Men of the Year Awards

Third Place....ALBANIA



Second Place...SERBIA



First Place....IRELAND!!!!

Genius

Go anywhere during the Holidays, and chances are you'll see some mistletoe. For future reference, don't just look at it. And don't leave it hanging over your door. Take a coat hanger, twist it and mold it so that it fits on top of your head, and dangle the mistletoe from the top of your new contraption. That way, no matter where you go or where you are, you're under the mistletoe and can get those kisses!!



This picture was taken at the Jennifer Revels' 5th annual Christmas Party....last night. Click here for more pictures from the party.

HotLocalMusic

Stay tuned, folks. A few of us are about to change the music industry forever....

Women...

A few years ago, there was an email floating around that contained a short animated clip about how crazy women are. Being single at the time, I got a big kick out of the clip because in my opinion, it was dead-on....

Needless to say, I found the clip and decided to post it for those of you that are in for a good laugh.

Talk about a butterball turkey...

I know this is a tad bit late since Turkey Day was over two weeks ago, but I just got this picture today:



My sister's youngest child, Ann Ridgely, will be two years old in February, and as you can see, she's a very "healthy" child. They spent Thanksgiving in Jackson, MS and since Drew (my brother-in-law) and his family have a somewhat "formal" Thanksgiving meal, my sister decided it would be a great ice-breaker to dress little Ridge (or as I like to call her, "Fridge") up as a turkey. The costume didn't last long, but they were able to get a few shots of the little butterball, and this is one of them. Good thing they didn't fry their turkeys this year!!

Finally back...

I'm finally back....lots has been going on in the Life of Jake these days. I've been goin' 90 to nothin' since Had and I left for the Turkey Day trip. Nonetheless, we're back and I've got plenty of stories to tell....

Stay tuned for updates and more goings-on....

Happy Turkey Day

Remember the Thanksgiving Song?


Anyway, Hadley and I leave for St. Louis tonight, so I probably won't be able to get on a computer for the next few days. That said, I'll go ahead and wish everyone a Happy Gobble Gobble now.



Thought I'd post a few more Turkey Day cartoons, as well...

Remembering C-Town

Okay. So it's been a little over a week since my trip to Corinth. If you'll recall, I mentioned I took some good pictures and would post them soon. To some of you, these pictures won't mean a thing. But to those of you from Corinth, they should trigger some good memories and maybe a laugh or two if you'd forgotten about some of this stuff.

You ready? Here we go...

The White Trolley Cafe

If you're from Corinth and you don't know about the White Trolley, then something's wrong. Located out on Highway 72, the Trolley is the best place in Corinth to get a good ol' slugburger. Restaurants in Corinth always seem to come and go, but the White Trolley has been around for years, and my guess is that it ain't going anywhere anytime soon. During my high school days, we'd head to the Trolley for a slugburger fix almost every weekend. Atlanta has a boatload of restaurants...but not a single one of them sells slugburgers. They don't know what they're missin'!!!

The Midget Farm



This, my friends, is the Midget Farm. That's right, the Midget Farm. If you turn off Highway 72 onto Oakland School Road, you go past the Hillandale Country Club and once you cross the old bridge, you make an immediate right. You then go about a mile and as you go over yet another smaller bridge, you look to your left, and there's the Midget Farm!

My assumption is that everyone in Corinth knows about the Midget Farm. But, this could also just be something that the kids have always kept quiet. In Corinth, we had to be creative to have a good time. We didn't have huge malls or recreation centers to occupy our time. So instead, we drove up and down the Corinth "Strip," or we'd make an occasional late night trip to the Midget Farm. What is the Midget Farm? Well, as far as I know, it's some type of family or village, if you will, of midgets that live in trailers and collect and work on junky cars parked on their property. It may sound rather innocent, but if you get a bunch of drunk teenagers together and then drive by honking horns and screaming stuff, the midgets come running out and throw rocks and stuff at your cars.

I vividly remember leaving the "Strip" one night in Beth Coleman's red Volkswagen Rabbit. We'd had enough of the Strip, so we decided to make a trip to the Midget Farm. Several off us piled in Beth's car (I was driving) and headed out that way. We turned onto the dirt road and slowed down as we approached the Midget Farm. As soon as it was in sight, I started honking the horn and we started screaming, "Midgets! Midgets!" and probably a few other names or phrases (that I won't repeat). We went past the Farm and then turned around to make another pass, when all of a sudden we started getting pounded by rocks and sticks and stuff. I floored the gas pedal and we went tearing by the Farm through a shower of rocks and other flying objects. I got Beth's little Rabbit up to about 80 MPH and kept it there until we got back to the Strip. The problem was that I kept the car in 2nd gear the whole time, which just about killed Beth's car. Oh, well....sorry Beth!

Pizza Hut

In Corinth, for years the Crossroads Twin Cinema was also out on Highway 72. Despite only having two screens, that place was a hot spot for a very long time. For those of us that weren't old enough to drive, this was the place to be on the weekends. Our parents would drop us off in groups, and for $5 to $10 each of us could see a movie, buy a Co-cola and some popcorn, and play a few games of either Donkey Kong or Phoenix. But that was just the beginning of the night...

The rest of the night was spent at Pizza Hut, which was right next door. We'd walk there after the movie, and we'd pile in booths or crowd around tables and order pizzas and pitchers of Co-cola. Of course, when it came time to pay, we'd barely have enough to cover the tab, and the waitress usually got ripped off because we didn't fully understand the concept of "tipping." Either way, we'd stuff our faces, play a few games of tabletop Galaga or Wizard of Wor, and then head outside to The Wall.

Lots of things happened outside on "the wall." Some people sat on the wall and just chatted. Others sat on the wall and yelled at cars that were passing by. Others sometimes got IN the cars that were passing by, and then they went to the Strip. Sometimes a fight would ensue in the parking lot, and you could stand on the Wall and see the whole thing. Most of us got our hearts broken on the Wall. That's where you'd usually get dumped after holding hands with someone at the movies. After all the action was over, you could walk across the parking lot and get some ice cream at Baskin- Robbins. Then you'd head back to the Wall and wait for your parents to pick you up. Of course, that was the worst part....having to get in the car with your mom in front of everyone. Life was tough, wasn't it?

Borroum's Drug Store

If you head downtown, directly across from the courthouse, sits Borroum's Drug Store. The oldest drug store in the entire state of Mississippi, Borroum's has been in business since 1869. As kids, we'd go into Borroum's to look at the amazing collections of arrowheads, as well as to get slugburgers if the craving hit you while in the downtown area. But my favorite thing about Borroum's has always been the fountain Coke's. It's the only place in Corinth where you can get an old-fashioned fountain Coke...syrup and all. Man o man are those things good. We'd ride our bikes downtown and that was the highlight of the day...to hit Borroum's and get a fountain Coke. They made one hell of an ice cream sunday, as well!

The CHS Bridge

Today, if go under the railroad tracks near Corinth High School, you won't really notice anything out of the ordinary. It's just an overpass, so to speak, that allows you to go under the railroad tracks near the high school. It's painted a nice tan color, and it's just your everyday bridge or overpass or whatever you want to call it. But "back in the day" it was much more than that. It was the Corinth "message board" for many, many years. Driving by, one would know who won the ballgame the night before, who broke up with who the night before, and other random tidbits of information. Because it was near Corinth High School, it was usually spray-painted by students and almost always had something to do with the rivalry between CHS and the county schools (Alcorn Central, Kossuth, Biggersville, and sometimes McNairy Central). When it wasn't about a ballgame score or a tragic break-up, various messages from the infamous Rat Patrol (to be covered in future stories), could be found, as well as general "statements" about people that, for whatever reasons, weren't much liked at the time of the message.

Now the adults liked to refer to our messages as "graffiti," but we took this as a major slap in the face. You must remember that these were the days BEFORE the Internet. There were no chat rooms or message boards. There were no websites or text-messaging capabilities. We kids had to use this as a way to "express ourselves." Whereas kids these days go to counseling sessions and take ADD medications, we just spray-painted our thoughts and opinions on the CHS bridge, and this allowed us to vent our frustrations and become "one" with ourselves. It was a "colorful" way for us to show our individuality and ruin reputations in the process. If you ticked someone off or did ANYTHING wrong, you better believe it was gonna show up on the bridge!!!

CHS Practice Field

Man. Where do I start? The CHS/CJHS practice field. Man, does this place bring back memories. Junior High football and Coach Smiley's cut-away's. Hundreds of those things before practice each day. "Hitler" would come out of the field house and line us up to stretch. As soon as we were done stretching, we'd have to run in place, and every time he blew his whistle, we had to hit the ground on our stomachs and jump back up to run in place again. We'd do this for about 30 minutes before Coach Shirley finally came out for practice begin. I remember being sick at my stomach during my last class of the day...just dreading practice and the cut-away's.

Then you had High School ball. Coach Dorsey and his two-man sled..."Hip-Hike-Hip-Hike-Hip-Hike-Hawwww." Sprints. Eggs. Popcorn drills. The smell of freshly cut grass in the mornings when two-a-days started each August. Those were some good times. Might not have been our favorites at the time, but looking back on them, man those days were the best.

The Back Steps

This is where we'd hang out before school every morning in the 8th and 9th grades. Directly across from the band hall, this is a back door to the Jr. High that was chained and locked and never used. We'd meet here every morning before school and watch as cars drove around Warrior Circle....similar to the Strip....but affiliated with CHS. The "band jocks" would hang out in front of the band hall, and the guys with loud stereos in their cars would ride around Warrior Circle and "thump" while they "cruised the campus." Kent Houston. Brian Hudson. Benny Hill. You could hear them coming a mile away. And we got to sit there and salivate because we weren't old enough to drive. Talk about pain and envy. Our group of girls all had eyes for those guys...and their cars....and there was nothing we could do about it. The back steps. Fortunately we got to move to a different building the next year when we entered the 10th grade....

The CHS Courtyard

This is where we hung out during mid-morning break and lunch. Break was only 15 minutes (as I recall) and there wasn't much time to do anything other than stand around and talk or gawk at girls. Lunch, on the other hand, was different. The goal was to get to the cafeteria as soon as possible, eat, and then get outside for all the action. On any given day, you could see any number of things: a fight, a break-up, or more importantly...someone getting "poled." You remember....several upperclassmen (or perhaps just friends that decided you were due for a prank) would grab you, hold you up and horizontal to the ground so that you faced the sky. Then they would carry you over to one of the walkway poles and pull your legs apart and ram your "groin area" into said pole. Then you were dropped to the ground to gather yourself, as the entire high school student body laughed and pointed at you. Fond memories of this spot, huh?!

The Webster Street Bridge

It didn't snow a lot in Corinth, but when it did, one of the first places we went was the Webster Street Bridge. There were probably much better places to go for sledding, but this bridge was in the center of town and was a great spot to break-in the sleds. It's a closed street now (thus the barricade in the picture) but years ago, this was a great spot. It's interesting, however, at how much bigger things are when you're younger. Seeing this bridge a few weeks ago, it didn't seem as steep and big as it did years ago. Regardless, we had some great times sledding from the top of this bridge. Not to mention that Eddie Muchmore lived right down from it....

The YMCA Football Field

This is where it all started. Those of us that strapped on the pads for the first time in the 2nd grade....this is where it happened. The Golden Eagles. The Red Rebels. The Packers. The Blue Hawks. The Colts. There were just enough teams for all of us to learn the game, learn how to win and lose, and play great football for the next 6 years. Tom Miller was the quarterback that ran with his head tilted back so that every time he got tackled, he split his chin wide open. Bobby Burns always had more pads than anyone. And I was the punter that rarely connected with the ball. Remember Punt, Pass & Kick contests? Those took place on this field, as well. Obviously I never won that contest!

The Hobo Cave

I'm not exactly sure how many people knew about the Hobo Cave. Located behind the YMCA Football Field, this was the weekly meeting spot for the Rat Patrol (again, to be discussed in forthcoming stories). Every afternoon after school, we'd take the bus to the YMCA, and when we didn't have football, baseball, or basketball practice, we'd be down at the Hobo Cave. You could swing across the creek on vines, play Rambo in the woods, or walk the railroad tracks above the Cave. On the other side of the Cave and creek was the old sawdust mill that stretched all the way to Weston's house. We spent countless hours all over this area, but there was always something about the Cave that attracted us.

Tommy Taylor's Concession Stand


When we were kids, if you spent any amount of time at the YMCA, you knew who Tommy Taylor was. A man who knew no strangers, Tommy ran the concession stand at the Y. He sold hotdogs, popcorn, candbars, soft drinks, and his specialty...the slush drinks. You could get just about any flavor, but his most popular was Tooty Fruity. Unfortunately, the yellowjackets loved his slushes, too, so they were always swarming around the window as you placed your order.

Tommy's stand was open almost all year long. Regardless of the sport or season, he could almost always be found in his concession stand. And believe it or not, Tommy was also the ONLY concession stand owner to EVER allow the kids to buy stuff on "credit." Tommy rarely had a dime to his name, and Lord knows he didn't make money on that concession stand. Despite this, if you didn't have the money to pay for your food or drinks, Tommy would give you what you ordered, and then he'd turn around and write your name on the wall with a magic marker, to include your outstanding balance. Eventually, every square inch of the wall would have names and totals on it, and he'd paint over it and start over again.

Tommy was a legend around town, that's for sure. As old as he was when he finally passed away, Tommy never really talked about dying. In fact, he had always referred to dying as "catching the West bound." It was old hobo talk. When one of the old train-hoppers died, it was said that he "caught the West Bound." Tommy finally caught that West Bound. But before he did, he touched the lives of almost every kid in Corinth with his kindness and generosity. No matter what the cost to him, no kid would do without a piece of candy, a hotdog, or a nice, cold slush...

Dilworth's Hot Tamales

Jimmy Buffett sings about pencil-thin mustaches. But if he'd ever visit Corinth, he'd be singing about pencil-thin hot tamales from Dilworth's. Located on Taylor Street just across the railroad tracks on the edge of downtown Corinth, Dilworth's, in my opinion, was the best place in town to get hot tamales. Although the word "tamale" usually makes you think of a Mexican dish or establishment, that wasn't the case with Dilworth's. Run by an African-American family in town, you could find every walk of life enjoying those tamales. For years, Corinth only had one Mexican restaurant in town...Carlos Tacos...but it couldn't hold a candle to Dilworth's.

Coach Booty Wood's Mailbox


I'm not sure when or how this tradition began. All I know is that as soon as we entered the 9th grade and were fortunate enough to attend Coach Wood's biology class, it all went downhill from there. At some point, the "cool" thing to do was to vandalize Coach Wood's mailbox. Bricks, sticks, eggs....you name it, we probably used it to pay homage to that damn mailbox. I remember barreling down Hickory Road in my truck with about 10 guys in the back. Trey Brewster had a shovel in his hands, and he smacked that mailbox as we passed it doing about 90 MPH. Of course, it didn't even put a dent in that damn thing, but it did almost jar Trey out of the back of the truck.

Being a biology teacher, not to mention just one hell of a smart man, Coach Wood must have concocted some type of secret formula to make his mailbox invincible. I personally think he had some type of secret lab or workshop behind or beneath his house where he made these mailboxes. Funny thing was that he never talked about it. It was always so obvious that we had tried something...anything...to tear that sucker down, but he never talked about it, brought it up in class, or anything. It was us against him...IT....a silent war.

But we outsmarted him one night. You see, Bill Payne had a Jeep. And this Jeep had a winch on the front of it. So one Saturday night, we pulled up, jumped out of the Jeep, hooked that winch up to the mailbox, and pulled that damn thing out of the ground. We could have sworn some type of demon appeared through the smoke and rubble, so we jumped back in the Jeep and disappeared into the night. As usual, nothing was said come Monday morning at school. We carried on as usual, and so did Coach Wood.

You know how as a kid, every time you walked by a painting that was a portrait, it seemed like the eyes were following you? I still feel that way every time I drive by Coach Wood's house. I swear that mailbox turns and watches me go by....

There's one in every town...

Every town has one. Every kid in America can reflect back and remember that one kid that was just a little "out there." That one kid that kept to himself. That one kid that watched a TON of television. He might not have played Dungeons & Dragons, but he loved Star Trek. Or better yet, STAR WARS. Yes, indeed. And he even collected the Star Wars action figures. Perhaps he even carried them around in a tacklebox that kept them neatly organized and safe from harm's way. He was good at remembering the names of each of them...their weapons...their specific strengths and weaknesses. Their enemies. Everything....

I knew one or two (that will go un-named, mind you) that were pretty into all that crap. Don't get me wrong....I loved Star Wars and even The Empire Strikes Back. But I left it at that. No action figures. No tackleboxes. My buddy Glenn Krohn had dozens of Hot Wheels cars that he kept in tackleboxes...but that was COOL. We all envied his awesome car collection. But there were one or two guys that were really into the Star Wars thing.....but this beats anything I've ever seen...

The year is 2002. You're a lonely, overweight, Canadian teenager that somehow got into Star Wars despite not even being born when it debuted in the 70's. I guess since they're still releasing "new" episodes, kids can still get pretty into the sega. Anyway....you're a fat 15 year old kid, at school, and you sneak into the school video studio and record yourself fighting a mock battle with a golfball retriever lightsaber. And you even add your own soundeffects, too. But something terrible happens. You keep the tape and take it home, but your friends find the tape, and upload it to KaZaA as a joke. Within two weeks, someone adds full Star Wars special effects and sound effects to the tape, and to this day, over 15 million people across the world have watched you fight imaginary storm troopers, Darth Vader, and God knows what else.

I'm sure some of you have seen these before. If you haven't, I'm sure you'll laugh your ass off. Here's the second clip....Star Wars Kid Part 2...

Jake & Jack

Back in June, I got together with some old highschool buddies (Weston White, Brett Butler, Bobby Burns, and David Dixon) out at Weston's family's cabin on Pickwick Lake to celebrate, if you will, my forthcoming September wedding. We were out there for two nights and three days, and we stayed up 'til the wee hours catching up on everyone's life and telling stories about the good ol' days. A week or so later, I'm sure after getting back home and continuing to reminisce about our younger days, Weston sent me a picture in an email. But before I talk about the picture, let me set the stage...

When we were younger, Weston lived down the street from me...I was on Hickory Road and he was on Pine Road. Right before we entered the 1st grade, Weston and his family moved to Nashville. They were gone for about a year, and then they returned to Corinth a little over a year later. Weston walked into my 2nd grade classroom (Mrs. Askew's room) one day, and I can remember jumping from my chair and running to the front of the room and giving him a huge bear hug. My ol' friend was back!

His dad had an old clinic near the YMCA, and they converted it into a house and lived there while they built a house a few hundred yards away near the old sawdust mill. Although he had been gone over a year, when he stepped foot back into Corinth, we picked up exactly where we left off. Our days were spent in the woods behind his house and in Phillips Creek near my house...playing Rambo or whatever adventure games came to mind. We spent so much time together, in fact, that Dr. White started calling us "Jake & Jack."

The picture that Weston sent me was from Camp Hopewell during the Summer of 1980. He and I went to camp for a week, and we were favorites because of the UMAA t-shirts that we wouldn't take off. Because Hopewell is near Oxford, the camp counselors were usually Ole Miss students doing the camp thing for a summer job. UMAA stood for "University of Mississippi Athletic Association" but we were told it meant "Un-Married And Available." So we refused to take the damn things off! Weston's "accessory" was his bandanna, and mine was my magnifying glass on a string around my neck....to look at bugs and fossils up close. Yes....I was a dork...but at least I was outside being a dork, rather than inside eating Twinkies and watching Gilligan's Island...being a dork.

Jake & Jack - Camp Hopewell - Summer 1980


The next 20 years or so were spent in grade school, high school, college, and the "real" world up until now. Unfortunately, over the years we all pretty much grew apart. Not that it's a bad thing...I think it just happens when everyone goes their separate ways. If we'd all moved back to Corinth, it would be different. However, I went off to college, spent 3 years in the Army, and now live in Atlanta with my new bride, Hadley. Weston went to college, worked at N.O.L.S. in Wyoming, and now lives in Montana where he has spent the last several years working in different capacities with troubled kids...a remarkable and fulfulling career, to say the least. Not only is he married, but he and his lovely wife, Sarah, are expecting a son...their first...in a month or so.

Since Hadley and I got married in Montana in September, very few of my old high school friends were able to attend. Destination weddings are just tougher to attend the older you get. Nonetheless, Weston's proximity to Whitefish made it an easy trip for Sarah and him, and he was actually a groomsman in the wedding.

Jake & Jack - Jake's Wedding - 9/25/04


So what's my point in telling you all of this? I guess it's just to say that true friendship never dies. You may grow apart over the years, and you may not talk or see each other as often. But when you do get to see each other, most of the time it's as if a day hasn't gone by since you last spoke or got together, be it 6 months or 15 years.

So thanks, Weston. Thanks for being such a great friend. We've been through thick and thin together, and we weathered all of the storms. Jake and Jack. Jack and Jake. Uncle Festus and the Snake...



(To the rest of you guys.....get ready. I ain't done yet...)

The Gourds - Smith's Olde Bar - November 15th, 2004

Went and saw The Gourds play at Smith's last night. Great show. Known primarily for their country/bluegrass cover of "Gin & Juice," I was glad they didn't play it. That cover, for the most part, created a buzz about The Gourds, but it's really not what they're about. They are a few guys from Austin, all multi-talented, who love to play music. That's it. No glitter. No glam. Just good, fun country-rock music. It was definitely worth the $12 cover charge.

Thank You!!

Well, our trip to Corinth was awesome. The party at Datan's was wonderful, and Hadley and I enjoyed seeing everyone that came. Our hosts put on an absolutely fantastic party and welcomed Hadley to Corinth in the traditional Corinthian manner. Thanks again to everyone that helped throw the party, as well as to those of you that came. Hadley (and I) were smiling ear-to-ear all night, as well as on our trip back to Atlanta the next day.

When I have a chance, I'll post another story regarding our adventure while in Corinth. I was able to snap some pictures of some old familiar places, and I'll get them up on the site as soon as possible. They are sure to spark some fond memories of good ol' Corinth...

Going Home

Well, Hadley and I leave for my hometown of Corinth, MS today. Since we got married in Montana, very few of my family's friends from Corinth were able to attend. As a result, they have been gracious enough to throw a party for us in Corinth. It will be Hadley's first trip to C-Town, so I'm absolutely thrilled. I can't wait for everyone to finally meet her, and I'm also anxious to show her where I grew up. That said, little does she know (although I think my sister has already warned her) but I've got a full day planned to show her all of the "hot spots" of Corinth. I won't go into any details now, but do check back later, as I'll have photographic evidence of all the places and things that I felt Hadley MUST see in Corinth.

It goes without saying....we are both ecstatic about the trip and are looking forward to seeing everyone and being in Corinth for the weekend.

Boo Got Shot! Boo Got Shot!!

Well, believe it or not, I made it back safely from Wisconsin. I ate NO bratwurst while there, but I did partake in some delicious cheese curds in the Green Bay airport today. Yum, yum.

On different note, I was daydreaming on my flight back tonight, and I suddenly remembered something I heard several years ago....the infamous "Boo Got Shot" clip. I found it tonight and decided to post it for all to hear. Now it's safely and soundly residing on my web server, so this little baby ain't ever gonna disappear. Take a few minutes and listen to this, assuming you've never heard it before. Even if you have, it's sure to crack you up!

As a public service, the talk show host, Royal Marshall, translates an Atlanta woman's news interview between the languages of "street" and "broadcast."

Just click the PLAY button on the audio player below to hear the clip...

Wisconsin Update

The most exciting part of my trip thus far?


Cheese Curds


What we call "fried cheese sticks," they call "cheese curds." Curds. Sounds like "turds." Mmmm. Now I have a REAL appetite. Damn Yankees...

Off to Cheeseheadland...!

That's right...I board a plane today to head to the great state of Wisonsin. One day in Madison and three in Green Bay. Cheese curd and bratwurst....I can't wait. Cold weather and cheese and bratwurst...I can't wait. Cold weather, cheese, bratwurst, and people that talk funny...I can't wait. Cold weather, cheese, bratwurst, people that talk funny, and people that think I talk funny...I can't wait.


I did some research prior to my trip and found some interesting Wisconsin laws:


1. You must manually flush all urinals in a building.
2. Butter substitutes are not allowed to be served in state prisons.
3. Citizens may not murder their enemies.
4. Whenever two trains meet at an intersection of said tracks, neither shall proceed until the other has.
5. As people used to smuggle it in from Illinois, all yellow butter substitute is banned.
6. At one time, margarine was illegal.
7. State Law made it illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese.
8. While all cheese making requires a license, Limburger cheese making requires a master cheese maker's license.
9. It is illegal to kiss on a train.
10. It is illegal to cut a woman's hair.
11. Car dealerships cannot sell cars on Sunday.


Hmmmm....okay. And Yankees think WE are backwards??

3rd Place is better than LAST!

Well, folks...Rally 37 was a blast. Not only did we have an awesome time, but we came back with a win! Yes, that's right...Team "Blind Dog Swimming" took 3rd place!!!



We drove to Greeneville, SC on Friday night and stopped at Meadors Sandwich Company to register and pick up our Rally party favors. We then drove to Flat Rock, NC and checked into our room at The Woodward House at the Highland Lake Inn. After getting settled in, we drove over to Matt & Esther's lake house on Lake Summit, where we drank and chatted by their outdoor fireplace. While there, one of the dogs, an old, rather blind Jack Russell terrier named Carson walked right off the dock and fell 10 feet into the water. Although it was initially a pretty scary situation, Carson came out fine and we decided to name our Rally Team "Blind Dog Swimming." We headed back to our place around midnight to get a good night's sleep.

The next day, we grabbed a quick breakfast and hit the road with Chris and Meade to Mauldin, SC for the start of the Rally. We got to the starting place, fixed ourselves a few batches of bloody mary's, and waited for the Rally to begin. It kicked off at 10:00 AM, and for the next 5 hours, we laughed, screamed, cursed, yelled, and pointed fingers at each other until we reached the finish line and Seth, the Sassy Chef, was able to do his cooking show, "How to Cook Cajun Cock Knockers." After the cooking show, we set up our tailgate and celebrated our Rally finish. At about 4:00 PM, we headed back to the Highland Lake Inn to grab some power naps and get ready for the Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony began at 7:00 PM and to our surprise, we secured a 3rd place finish. The food was great, the slide show was hilarious, and as usual, we got a chance to boo and hiss at the Rallymasters and their horrible Rally clues. We called it a night around midnight, hit the sack, and got up Sunday morning to grab brunch and then head back to Atlanta.

For those of you who have never taken part in The Rally, you really don't know what you're missing. Right now, mark your calendars for the Rally next year...it's always the first weekend in November. It's a hell of a good time, and a great way to blow off stress and get away for the weekend. Feel free to ask me ANYTIME about the Rally and what it's all about. We hope to always make it back each year for this awesome, fun-filled weekend.

For more pictures from Rally 37, click here.

Rally? Really? Yeah, Rally! RALLY!!!!

Hadley and I leave today to head up to Greenville, SC for the infamous Rally...



Picture 120 people in cars on a scavenger hunt...using "yard art" as clues. Kind of like the Cannonball Run, but not on the highway. Instead, we're driving through the hills and backroads of South Carolina, looking for clues that lead us throughout the course...

Sound fun? You're damn right, it's fun. It's a blast, and we've been doing this with friends since 2000. A crew of us head up there from Atlanta each year and spend a weekend in the mountains, anticipating a First Place ribbon in the Rally.

Still don't have a clue as to what I'm talking about? Then click here. If you still don't understand, or you DO understand and want to find out more, then please do email or call me. We always love to recruit more people, as it's one hell of a good time.

Wish us luck!!!

It's a boy!!

Rob and Louise Sparks are now the proud parents of a bouncing baby boy! Robert Ab Sparks V...that's right...the FIFTH....was born yesterday at 7:18 AM at Crawford Long hospital here in Atlanta. Just last month, Sparks married Hadley and me in Montana, and now he finds himself in a new role...DAD!



"Fifth" Sparks weighed 6 lbs. 7 ounces and was 19 inches long....

Another picture of a proud father and his new son:



Robert Ab Sparks V



Proud mama and her new baby boy!



Congratulations, Rob and Louise! More pictures to follow....as soon as they send them! Keep 'em coming!!

Why I go to the gym...

Ever see pictures from your childhood and then realize why you do the things you do? Take this for example:




I was 18 months old and had the appetite of an 18 YEAR old. Some things never change. Exactly why I was up at 5:00 AM this morning and had my ass at the gym. Now I know why my favorite Sesame Street character was Cookie Monster...

See any resemblance?



Only difference is that my eyes were closed...

Another lucky guy...

Saturday night another great friend of mine finally tied the knot. Doug Billian and Jenny Bothwell said "I Do" at 6:00 PM Saturday, October 30th. It was an absolutely beautiful wedding, and the reception was a blast. Congrats Jenny and Doug'r!!!!

Old 97's - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA - October 29, 2004

"You're a bottle cap away from pushing me too far..."

I went to see the Old 97's at Variety Playhouse in Little Five Points here in Atlanta. Allen Richardson, Jennifer Schiveree, Thomas Farmer, Charles and Caroline Echols, Michael Brown and I met up to catch the show, and it was one hell of a show!

They played tons of old stuff, as well as a few songs off their new album, Drag It Up. Despite being on the road for over three months, they looked great and Rhett's voice held up pretty well. It was their second-to-last show, as they headed back to Dallas to go out with a bang at the Granada Theater.

If you've never given these guys a listen, do so NOW! A little country, a little punk, and a little rock...a great blend that grows on you to the point you'll know every word to every song. They have so much energy...it's obvious they love to perform and do so for the right reasons. They definitely don't get to Atlanta enough...hopefully that will change.

See my "Buy These Now" section for more details on the Old 97's!

Happy Halloween!!

No major plans for Halloween this year, thus the reason the pumpkin blew chunks...but...



We're going to a little party on Halloween night to help some friends give out candy and scare the kids in the neighborhood. It should be a lot of fun, and I'll post some pictures for all to see.

In the meantime, here are some pics from Halloween a few years ago. Here is my annual default Halloween costume:

The Buckhead Flower Guy


Buy flowa...$5.....buy flowa for pretty girl....me take picture? Picture $5, too. Flowa and picture..then $8. Yes?



You sure you no want me to take picture? Flowa?

And now you have the rest of our friends. This was all done for a Halloween party a few years ago. Obviously, everyone dressed up for the occasion. The Flower Guy was taking the pictures....


From left to right...Party Guy, Wonder Woman, Bjorn Borg, Geisha Girl (Hadley), Sumo Wrestler, and a member of the Fallopian Swim Team.

And another picture of Geisha Girl and Sumo Wrestler in full pose...



Ahh...such a blast from the past. Anyway, I hope everyone has a great Halloween this year. I'll post some pictures from our party soon....

The Spit Take-Back

Most of the people that truly know me would say, without a doubt, that I'm a very remnsicent person. For some reason, I have an exceptionally good memory...especially regarding my childhood and growing up in Corinth, Mississippi. I readily admit this, and I'm rather proud of my ability to "unforget" a lot of things. Sometimes it takes me by surprise....suddenly remembering something that I hadn't thought of in years. And that's not unusual. But what IS unusual, I must say, is when I have a dream about something that I haven't thought of in years. Let's take it one step further and even say a NIGHTMARE about something I had completely forgotten about. Case in point:

THE SPIT TAKE-BACK


I had a dream...er....a nightmare...last night about something that used to happen to me on a weekly basis as a kid. I was in the 4th grade, and I was riding through my old neighborhood on my yellow and black Huffy Pro Thunder bike (with yellow mag wheels). My trusty dog, Rip, was running along side me, and I was cruising through Creekwood without a care in the world. All of a sudden, Howard Bowles and Michael Brewer jumped out from behind some bushes, grabbed me and threw me (and my bike) into Monica Prather's yard. Howard jumped on top of me, sat on my chest, and leaned over me with his knees on my arms pinning me to the ground. He had a huge wad of chewing gum in his mouth, which obviously meant that his spit glands were chugging 100 MPH. He leaned forward so that his face was directly over mine, and he slowly let a large wad of spit dangle over my face. It stretched and stretched and hung down at least two feet so that it barely swung just above my nose...and then my right eye....and then back to my nose. And right when I thought it was about to break and splat right in my face, he sucked it back up and began laughing hysterically. He jumped off me, grabbed my bike and threw it into the woods, and he and Michael ran off down the street.

Why did I choose to write about this? Probably because any guy that reads this will know exactly what I'm talking about. Kids will always be kids. But some of the things that "neighborhood bullies" and older brothers do to the younger, more "vulnerable" ones can scar you for life! From making you eat boogers to giving you a noogie until you named 20 brands of cigarettes...they always knew how to make you want to take the "long way home" or never go visit your best friend while they were home.

I'm 33 years old, and I'm still having nightmares about the horrors of my childhood. Tonight I'll probably dream about being attacked by the midgets from the midget farm....seriously.

Good things come to those who wait...

Just like the subject line reads, good things come to those who wait. In this case, an old friend of mine from high school finally got hitched. For awhile there, it seemed that Mike and I were in a contest to see who would be the last of our gang to get married. Turns out we almost got married on the same day...



Mike and April got married on the Island of Ischia off the coast of Italy. I haven't seen any pictures aside from the one above, but I'll post them as soon as he sends them my way. I'm sure it was a sight to behold. Congrats, Mike!

Thanks to all of you SUV driving, cell phone talkin' tennis mom's...

Sorry to say, Easter will never be the same again. It looks like our friend the Easter Bunny was out late again and paid for it this time. $100 says a tennis mom on her $#@%*& cell phone probably plowed over him while changing the $@#%&* DVD for her kids in the SUV that she can't drive OR park. Good thing Santa rides in a sleigh...