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Stock Update

Not so much an update on stocks as an update on life as though pulled directly from the stockroom of blog topics...

• I have two more small trips to make (a weekend in Charlotte and another in Gatlinburg) before finishing my spring travel season. I am honestly quite grateful for the opportunities that side job affords me. It is pretty cool to travel as frequently as I do to the places to which I do. The travel gig also makes the year work financially. However, I no longer enjoy being gone so much, especially at the time of year when most of my arranging work should be being done. Furthermore, the attacks of Murphy seem to be less like exceptions and more like the norm. I am fairly certain that I will continue in this line of work next year. But I don't see myself staying in it long term.

• This weekend was Twilight. I would like to think that we can find a way to return to Athens for Twilight in the future, and that we can turn that weekend into one of our standing non-football return engagements. We had a great time with friends as we always do. Plus, I netted five (5) U.S. Dollars in poker for the weekend, which was enough to pay for the two movies Meghan and I rented this afternoon. And, I didn't wake up hungover on either morning. Also, Meghan made kickass cheddar biscuits Friday night.

• Today, Meghan and I rented "V for Vendetta" for repeat viewing, and "Flags of Our Fathers." The latter left me bawling.

• Russ will probably tell you that we encountered a Frozen Jack and Coke machine last night at the Sandbar in Athens. It is one of the greatest scientific discoveries of our time.

• Just spoken in my home: "Applesaucearrific... you didn't even know that was a word." I didn't.

• My Dad recently was evaluated for candidacy in Em0ry's Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery program. In the process, he spent a fair amount of time in a waiting area with other people who have Parkinson's with far worse expressions of the disease than he has. It was decided that no surgery will help with Dad's symptoms as much as his meds do, which was fine. More importantly, he found out that the hand he has been dealt could be far more miserable than it actually is. That in itself was probably worth the visit.

• The songs being repeatedly being sung in my house right now:

"Officer Krupke"
"Five.... Five Dollar... Five Dollar Footlong"
Bridge from "Theme from The Muppet Show" sung with the lyrics from the bridge to "Santa Claus is Coming To Town"
"Never Gonna Give You Up"

But first, this is Today on NBC

You may remember this picture of me in front of a house in Washington, DC. I only bring you this to remind you of what color my jacket is when I'm working for the travel company.

Now... Imagine me wearing the same jacket, with a little more hair, and about thirty more pounds. You know you like it.

Now, imagine that person creeping around the set of the Today Show (bastard stepchild fourth hour only) yesterday trying to get on TV. If you can sit through the ad, then fast forward to the 2:26 mark and keep watching the right-hand side of your high definition screen. You should see what you imagine.

Bullets of Shame

I have been shamed into offering a bulleted post. Forgive me Father, for I have sinned.

• Since my recent back pain began, I have been spending lots of time lying flat on my back [insert joke here] on the floor. I am currently in just such a position, with a heating pad under my back and a Jack and Dr. Pepper on my coffee table.

• I am also drinking alone tonight. While I pack for my trip to New York tomorrow, Meghan enjoys night number two of her passing her oral comprehensive exams. She and a couple of her girlfriends are, thus, painting the town red and black tonight.

• I have recently completed a Finale project for an elderly gentleman in the northern suburbs. When I sent him the file, I told him that I would be happy to correct anything with which he wasn't happy. His response to me: "If there's anything with which I'm unhappy, it was my failure to find a 20 year old blonde when I went shopping today."

• It would appear at this point that there are three possibilities for my location next fall. They are Athens (not very likely), Cobb County (somewhat likely), and Greater Nashville (somewhat likely). Each has its pros and cons. I am anxious to know.

• The wait from G-Day to the first kickoff is the worst part of the football obsession. Here are the durations between major events as I figure them, based on the beginning of the 07 campaign to that of the 08 campaign.

- Maximum number of days between regular season games: 14
- Number of days between SECCG and our own bowl game: 31
- Number of days between our bowl game and signing day: 36
- Number of days between signing day and G-Day: 59
- Number of days between G-Day and Kickoff 08: 153

Ugh... It's going to be a long summer.

• If you like jazz (and who doesn't), it might be a good idea to get to Athens for Twilight. Hell, it might be a good idea even if you don't.

• Just an FYI. Late last week, my Mom rolled her Toyota 4-Runner on a remote road in rural west Tennessee (she's okay). A gust of wind caught her, she over-corrected, and flipped the vehicle three to four times. The only significant injury took place when her hand was dragged against the ground through the busted sunroof. Otherwise, she's sore but fine.

They were considering getting rid of a car. This wasn't what they had in mind.

Home for now

On Sunday, I returned to the great green south after the aforementioned ten days on the road. While this particular trip was tough for logistical and personal reasons, it was also probably very well-timed for Meghan.

Her comps are tomorrow morning. The run-up in studying intensity really began for her when I left on April 3. The distractions I can present were probably better burdened upon the fine people of the Midwest, rather than on her.

Sure enough, when I returned I found that she had been free to study as much as she needed. That's when I said, "Hey, instead of working tonight, we should drink." So we did. The next night I offered, "Hey, instead of working tonight, we should make dessert." Strawberry, whipped cream, cake surprise thing? Check. Tonight, I will propose drinking and dessert. That will be postponed until tomorrow.

Side note: When I was a kid, I thought the word was "post-phoned" because someone called everyone and told them that the event would take place later.

Meghan does her thing tomorrow morning at 11am. I head to New York Saturday afternoon, and return Tuesday night llllllllllate.

Midway thoughts

I am sitting, as is frequently the case, at a gate in the A Concourse at Midway. I am also roughly halfway through day 6 of my 11 days of travel.

Meghan's parents came to Chicago last week, for a function that was unrelated to my travel here. Upon returning home, Meghan's mother wondered at the ease and convenience of Midway Airport, asking "why no one told me about Midway." Well, here's your notice ladies and gentlemen. It might be in the middle of the hood. It might use runways that are short enough that they are better suited for a Harrier than for the standard commercial aircraft of today. But it is by far the more convenient of your Chicago travel options. I find Midway to be the anti-Newark.

In spite of the relative efficiency and convenience of my current location, the trip so far has not been what one might call "smooth." I can't go into any details here, but it has been a very rough trip in which Murphy has struck numerous times.

Aside, the televisions here in the gate area are showing ABC Daytime programming, rather than the typical CNN. A promo just aired for tomorrow's episode of The View promising, "And Trisha Yearwood tells us the secret of a happy marriage." I really don't intend any offense here, but why would I take advice from her on that particular matter? Perhaps they can find something else to discuss.

In addition to the complications of the trip itself, my annoying back pain from last week became a full-on muscle strain. Needless to say, it has made travel difficult and painful. Plus, I walk as though I have pooped my pants.

In moments I will be experiencing Southwest's new boarding procedure for the first time. I will then be Nashville-bound for only the second time since I moved. I am so looking forward to the bus-ride back here on Thursday.

PS - Auditions are finished, and the Redc0at Band will have three female (and one male) drum majors for what I believe would be the first time in its history.

Ellen will probably appreciate this as much as anyone, but...

Tonight's flight to Chicago was like a Slim Jim: long and jerky.

An Old Day

If you could see me now, you would so assume that I am forty years my senior. Emotionally, that's probably actually true.

After spending most of my day on my taxes (Owed over $1000... ouch...), bitching about my taxes, and scouting my trip tomorrow, things finally settled down enough for dinner. Meghan made these Ranch Chicken Nuggets, which were tremendous, and tremendously difficult to make - so difficult in fact that she swore that she would never make them again, because Rachel Ray made them seem easier than they really were. I think I calmed Meghan's relative anger when I reminded her that Rachel Ray was a bitch.

We ate dinner while, at my insistence, watching Wheel of Fortune. I griped several times with language that sounded something like, "You know, Wheel of Fortune has really gone downhill." Wow. After that we watched Jeopardy!, which would already make me seem old. Add to this the fact that I DVR it nightly, and I include the exclamation point when writing the title, and you are once again reminded of how effing old I am. Also, I bitched about "damn Japanese" technology when the DVR did not work as expected. (For the record, the DVR is a Motorola, based in the Far East city of Schaumburg, Illinois.)

Meghan, who had appeared to be wandering harmlessly on the internet, audibly uttered the word "Dude" when she ran across this. I noted its extremely low price, and we discovered that we shared a longstanding desire to own one.

Upon entering the Target we walked immediately to the foot care aisle, where we did not find The Item. What we did find were these:



I was on 'em like Metamucil on Wilford Brimley's Quaker Oats. I did correctly assert that they might relieve my feet which had been killing me on my recent trips, and that the ten-day itinerary would be no kinder to me than the previous jaunts had been. But still. Age can be so repellin'.

I will update you on the gellin' experience as it develops.

After buying two sets of these, along with a new pair of black shoes and an inflatable foot bath (they were out of the bubbly kind), we headed back home. On the way, we discussed a future that would not include either of the two Charles Nelson Reilly couches in my den - not only because they're tacky, but also because they are broken. Also, my labored walk through Target suggests that they're making my back stiff as well.

When we arrived home, I anxiously installed my gel soles, and put a heating pad on my back. After Meghan broke it in, she brought me the foot bath, half-filled with warm soapy water. Shortly following that, she brought me a Dr. Pepper float.

A cane and a Geritol would wrap the day up nicely.

Some fools never learn

Totally forgetting what today was, my first email of the day had this in the contents. I said to Meghan, "Now that is the end of the business." She let me go for a couple of minutes.

Also, this seems to be worth everyone else's time. It's probably worth yours too.