Morning at Walker's

So I'm sitting at Walker's emailing some files off of my laptop this morning. For some reason, a bit of my coffee went down the wrong pipe. Coffee spewed at high velocity from my mouth onto what I was sure would be my computer keyboard. Fortunately, I hadn't taken as big of a sip as I thought I had. Thus, only a drop made the computer, none made the keyboard, and I live to fight another day. However, my pride is destroyed as the five other people who are here witnessed my body's rejection of the drink, and thus also heard the sound I made... think "pygmie fellates chainsaw" and you'll be pretty close to the sound.

By the way, I think the downtown Athens internet is slow as balls.

.... oh and, huh?

1. Who cares?
2. .....just, huh?

Well, I won’t be explaining the previous post. It was simply an expression and you may interpret it however you wish. I recommend that you interpret it positively and attempt to assign no details to that positivity (thank you S. Kelly and P0sh T0ner!!!! [inside joke, moreso than some people wish it were]).

Things are good in Nashville, so what am I going to do? Go live in Athens for three weeks. That’s logical.

Anyway, I work through the weekend and then head to the Classic City on Monday. A week of preparation and two weeks of summer camp, followed by a reception for a dear friend and a post-mortem will follow. I am back in Nashville at some point around June 21.

I will do my best not to be non-bloggy when I am away.

:) .......... seriously.

More RCB China News

Kudos to Adam for this one.

RCB Article in the Shanghai Daily. The penultimate paragraph is charming.

A great clip for Letterman, REM, and Athens people

This is still my favorite song of a band from my favorite town on my favorite TV show.

And here's an official update on the trip through public affairs.

Wow... I learned from a referral to this blog that this search yields this blog as it's number one result... and all this time I thought I was keeping this thing pretty clean.

Upper left front on today's ajc.com: Redcoats in China Pics.

Breathless

Good times in Myrtle Beach, Athens, and Atlanta. It was nice to get a little relaxation along with time with family and friends. Unfortunately I all but ignored my email inbox, so I will be on that first thing Monday morning.

While at the beach, we attended the more or less low-rent amusement park where we usually spend one evening for the boys (the boys under 27, that is). One of the big attractions for a five-year old and an almost-three-year-old boy is the Spinny Car Ride Thingy, which features fake cars moving on a significantly reduced scale model of I-285 (i.e., a circle). One particular fake vehicle caught my eye.


It's hard to see, but the front of the vehicle is marked "Special Bus" with the "L" and the "U" missing. I'm glad neither nephew was riding this one.

On the way back through Athens, I had a great Friday evening with Trina and a great Saturday morning with the Gunner, both of which were at Walker's. Then, Trina and I took in one of the underappreciated gems of life in Athens, Georgia.


Day Baseball!!!!

The Dawgs were victorious in this, their final regular season game of the year, and took the series from the SEC Co-Champion Kentucky Wildcats. The postseason has lots of promise for the Georgia this year. Keep your eye on these guys. If I am not mistaken, the Georgia baseball team is undefeated when I have been in attendance (and yes, I have been to more than one game). I can't help but believe that I am responsible for this in some small way.

In unrelated news, some things have changed in Bowling Green. I will post about it when/if it is ever appropriate. Let's just say that I think it's a good thing.

A note to people who work in fields requiring creativity:

1. When your opinion is not solicited, there is usually a good reason. It might be that the creative process is too far along to accomodate a fresh opinion. It might be that there are already too many people contributing. It is also possible that your opinion might not serve this particular endeavor very well. It might also be that no one respects your opinion. Regardless, accept that there is a good reason and move on.

2. Should you choose to ignore #1, you have absolutely no right under any circumstances to throw a fit because your suggestions didn't make the final copy. In fact, there is a distinct possibility that doing so will cause you to be perceived as a child.

That's my impression right now.

Just Another Day in DisneyLand

Thursday
I am still preturbed at the hand I went out on at the freeroll I played with Russell on Thursday night (my first). Russ endured a bad beat early on and was a real trooper as I continued a streak of beginner's luck well into the tournament. It started at 60-something people and we were down to 25 or so. I sat with about 25,000 chips. I was dealt A-A (there were no possible flushes) and bet half of my stack in late position (about 3.5 times the BB). Chica across the table calls me.

Flop comes 8-9-10, and I move all-in to guard against the straight, thinking she wouldn't have called the bet with Q-J. She called and shows K-Q.

Sunuva...

Turn: J. River: Expletiving A.

I lost with three Aces to a broadway straight. Unfortunately, the only thing that made me want to do is play again.

Friday
Went to a meeting in the Ville von Snell, and then procedded to the Classic City. I just missed the governor speaking to the band, and the picture of him in a shako has not yet made the news.

I then enjoyed the send-off performance and not enough time with good old friends. Afterwards, Gunner and Trina and I enjoyed one of those almost perfect Athens evening of bullshit and my observation of their discussion of military tactics. I miss the days when that was easier... and it is about to become even more difficult, but only in the name of fulfilling one's potential.

Saturday
I'm sitting in my favorite place in the world, enjoying a perfectly breezy spring day at Walkers, while observing the aftermath of commencement. It still chokes me a bit to watch all those people soaking their last few minutes in Athens with their families, while conveniently failing to point out that the drain grate that they just passed was the one where he threw up after a long night on Clayton. This is what it looks like from my seat"



... and here is a distant look at the folks crowding to get their picture made in cap and gown at the Arch:



Some things never change.

Off to a T-ball game and then Myrtle Beach now. This hasn't been the best of weeks, so for me, last week ended yesterday.

"Try lying for a change, it's the currency of the world." - Dan in Closer

• Congrats to the Gunner on his recent success up north. You deserve it, young man.

• I leave tomorrow for Marietta (poker and friends), Athens (RCB send-off), and North Myrtle Beach (family vacation [read "working vacation"]) for a little over a week. Those of you who are expecting work from me shouldn't worry. My new toys will allow me to work... hopefully a little better than I've been working here.

• I learned two things today about the theme from "Sp0rtscenter":
1. It was originally the ID theme for the now defunct Satelli+e News Channel.
2. It was written by this person. Scroll down on her site if you want to know what she's most famous for.

• I have begun to learn recently that this town is a little more cutthroat than I had personally experienced. Though it's almost always polite, I'm becoming more acquainted with a deception in which people engage in order to hook you when you're needed and ditch you when something better is available. I won't lie and say that I'm okay with that. I'm not okay with that.

Nevertheless, I chose to play this game, so I'm not going to quit just because people prey on a nature that is probably a little too trusting for my own good. The truth is, people who need to use others need to use others. I wonder what happens to them when there's no one around to use anymore.

I intend to find out.

By the time I get back from several out-of-town engagements over the next two months, I will have lived here for almost a year. A year seems like a long enough time to decide to stop observing and start participating. I have thought I was doing that, but seeing what's going on around me I have realized that I am not.

I feel like the skinny kid who is sitting bored in right field in a kickball game. I think July is a good time to reveal that I have a razor blade in my pocket and my own ball at home.

From a while ago

Idol Chatter 5/9/06

Ok, I'm not even going to pretend that I'm really paying attention to it. I liked Katharine's jeans, and the end of Taylor's second song.

Write. It will fulfill you.

I wish I was a Kennedy.

A UGA alum that some of you know is featured in this story in the Nashville paper. Look at the picture.

Scott calling up "One Hand, One Heart" with the Bball Band up north.

I'm not counting my chickens before they boil but....

No details, but something very cool may have happened today. Met a new co-writer that seems promising, and we may finally have found a nice home for The Waltz (sorry SES, but the name will probably change). More news if/when I have it (weeks to months), but don't hold your breath.

Makes writing the Georgia Blocks seem like playing with Lincoln Logs.

Idol Chatter 5/2/06

Studies have shown that failure to express yourself can result in numerous physical/emotional/physiological issues later in life, including libido/erectile difficulties. You'd best relieve the urge by saying what you think if you watched.

I think Paris is out, and not because she has done anything to cause her to be voted off.

Finally

Not much to report right now.

1. I saw United 93 yesterday. I don't remember being shaken by a film as much as I was by this one. I really really think it's something everyone should see, even if you're scared to see it. It's not so much an entertainment activity as it is an exercise in returning to reality.

2. I am not joining the immigration debate because someone will miusunderstand or spin my opinion in a way that will piss me off. I will say, however, that I think the moves of the last week by the people who support amnesty have been very stupid. I think they have more severely scared those who were already very alarmed and brought a lot of attention to something that they frankly didn't want to receive attention.