1. What was the last song you heard?
Open Skies by The David Crowder Band

2. What were the last two movies you saw?
Intolerable Cruelty (very stupid movie. Do not recommend)
Rush Hour (always funny!)

3. What were the last three things you purchased?
Snowboard Pants
Ski Jacket
TaxCut software

4. What four things do you need to do this weekend?
Watch the SEC Tournament
Gather some last minute things for the trip to Colorado
Spend time with my fam before I leave
Pack!

5. Who are the last five people you talked to?
The Kid
The Wife
Sam
Sarah

“I would wake up at 5 a.m. every day and pray. I went to church three days a week,. I never listened to secular music. I took it very seriously. I never do anything half-a–ed.

“I’d get into trouble for wearing a tank top or tight jeans to Bible study. The youth pastor would make me wrap a sweater around my waist to hide my butt. And then I did this episode of Chicago Hope, playing a girl who had gonorrhea in her throat, and my friends from church made me feel so bad about it. Like I was nasty or dirty for doing it. Like I wasn’t a good Christian. It started making me bitter towards the church.”
–Jessica Alba, Entertainment Weekly, March 16, 2001

I see her point, but I maybe see some of her friends’ point too.

I know I’ve written about MissSportsTalk.com before. It’s a hobby that started as nothing but a hobby. I had been a member of some other forums online, but I was becoming frustrated in how it was run and I absolutely hated the software it was running. I knew about as much about running an online community as I do about ballroom dancing, but I figured I’d give it a whirl anyway.

It’s done well lately. Growth was slow but steady, then it took off. But now it’s beginning to cost a little money to run. And my Chief Financial Officer (The Wife) thinks it is time to explore really making a dime or two off of it (to at least break even.) Some people have told me they think it could bring in some actual profits, a bit more than mere pocket change.

So here I go. I’m beginning to explore different ideas about how to take it to the next level. And once there, explore what the next level might be and how to get there. It’s all pretty plain and out of the box right now. But the activity is there, and I believe there is tons of potential left untapped. We’ll see how it all goes…

MSU battled back against Bama after being 18 down. They won the SEC regular season title outright. No sharing with Kentucky or anyone!

Lucky for me I had someone come by the office today to bring me tickets to the game tonight. Auburn comes to The Hump tonight. I’m taking my daughter. She’s been to a couple w/ me already this season (against Arkansas and Kentucky…she get’s to go to the big games with me). She loves them. She likes the crowds, the cheerleaders, the hotdogs, the mascot, the nachos, the band, the Dr. Pepper, the game, and the M&M’s. She’s a great eater, but I gotta try to keep it under control. Eat healthy and all, of course. I’m going to carry the camera this time (I know where it is) and try to take a few pics. There should be a good crowd tonight because it’s a BIG game (we’ll clinch at least a share of the SEC title w/ a win) and there’s a baseball game going on right before it too (we’re 3-0 so far).

I need to go get some snacks (apple’s and such) together for the trip to Starkville. Fill her up on good food and then there’s no room for the junk!

MSU lost two weekends ago and dropped to #7 in both polls. But now Okie State and Pitt, both who are above MSU lost this past week and MSU spanked the LSU Tigers again and escaped Vandy @ Vandy to improve to 23-2 on the season.

Last week when Alabama beat us at home, I woke up the next morning and looked at the paper. My first thought was frustration and disappointment. Then I laughed. I was disappointed that we had TWO whole losses at that point.

If we win tomorrow night, then we have clinched at least a share of the SEC Crown. Win Tuesday night AND Saturday and we’re SEC regular season champs outright. How sweet would that be?

This week’s Friday Five:

When was the last time you…

1. …went to the doctor?
For me being sick? Man, it’s been forever.

2. …went to the dentist?
Last year sometime for a routine cleaning.

3. …filled your gas tank?
Today!

4. …got enough sleep?
How much is enough? I got a comfortable ammount yesterday morning.

5. …backed up your computer?
How do you do that?

I assume that in four weeks I’ll wake up sore. Why? Because I would have experienced my first day on the slopes of Copper Mountain as a snowboarder. And from what I hear about it, you fall a lot you first time boarding. A heck of a lot.

I formulated a plan, and I’ve done a decent job at maintaining it so far. Not all facets have been complete. But I’ve done okay. I started a workout plan 2.5 weeks ago. I figured I’d work out for six weeks, mix in some cardio, and I’d be ready to go. I have had different times in my life when I’ve been in shape, I mean in healthy shape, but I’d begun to digress.

When I was single and carefree, I ate at odd times, I ate odd meals (does a log of cookie dough count as supper?), and I actually exercised fairly regularly. I used to think that if I could just work out with weights consistently and put on about 10 pounds of muscle, then I’d be good to go. Get pumped. Get ripped. Wouldn’t that be awesome? But my consistency with working out, and my apathy towards eating right never really worked together to give me the ripped results. Then I got married.

My wife is a great cook. And she likes to cook. And I ate every meal, every day. But of course I still tried to pack in my ‘snacks’ as before. So now I had snacks and meals instead of sometimes having snacks for a meal. And before I knew it, I actually did weigh 10 pounds more, but I’d not been running or lifting or anything. I didn’t feel like I’d gained that much weight. But the scales didn’t lie. And slowly, a half a pound here, a half a pound there, I put on 5 more.

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not a fat guy. I’m not really even a big guy or “over weight”. But I do think I need to be careful about what I’m eating and all. Especially since I just crossed over the 30-year age line. But again, I’ve been consistent with working out 4 times a week over the past few weeks. I’m going to add cardio this week to build up some endurance and maybe melt a few more lbs. off. That way I’ll be able to keep up with all the other peeps I’m going to the Mountain with.

But you know what I’ve discovered….eating right doesn’t always taste as good.

Well, it seems that I’ll be the last to actually put something about the movie The Passion Of Christ in my blog. I’m intrigued by the movie. I first heard about it last year or so. Not really sure what it was, but that Mel Gibson was doing a movie about Jesus and wasn’t going to be in English. First thought was, “What was Mel Gibson doing a movie about Jesus for? What does he know?” (not a kind thought, I guess). I’ve seen Mel do some movies where he was everything but Christ-like. But he’s also the director/star of probably my all time favorite movie, Braveheart, so it made me think, “This could be interesting.” But my second big thought was, “Aramaic? Who the heck wants to watch a movie in Aramaic?”

You’d hear a blurb about it now and then. Gibson is finding no financial backing. Jews don’t like it. Tough times filming the movie. Lead actor struck by lightning. Pope likes it. Pope doesn’t like it. Pope’s not really conscious of what’s really going on. Yadda yadda yadda.

But then the media gets it all stirred up in a hurry. Then certain groups are invited for a special prescreening and the reviews start coming in. “Beyond Words.” “Violent and Gory.” “Magnificent.” “World Changing.” Yadda yadda yadda. The Jews don’t like it because they feel it puts the blame of Christ’s death on them. Who knows what the Pope really thinks. Most prominent Christian people seem to give the movie a thumbs up. Some disagree with it. Some think Mel denies the Holocaust (that the heck?). Yadda yadda yadda.

But I began to think about it on Monday. This will be a movie that’s talked about for a long, long time. It’s a movie that one day my kid(s) will know about and recognize as one of the most prominent movies about Jesus’ ever. I guess I’m saying, “This is gonna be big!”

We’re planning taking the Youth of our church to our local theater on March 3rd. I’ve read it’s a really violent depiction. Lots of blood and some gore. Not a “feel good” movie at all (no one wins a date w/ anyone.) I’m hoping that this can and will be a springboard for many of our youth, many of our church’s congregation, and even our community (heck, our country/world). God can use it, I believe.

The actor playing Jesus had this to say about who killed Jesus:

“The crowd standing before Pontius Pilate is not accusing an entire race for the death of Christ anymore than the heinous actions of Mussolini is condemning all Italians or the acts of Stalin condemn all Russians,” he elaborates. “Many people that are Jewish, that are brothers and sisters, have seen this film and have loved the film. I think what it will do is bring truth to the world, and when people look at themselves in the mirror at the end of the day, peace will eventually come from that.”

No, we’re not talking about Bulldogs this time.

But last Saturday when The Wife and I went to Starkville to see the MSU/UM game, The Kid stayed with my grandmother. After the game The Wife and I were going out to eat before coming home. I called to check in on The Kid. I was told that Buddy, my grandmother’s dog (or semi her dog. It belongs to a cousin, but stays with my grandmother…anyway) bit her pretty good on the face. I asked how bad it was. There was a pause, then she said, “It’s not good.”

Thankfully The Kid hasn’t really shown any fears of dogs or anything. She still plays as hard as ever with our two dogs. Here are two pics that were taken the day after the bite and one this morning.

I think the lip will be okay. There might be a slight scar on that cheek. But we’re keeping the tripple antibiotic ointment on it…so we’ll see.