. Well, last Tuesday was a little bit different. I left a customer's house and was just stepping off her front porch when the perpetrator grabbed my satchel and tried to rip it out of my hands as he tried to run away. Well, I held on so he wound up pulling me in an arc over his head and onto the ground. I pulled back which put him astride of me and I then kicked as hard as I could. I caught him in the tailbone(yes, I missed what I was aiming for) and lifted him over me and he let go of the satchel and ran off between some houses. The whole incident was over in about 5 seconds. They still haven't caught him and a couple of my customers have told me to be on the watch for him. Crazy.

2003-07-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

DRAT! SHAZBOT! I didn't make this State Trooper Class. I recieved the notification yesterday. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I'm already waiting on the paperwork for the next round.

2003-07-15T21:43:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the dry spell in posting...if anyone still reads this. I've pretty much decided this blogging is way more for the benefit of those doing the blogging than those doing the reading. The family and I had the opportunity to see the US Women's National Team play Brazil's National Team on Sunday. WOW!!!! We had a ball! Candice, the kids, my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents all went to the game together. For those of you that have never been to an upper-level soccer game, you have got to go! We saw 2 of the best teams in the world battle for 90 minutes and it was incredible! The US team missed "sure" goals 2 or 3 times and you could feel the entire stadium sink when they would miss. Then, in the 90th minute of the game, the US attacker shot a deflected ball from 16 yards out and......YYYYEEESSSSS! GGGOOOAAAALLLL!!!! That place was rocking! I have never been to a place where 15,000 people sounded like 50,000 before. It was deafening! We stayed around when the game was over to let the crowd thin out before trying to leave. In the process, my sons and daughter got Mia Hamm's autograph. Pretty cool. Stephen and Jane Beth are in the Baton Rouge Advocate with Mia. How about those home schoolers?!!! After the game was over, the Brazilian coach made his team do wind sprints, push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises. They were still at it when we left. It's the first game that the Brazilians have lost thus far. Excellent!

2003-07-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

Family I love our friends and our church family, but I must tell all of you, it doesn't compare to being with your family. We haven't left yet and we already miss them.

2003-07-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

Well, we have had a wonderful time visiting our family over the holiday. We are heading home after church and I'm once again wishing for the Star Trek transporter capability. On the way up, there was a wreck on the Mississippi River bridge. That resulted in an hour and a half delay. We got in at 3:20 am on Friday morning. My parents and brother in law and sister left this morning for the drive back to Covington. My brother and sister in law are looking for a good reformed church up here. Any suggestions?

2003-07-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

I missed our softball game last night and I feel like a slug. I wouldn't have been there if I'd known about it anyway though as I was working until 8:30 and it rained in Jonesboro 3 times yesterday. I wouldn't have believed for one second that they wouldn't have cancelled the games based on the rains we had.

2003-07-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

The boys had a fabulous time with their grandparents. Mom and dad said they were blown away with how well behaved they were. We sure did miss them, though. It's nice having them back, the house seemed emptier with them gone.

2003-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

We saw the family this weekend. It was a very good visit. The only thing I can't stand about visiting my family, is driving back home. I want one of those transporters that they have on Star Trek. My sister says I wouldn't have to worry about the drive if I just moved down there. This weekend coming up, we are going to see my brother, sister-in-law, and nephew. My brother is being deployed to Iraq in a couple of weeks, so this will likely be our only opportunity to see him for quite some time. His wife is about to have their second child at the end of July, early August. I hope they let him be present for that.

2003-06-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few jokes for today: What's the difference between a Southern zoo, and a Northern zoo? A Southern zoo has a description of the animal on the front of the cage, along with a recipe. *************** What's the Cuban National Anthem? Row row row your boat. ***************** Why doesn't Cuba enter the rowing events in the summer olympics? Because every Cuban that can row has already rowed over here.

2003-06-23T13:42:00.000-07:00

CLOSE CALL I'm usually very suspicous of "feelings". I mean the kind you get when you get a feeling you shouldn't go somewhere at a certain time or don't get on that plane, feelings like those. Well, I just had one and it was genuine. I was sitting at the intersection of Hwy 4 and 167 in Jonesboro 15 minutes ago. Their is a Ford F350 on my left in the turning lane and a Grand Am on my right. The light turned green and I went to take my foot off of the brake and step on the gas when I got that feeling. The feeling was a resounding NO! I stepped back onto the brake and looked up at the GREEN light when an eighteen-wheeler log truck came barreling through his red light. Now, I could not see to my left because of the F350, his hood was higher than the top of my car. My hands are still shaking. I don't know what else to say except THANK YOU LORD.

2003-06-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

What movie: "Did you ever play Max?" "No, but I make the game a lot more interesting to watch for a lot of people."

2003-06-19T21:10:00.000-07:00

What movie(this one's a toughie): Yells"How do you boys feel about Mexico???!!!" followed by screeching tires.

2003-06-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

What's the song: "Jealousy comes in the color of jade. Do you have some pumps and a purse in this shade..."

2003-06-19T21:08:00.000-07:00

Some other things that I'm thankful for: 1) God granted ability to figure things out. 2) A car that works as it should. 3) Pets 4) Trees 5) Grass that needs cutting. 6) Early morning runs. 7) Reading and writing. 8) Men that are good examples 9) My porch swing. 10) Showers.

2003-06-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is my birthday, and I came home to a rare treat tonight. When I walked in the door I could smell something cooking. Candice made me stuffed grape leaves, dolimar to some of you. It is absolutely my favorite dish in the world. I will simply say that if you haven't had any, your missing possibly the second best thing in life.

2003-06-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I complain too often on this, our blog. Here are a few things that I'm thankful for: 1) That God chose me. 2) My wife. 3) My children. 4) My dad, mom, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. 5) My church family. 6) My friends. 7) My home. 8) My health. 9) My country. 10) My state, rain and all.

2003-06-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Well, the boys are gone with Papaw and Nana to South Carolina until next weekend. I can remember going on trips with my grandparents when I was growing up and how much fun it was. I'm thankful that our kids have grandparents that love them and want to enjoy them.

2003-06-19T12:03:00.000-07:00

Baseball and softball, while fun sports are not the most manly of sports. I've never seen another sport more dependent upon the weather. I grew up playing soccer and golf and short of lightning or tornado, we played. This is not true of most people with golf, but it was true of us. We loved it regardless of the weather. The same rang true of soccer. The most fun I ever had playing soccer was in a TORRENTIAL downpour in high school. We played Southwood and we lost 2-1. Man, it still brings a smile to my face to think about that game. We went into that game arch-rivals and at the end of the game, we were all buddies. To this day, I can see some of those guys and we can laugh about it. I just don't think baseball/softball can touch that. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy playing, I simply wish that we could play in the rain and the mud. I'm all about sliding into 2nd, 3rd, or home when it's a quagmire. Bring on the rain baby!

2003-06-17T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last night was a good game. The team we played, Pleasant Green, was really a lot closer to being tied to us the whole game than the score showed. I will not worry about hurting the catcher the next time I come home on a close play...even if she is a girl. How about Steve's inside the park homerun? He's making that a habit. I bet we have the pastor with the best slugging average in the league.

2003-06-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Would someone please let me know if our game gets cancelled tonight? Post it here or e-mail it to me at jc50292@yahoo.com Thank you.

2003-06-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

What song, "Hit the decks a-running boys and whirl those guns around..." yeah, I know it's short, but any more will be a sure fire give-away.

2003-06-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

What movie? "I always lick my sights when I'm gonna do some shootin'."

2003-06-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

What movie? "Were it not for my companion, I would be having the time of my life. I understand that he means well, but he is quite possibly the most disgusting man I've ever met."

2003-06-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Okay, we have three games left in our season. Ya'll show up tonight at 7:15, tomorrow night at 8:30, and Thursday night at 6:00 and help us close out the season with three more wins! I must say, I've enjoyed myself immensely. I'm excited about tonight's game to the point of feeling ridiculous about it! Perhaps next year, we'll have enough people for two teams. I know 4 more men myself that want to play. One doesn't go to Auburn, but it'd be an awfully good excuse to get him around us.

2003-06-16T11:31:00.000-07:00

Will, Stephen, and I went for a walk on Saturday afternoon, and as I was walking along behind them(okay, so they were riding their bikes) I was overcome with just how blessed I am. There I was, walking in the country on a beautiful day with my two oldest boys riding their bicycles and they are thrilled to do just that. We then went and visited our neighbor that we bought the house from, Mr. Massey. He showed us around his garden, RV, workshop, and land. We've seen it all before, but I'm just always impressed with how much someone can accomplish a little bit at a time. We also have some new neighbors that are moving a house in across the street from him. It's a young couple without any kids that we've not yet had the pleasure of meeting. I imagine when we do, we'll find ourselves down there helping out on occasion as they have a great deal of work to do to get the place ready to move in.

2003-06-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Candice and I have found ourselves on the board for the local Christian Homeschool Association. If Saturday's meeting was any clue, this is going to be on fun group to be around! Don't get me wrong, we'll get some work done, too. It's just that I was apprehensive going into this because of my past experiences with being on the board of anything. The people have been pretty stuffy on the boards I've had the privelege of serving on.

2003-06-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the wife and kids are back, and I must say, I am VERY glad! They missed me almost as much as I missed them.

2003-06-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

In my prior post, I listed the top 10 things to do when the wife and kids are gone. What that means, for those that don't know, is that those of us men that have good wives and good kids, quickly forget just how much help we have and how much there is to do to keep a home. For the record, Candice is a fine homemaker, a wonderful mother, an excellent cook, a great wife, and my best friend. I'm ready for my friend to get home. I hope she brings the kids with her too, because she doesn't make a good wrestling partner, she lets me win way too easy.

2003-06-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Top 10 things to do when the wife and kids are gone: 10. Empty the dishwasher. 9. Load the dishwasher. 8. Wash clothes. 7. Dry Clothes. 6. Pick up all the dirty clothes I've left laying around the past 3 days. 5. Wash those clothes as well. 4. Sweep the floor. 3. Vacuum. 2. Eat Ramen noodles. Again. 1. Have a beer. Alone.

2003-06-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Strange thing, life. Every time you thing you know what's going on, something happens and makes you feel like you really don't have a clue. This sort of realization makes me all the more grateful that our Lord directs our steps. I think a person could become truly depressed once they realized that they can ultimately do nothing to control what happens to them or their future no matter how much they may prepare or worry. It makes me shake my head at people who are humanists. It simply appears to me that if you follow their arguments logically, they would realize that they have no hope. Just a thought I happened to be having at the moment.

2003-06-12T11:52:00.000-07:00

Can someone tell me if AAPC still has their softball game tonight? I would like to know BEFORE I jump in my car and drive from Jonesboro to be there before 6pm. Thank you.

2003-06-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

We have listened to Rich Mullins music for years and rejoiced when God took him but we really miss his music. I'd been told by a good friend that Rich Mullins was a Jesuit monk. Can anyone confirm or deny that? I've just always wondered. He was always off in a foreign country doing missions work anytime he would record a song.

2003-06-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

What movie? "Your nose is broke" "How's it look" "It's an improvement"