Hard Days Night

"It's been a hard days night, and I've been workin' like a dog..."

Ok, ok, as much as I would love to tell you this is why I haven't posted since Lincoln was president...it's not exactly true. But I have been really busy. My custom sports figure hobby/business is pretty busy this time of year. I've got to finish 7 figures/packaging in time for Christmas. I should be cross-eyed by the time I get through. Good thing I really love to do it. Hopefully, I'll post some pics of the new figs.

Anyways, I hope all of you have a wondermous Thanksgiving holiday! Always great to celebrate a time of year that focuses on the tremendous blessings The Lord God has showered on us, not to mention wall to wall food and football.

Blessings to all and I will post again....most likely....I'm pretty sure....

Drunk Sports Fans

Looking back, this is my second or third post concerning those folks who feel it's necessary to get wasted to enjoy any type of sporting event. After attending the Alabama/Southern Miss game Saturday (27-3 Roll Tide!!), I have come up with the following observations about our inebriated brothers...

1. To drunk folks...clothing is optional. Apparently when you're drunk, your body becomes better looking than it did before partaking in the fermented beverage, and man are they proud of those bodies! Nothing I like better than a bare sweaty beer gut glistening in the noonday sun.

2. To drunk folks...what they have to say is important and should be heard by everyone around. Please don't try to ignore them. This only causes them to raise the decibel level and repeat themselves over and over and over and over...you get the point.

3. To drunk folks...everything must be said as loudly as possible...regardless of the situation. There's nothing like a drunk Junior fan screaming "Crank 'em up!" in the middle of the "opening prayer".

4. To drunk folks...you're never too drunk to take on a flight of stairs. This is a challenge that can really be fun to watch. Unless, of course, the spill on the stairs turns into a spill in your lap. Yikes! (This also applies to climbing over a row of seats or walking down an aisle to your seat)

Unfortunantly, times up (i.e. break time's over). I hope this has been an educational post for all to enjoy. Feel free to leave your own observations in the comment section.

Peace.

Wow! What a Ride!

Is it October already? Wow! That's hard to believe...now how to fill you in on the past month or so. Hmmmm....ok, here goes.

First off, the wedding did happen and everything went great! We had a blast. Surrounded by 16 of our closest friends, Laura and I tied the knot. She was gorgeous! I hadn't seen her all day, so as soon as she appeared at the back door of the auditorium I almost lost it. Seriously, the tears almost started to flow, but I got it together and met her and her dad at the front. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Wow!

Anyway, the ceremony went off without a hitch (except for the time our ring bearer, Cameron Thompson, rolled down the steps during the first prayer. He was ok. Didn't cry a bit. Just a quick call for daddy. He's a tough little dude), and we headed back down the aisle as husband and wife to the sounds of "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. :-)

The honeymoon was a Disney World extravaganza. Limoed from the Orlando Airport to The Grand Floridian for 5 days/nights of Disney fun. We saw the Cirque du Soleil, Fantasmic, Downtown Disney, MGM, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Typhoon Lagoon (where we swam with sharks!), and the Animal Kingdom (pics to follow in later posts). Everything was perfect until...

We were supposed to fly out of Orlando at 2:00 Friday afternoon...then Hurricane Frances came a calling. 2 hours before our flight was to leave they closed the Orlando Airport and we were stuck at Disney World. I know what you're thinking...oh boy, stuck at Disney, how harsh, how did u ever survive? And you're partially right...if I was gonna get stuck anywhere, Disney World and our honeymoon would be the place to be stuck. But Disney doesn't stop charging you if you're stuck either. Luckily, thanks to Dave Ramsey, we had an emergency fund to fall back on. Money wasn't a problem, it would just have to be replaced when we got back. We did, however, move over to the Wilderness Lodge for the hurricane portion of our stay. So, one additional day turned into 4 and after rescheduling our flight 2 times, we flew from Orlando to Huntsville to Atlanta to Montgomery, finally getting home at 1:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. Whew!!!

to be continued...

3

"And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three. No more. No less. Three shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then, lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in My sight, shall snuff it.'" The Holy Grail (as if you didn't already know)

Ok...so thinking I could post everyday in the countdown to the big day was a bit ambitious. But hey, what do I know. Here we are, welcome to day 3. Three days til the wedding and the "to do" list seems to be growing. Laura is off tomorrow and Friday, so she'll be running around Montgomery. I won't be off until Friday, so the madness really begins then. Hopefully....Lord willing....most of the stuph will be done because we're moving Laura's furniture on Friday which will take a huge chunk out of the morning. Ah yes, gotta love the hectic life. Bring it on! :-)

BTW, I know I promised stories of the engagement, etc. If you'd like to hear the condensed version of that, you can click on My Fiance' in the links section. Maybe one day I'll get to the part of the story that is my favorite, her initial reaction. Somehow "oh crap" wasn't the phrase I was expecting :-)

Anyway, don't know if I'll post again before the wedding. If not, please keep us in your prayers. And drop by the big shindig if you get a chance, we'll be the ones up front with the new shiny rings.

Peace!

8

8:28.....Have you ever had one of those times when God reminded you that He's been there all along? I had one of those experiences. June 26, 2004, Laura (my fiance') and I were sitting in the crowd watching our good friends Russ and Jessi get hitched. As I sat there I thought, "Hey, that's cool. There anniversary is 6/26. Russ must have done that to help him remember. That dude is one smart....hey, wait a minute, Laura and I's anniversary will be 8/28. Score! I shouldn't have a problem at all remembering that..." It was at that moment that God put His mighty hand on my shoulder and I had one of those moments I had only read about.

For those of you who don't know alot about me, I moved back to Montgomery in 2000 after a handful of really tough years. During that time I felt God remove my calling as a youth minister. I worked a humbling job in a machine shop for 6 months sweeping floors, scraping grease, and loading parts (I was the only one in the shop with a college degree). I got divorced after 2 and a half tumultuous years, and basically came crawling back home looking for shelter.

My friends and my family helped bring me back (I'll get into that in another post), and then I met Laura, we dated, got engaged, and are getting married in 8 days (wow, one sentence that covers almost 2 and half years!)

Anyway, back to the story....it was in that pew...during that wedding...that God whispered in my ear, "Remember Romans 8:28... 'All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose'..." God had been with me all along. Through giving up my calling, dealing with the humility of working a "grunt" job, struggling through a divorce that rocked my world, He was always there. Coming home, getting back on my feet, refocusing on His message and His mission, meeting Laura and falling in love again (something I wasn't sure would or could happen again), He was always there.

So...my anniversary, 8:28, will always be a reminder that I never have been and never will be alone. No matter what happens, God will never leave. He loves me. He's looking out for me. What can I say, God is good!

Thank You Lord for being faithful to a child who lost his way...

9

We are now in the single digits!! That is hard to believe! Everyone tells you how time really flies once you get engaged. I remember people telling me that when we had 4, 5 months to go. Needless to say, I didn't really believe them, but they were right! A week from Saturday...

Hopefully, over the next few days I will get a chance to fill you in on how everything's going, how we met, how we got engaged, etc, etc. Most of you probably already know all of that, but just in case there's a person out there who stumbles across this blog. We wouldn't want them to be totally confused, noe would we? :-)

Anywho...stay turned for the exciting continuation of...COUNTDOWN TO WEDDED BLISS!!

10

The countdown begins...not that I haven't been counting down for the past, oh...I don't know, 6 months! 10 days from today I will marry the most beautiful woman in the entire world. I know some of you probably have other opinions (if you're already married, you had better), but you would all be wrong. God has truly blessed my life with Laura and in 10 days we tie the knot!

We are busy taking care of last minute details...you know, the ceremony, the music, the flowers, etc., etc. Did I mention we're trying to paint a few rooms in the apartment also?

Anyway, it will all get done AND it will be great! Can you tell I'm a little excited? Please keep us in your prayers as the big day approaches...

Ok, I promise there will be an actual "word" post eventually, but until then....more figures!! We move again to basketball. This is one for a kid in Elba, AL. Believe it or not, this one started out as Stephon Marbury. I had to sculpt hair on this baby. I think it turned out pretty good, especially for a first try. Anywho, let me know what you think... 

Back to Bama...here's the spring training version I did for my bro-in-law Tim. Matt, he looks like he has your calves. :-) 

Moving along to hoops...here's Faulkner University's b'ball hero, Paul Little from their 2000-2001 National Championship season.  

Here ya go Colin...let's go Braves!! 

IN honor of the Braves taking over 1st place in the NL East last night...I give you Chris Tice! Ok, so he doesn't really play for the Braves (yet). I did this one for one of Mark's boys. Don't worry Colin, I'll post yours next. :-) 

Staying with the SEC...this post is for the beautiful UGA fan I'm marrying. I give to you...David Polluck. Hard to believe this figure started out as the Ravens' Ray Lewis. 

We'll start with these two Bama football greats....Joe Namath and Kenny Stabler (if your lost, see previous post below) 

BamaShark Customs

Since I've been pretty busy with the wedding plans and all (8:28), I haven't been updating the blog as much as I'd like and for those who crave the details of my existence, I know it's been hard.... :)

So, to keep this updated a bit and let you guys know what I've been up to, I am using this format to introduce you to my little hobby.....

Ladies and gentlemen....I present for your viewing pleasure, BamaShark Customs! Custom painted sports figures made to order. Over the next few weeks I am going to post pics of some of the figures I have done over the past year or so. Football, Baseball, Basketball, and yes, even NASCAR....and I have done figures from high school, college, and the pros.

Seriously, I love it. There a blast to do. If you would like more information about possibly ordering one of these one of a kind, perfect gifts for that rabid sports fan in your life, send me an email and I can discuss that with you.

Let me know what you guys think of them.

Peace....

Me and Laura cheering on the Montgomery Biscuits...and they actually won!! 

Has America Learned Too Much From the Church?

What has happened to America? How's that for a loaded question?

Over the last couple of weeks as the country reflected on the life and times of President Reagan, I overheard several commentators say that the one thing that stood out to them about Reagan's presidency was the relative unification of our country. Sure we had our squabbles about policy and foreign affairs, but we were all Americans first, and wanted what was best for our country. I just don't get that feeling today. Now, I see cut-throat politics. The bi-partisan stuph I see is divisive and just plain nasty. If you're a Republican, then you're a rich, snobbish, religious fool who wants the poor to rot in Hell. If you're a Democrat, well then you have no morals at all and support Satan for President. Multiple sides, dividing our country, and taking our eyes off what is really important, The United States of America. The fact that we live in the greatest country in the world falls to the side. Sound familiar?

Sometimes I wonder if America learned this by watching the church and the way we treat each other. We have "Christians" who won't associate or even talk to each other because of differing views on some "important issues". There's something wrong when you have 3 churches on the same street, but they won't "play with each other" because the name above the door is different. Multiple sides, dividing our churches, and taking our eyes off what is really important, Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified." I Corinthians 2:2

What would happen if churches across our cities, states, and our country decided to put the petty bickering aside, and realize that we are Christians first? What if we all decided to agree that Jesus Christ was of "first importance"? And reaching the lost with His message was why we were here. Maybe.....just maybe.....America would take notice.....and do the same.

Water World

Ok...what's the deal with ordering water at some fast food restaurants? We live in a world nowadays where it's Atkins this and South Beach that. Even McDonalds and Burger King have "carb friendly" meals on their menu, but if you want water with that...now there's a problem.

Oh sure! You can have their overpriced bottled water. That's what comes with the "I'm eating at a fast food joint, but would still like to watch my figure" meals. THEY even come with a "carb friendly" counter to count the steps you take from the car to the table and back again! But if I want just regular, good old American tap water, I have to drink it out of a shot glass!! Come on people...does it really cost that much more for me to have a medium sized cup? After all, I'm just trying to be healthy.

Someone please explain this logic to me...and while I'm on the subject. Why does it cost so much more to eat healthy? I don't know about you, but I've never seen a "carb friendly" nothing on the 99 cent "value" menu.

"Deep inhale"......"now relax".....I feel much better now. Good to get these important life observations off my chest. I can go back to work now. Anybody seen my water?

For a Limited Time Only...

Two good friends of mine lost their father yesterday. As far as I can tell it was sudden and unexpected. He died at home, in his sleep. To tell you the truth, I don't deal well with death. Although I am confident in my own, dealing with others' is sometimes a difficult thing for me. I would much rather tell a joke or even sing a song, than deal with the finality of someone dying.

This one is probably more difficult for me because of my relationship with my own Dad. The last few years have been a time of rebuilding a relationship that was strained at best after my parents got divorced. But through the grace of God that relationship has gotten stronger and I am eternally greatful for that. The problem is my Dad's relationship with God. You see, as far as I know, he's given that relationship up and at times like this, that really scares me. What makes it hurt even worse is my own lack of urgency in discussing it with him. We all know the easiest thing in the world to do is rush past the difficult conversations to ones that are easy and non-confrontational. I love my Dad and want him to be in heaven when I get there. I know God is the one who changes hearts, but I need to do at I can to "arrange the meeting". It's time to push past the awkwardness and take care of what's really important.

Paul said in Acts that when he died, he knew he was innocent of all men's blood because wherever he was and whoever he was with, they had at least heard of Jesus and knew what He meant to Paul. I want to be able to say that too! Please pray for me that I have a guts, the confidence, and the sense of urgency to tell my Dad what he needs to hear, and that God can change his heart.

The End of an Era...

Well the moment we have all dreaded for quite some time, occurs tonight. The FRIENDS that we have grown with over the past 10 years are calling it quits. No more Monica and Chandler....no more Ross and Rachel....no more Phoebe and Crap Bag, I mean Mike....no more Gunther and Ugly Naked Guy....there WILL be more Joey, but with no more Monica and Chandler...no more Ross and Rach...well you get the idea.

So, as you sit in front of the tube and remeni...uh...remember the laughs and crys, don't forget they are only a DVD collection or syndicated rerun away.

More to come tomorrow, after the big event....

I Said All That to Say This...

Well, it's time to put the NASCAR stuph to rest. If you've been keeping up with the previous few posts, you can see that it was quite a trip. I do want to take this opportunity to say thanks to the Copelands for letting us tag along. We really did have a lot of fun and will always have some very vivid memories of our first trip to "Dega".

I have had many people ask if we would go back. Well, sure!! Who would want to miss out on sunburn, drunks, the smell of fuel (and gas) and all this material for their blog :)

Seriously though...we had a great time with great friends and look forward to doing it again if given the opportunity. Maybe by then I will have a few less teeth, a good mullet going, and will have learned to properly pronounce "Junior".

Now if you'll excuse me, my skin is starting to peel. Don't want to miss out on the big pieces. =)

Ode to Drunk NASCAR Fan (with conclusion)

The pinnacle of our 'Dega experience was our.....opportunity to take part in the life of one "drunk NASCAR fan". I believe his name is Jeff, but in order to protect the sober he shall henceforth be referred to as DNF (drunk NASCAR fan).

When we arrived at our seats, there weren't very many people there. We got to look over the track, even watch some of the Nextel drivers practice for the Big 'Un (the Sunday race).....then, it happened. DNF made his proud entrance stumbling to his seat with the help of his slightly embarrassed wife. This guy was wasted. According to his kid, he had been drinking since 8:00 a.m. Luckily...he came and sat next to me. Every once in a while he would "stand up", but he couldn't "stand still". He was wobbling all over the place. I thought he was going to fall on me at one point, and mind you...he was no small feller.

His next job was to welcome everyone to the track. You gotta picture this in your head. DNF wobbling, but never spilling his beer (at least not yet), and yelling at the top of his lungs, "Welcome...NASCAR fans!" Apparently he didn't think anybody heard him as he repeated himself at least 6 more times before his wife grabbed him and pulled him back into his seat. You may be thinking....surely he settled down after that. Oh no! The fun was just beginnning. He then felt it was his job to tell everyone in our section when the cars were coming, and then motioning as if to show them which way to go. Now remember, he's sitting to my left, and the cars run left to right. This only happened the first 12 to 14 laps of practice and yes, he hit me almost everytime.

Eventually, he got tired of sitting in our row and decided to climb to the row behind us. Don't know if you've ever seen a drunk try to "climb" over a row of seats. Let's just say after several attempts, a close encounter with the ground, and lots of pushing and tugging....he made it. Now, he's sitting behind me. Oh, the joy....Now he's still entertaining himself by following the cars with his arm (again knocking me in the head) and then at one point he became so fascinated with Laura's ponytail that he just reached out and grabbed it. Can you feel the love?

It wasn't long before our dear friend, DNF, started "feeling the effects" of his morning activities. He was no longer "standing up" as much. In fact at one point, he looked as though he would simply slump over onto his head. Of course that would have been fine if it wasn't for that can of beer in his hand. Remember when I said he hadn't dropped his beer yet? Well that all ended....right into the back of my seat. I was thrilled. But wait it gets better. At one point he began to...shall we say...recycle his morning alcohol breakfast. Again...right behind me. Luckily, we were able to move down a bit (one seat) and didn't have any more adventures with our dear friend.

So...to our good buddy Jeff, ur...I mean DNF. As you hug your porcelain friend trying to remember what happened to Friday and Saturday and Sunday, may your headaches subside and your clothes come clean. Happy puking my friend....happy puking.

The Journey Continues...

First off...let me say I am deeply moved by the outpouring of sentiment and concern. I am happy to report that I am ok...still have all my teeth...and haven't changed my name to include Ray, Billy, Bob, or Bubba. With that said, I continue....

Cars, trucks, vans, school buses, the Intimidator Dale Earnhardt limited edition Monte Carlo, Texas Bikini Team, camping out of the back of a U-Haul truck, a blow-up doll hanging from a telephone pole, lots of beads, and mullets gallore! This and many other precious memories are what I have from the trek to the track.

When we finally arrived, we could see the "complex" from where we parked. Earlier I had asked Justin to describe what I was about to see, and he simply said, "It's alot like The Fair". Truer words have never been said....we rounded the corner into the land of NASCAR trailers. Everything you could ever want with your favorite driver plastered all over it. T-shirts, hats, huggers, stickers, key chains, model cars, actual racing jakets, carburators, spark plugs, tires and more....

The greatest pleasure was drawn from the people walking around. Ever wonder where "carnies" vacation? I KNOW!! Wow! Mullets, tank tops, Billy Bob teeth (only these were REAL)...and those were the women!!! Very interesting mix of genetic defects :)

Ah, the memories....beer flowing like rivers....the urinal trough....and lets not forget the woman who thought her bra would make a good top!

Tomorrow, the conclusion......ode to Drunk NASCAR Fan....

Dega Bound!! 8 24 3 20 88, etc., etc.

Where do I begin? Ah yes....the Redneck Riviera. It started out much like any other road trip with a group of friends. Now, Justin and Jennifer are much much more versed in the annals of NASCAR racing than Laura and I, so we were able to get a feel for their excitement going into this thing. The real fun began as we made the right turn onto the highway leading to "Dega"...

We pulled in behind this Jeep. I couldn't have asked for a greater example of NASCAR stereotypes if I tried. Picture this...a red Jeep Wrangler....top down....Dale Earnhardt Jr. flag flying proudly from the back....cooler of beer at arm's length....two shirtless college age guys complete with tatoos....smoking the finest Marlboros and drinking some unidentifiable liquid. Halfway down the road they decide they're not getting enough of a breeze so they remove the doors from the Jeep. Unfortunantly we lost these fine fellows as they pulled off onto the left shoulder, creating their own entrance to the track.....

I was amazed at how many different states were represented in the long line of cars...uh, trucks...umm...vehicles we waded thru. Ohio, Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, and the list went on and on.......

oops, break's over....to be continued....

NASCAR 101

To tell you the truth...I never saw it coming. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think a day like tomorrow would come, but it has......I'm going to my first NASCAR race......

Thanks to the kind generosity of our good friends Justin and Jennifer Copeland, Laura and I are headed to Talladega tomorrow for what should be an eye opening experience into the world of NASCAR and its fans. Since this is our first time, if anyone reading this has any suggestions about what we should take (pounds of fatback? moonshine? pickled pigs' feet?), what we should wear (wife beater T-shirt? cut-off jeans? John Deer mesh cap?), or any other area I may have overlooked, we'd appreciate the knowledge.

Be sure to check back later as I will be giving a full report. Wow, Baron and Laura at Talladega....Let the memories begin....

BTW, I've already looked. Not enough hair on my back to shave a big "3".....oh well, maybe they won't notice. ;-)

Vin Deisel Goes Bowling?

Ok, so I didn't see the REAL Vin Deisel at the bowling alley Friday night, but I did see your prototypical "wanna be everything that this world pushes as important at the expense of wisdom and others around". It was really kinda funny. This dude had the shaved head, the tatoos, the earrings, the sleeveless shirt to reveal the muscles he had apparently taken roids to get (just a guess), name brand cigs, drinking beer out of a NASCAR glass, and a girlfriend that he was EXTREMELY fond of. Can't write how I know that (G-rating), but those that were with me know exactly what I'm talking about.

Now...those that know me, know that I don't have a problem with tatoos or earrings or any of that. Actually, this guy had the look, that at one time in my life, I would have liked to have pulled off. But for me, as I watched him, it reminded me how caught up I get in things that really don't matter. My worth as a person is not determined by how big my muscles are, or how many friends I have, or if I'm the "life of the party". My worth comes from the fact that THE God of the universe looked down at me and said, "You know what...I love this guy, despite all of his faults. And I want him to spend eternity with Me."

If you're like me, our world's view of success often over shadows what our Savior says is the most important. It's not about clothes, looks, people, money....stuph. It's about loving the Lord your God with everything you have, and then loving your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

So...I guess I owe "Vin" a debt of gratitude. Thanks for reminding me what's really important in life.

Happy Tax Day!?!

In the words of the multi-platnum blue grass band, Three On a String.....

"If ten percent is good enough for Jesus...
It ought to be enough for Uncle Sam..."

Nuff said...

The Sound of Music

Ok...question for all corporate head types and those in charge of the Muzak systems in your building. Why won't you turn the volume up in the bathrooms? I'm not really sure what the Muzak systems are for to begin with (although hearing Lawrence Welk perform hits from the Backstreet Boys can be entertaining), I'm thinking the greatest usage would be to drown out some of the...how shall we say...noises that often occur. We all know the anxious moments that follow the trumpeting we hear from the adjacent stall. Why not turn up the volume in there? Believe me, I'd rather be humming along to "Dancing Queen" than being serenaded by the Alka Seltzer commercial next door. Come on folks...these are not "the trumpets" we are waiting to hear.

Just my opinion.

Wow! So this is it, huh? Life on the web. I have arrived!!