This story might make you reconsider what that really means.
Category: Stuff (Page 51 of 65)
Well, I go crawl into bed as soon as I’m done with this entry.
I started the morning moving and really haven’t slowed much. I got up and got ready for the game in Starkville. Today was FCA day at MSU‘s homecoming game. We were coming off of our big *snicker-snicker* win over Vandy last week and were going to be facing Memphis and our DC from last year, Joe Lee Dunn. But after I got the van to the church parking lot to wait on they guys to get there, my ignition key broke in half. It’s been partially bent with a crack in it for a while. So I knew it was a long time coming. So I just ran inside to get another set (that I’ve never used (remember that tid-bit, it’s important)).
We get to campus, park behind the Wesley Foundation and walk to the building for the FCA meeting. Supposed to start at 10:30. Well, it finally starts at 11:00 and we sing a bit, two football players give their testimonies. It was pretty cool. Players spoke very well and confidently. Then a few more songs, then the main speaker. He didn’t say much except try to echo what the players said, then had a 30 minute long invitation. I’m not kidding. “Go on, Go now! Come on. Right here, right now.” Over and over and over…. “Just one more. Just one more. Come on. Just one more” over and over and over. We slipped out as soon as we could with out drawing too much attention because it was running late and we were supposed to meet a friend and my wife and daughter at the Union.
We meet up, fight the crowd for some Chik-Fil-A, then go to the game. After a shakey start, a offensive showcase, then a scarey 2nd half, the Bulldogs come away with another win. That’s two in a row now. Look out SEC, here we come *sincker-snicker*. But it was fun. We sat up where the birds fly. But I had my binocs, so it was all good. I actually like sitting up there now and then. But down low is probably better overall. But we were on the top row of the entire stadium.
Get back to the van, and turns out that the new set of keys I got don’t work. Well, the ignition key does, but the door key doesn’t. So we talk the police, the HP, and they get a towing service after us. But in the mean time (read: 45 minutes of waiting) we begged a coat hanger off of some strangers, and tried forever to pop a lock our selves.
Finally Pat and Matt got in. You would have thought they won the lottery. “We did it! We’re in! We got in! We did it!” It was funny. My daughter got caught up in the celebration as well. “The van is open! The van is open!” But a traffic riddled ride home…then to a birthday party…then to some taped comedy/drama we’d recorded last night…then to bed…then back up on the computer…now, going to bed again.
G’night.
Introducing The Saturday Scruples. Just supposed to answer w/ at least a Yes/No, but can expand upon if needed.
At the local grocer, you see an elderly woman shoplift bacon. Do you tell the grocer?
No. Probably not. Wal-Mart’s not hurting over a package of bacon. Maybe I ask the cashier to scan my bacon twice to make up for it.
Your century old church is an architectural treasure but the congregation is declining. Developers offer $20 million and a sanctuary in the office tower they want to build. Do you accept?
Definately. I’m not married to a particular “style” of architecture. If the congregation is declining, maybe an update would be a little more popular. $20 Mill…wow.
A co-worker needs to leave early and asks you to punch her time card when you leave. Do you do it?
No. Not really even tempting. The guilt trip she might try to push on me might make me hesitate to tell her no, but I woudn’t do it.
Guess who’s back? Back again…
Yeppers, the Friday Five has been absent for a while…no real reason. But it’s here.
1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
Yes. College football, basketball, and baseball. NFL and NBA. Lumberjack competitions and Strong Man competitions on ESPN sometimes (but not really, just if I happen across them, they’re entertaining). But college basketball is the king.
2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
Well, obviously any Mississippi State team. I don’t really have a favorite pro sport team that stand out. I used to be a Mets fan back in the 80’s when Gooden, Strawberry, HoJo, Dykstra and all those guys were there. We got a cable channel from NYC way down here and their games were on all the time. But I don’t really like MLB at all now. Used to be a Sonics fan when Shawn Kemp was there with Payton, Eddie Johnson, Derick McKey, Nate McMillan, Detlef Schremph, Ricky Pierce and Dana Baros. The funny thing about that is that I became a fan of them because I always played with them on an old Nintendo game. But the only person left is Nate, and he’s the coach now.
3. Are there any sports you hate?
Is NASCAR considered a sport?
4. Have you ever been to a sports event?
Lots, but not enough. Never been to an NBA game. And there are many of college basketball arenas I’d like to visit. College football stadiums as well.
5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?
Nope, unless you consider church league basketball. I always looked athletic, but lacked the coordination to be decent.
We ended up doing okay with the yard sale. I was out of town most of the day, but the next morning I got the report and we did better than I expected us to do (you’re wanting to know a dollar amount, I know. We’re not rich, by any means, off of this yard sale. But for selling junk, it wasn’t too bad.) I got back home about 10pm and my wife had been asleep for about an hour already. She’d had a long day. But mine was just as long to me, but I usually don’t require as much sleep. But it’s nice to be able to see the bed and loveseat in the guest bedroom now. There used to be boxes piled up obscuring any view or traffic in the room.
The Jr. High Dare To Lead retreat at CLS was pretty good. It was basically the same as the Sr. High two weeks ago, except for seeming a little less organized. Not sure why. And there was one less workshop that afternoon. So we went into town and hung out on the Square a bit (downtown Oxford Square…pretty neat, even if you are a Bulldog). The eight of us walked around sampling some of the stores. Square Books was nice as usual. During my college summers when I worked at Lake Stephens I would eat lunch on Saturdays then go sit on the upstairs porch at Square Books overlooking the Square. Peaceful & relaxing.
We also went in a children’s clothing store where everyone was telling I needed to get this/that for my daughter. I have to admit, they had some really cool looking clothes. All except the price tag, that is. Some of the outfits were well over $100. I mean, $66 for a pair of purple pants she’ll outgrow in less than a year! The yardsale wasn’t that great. We did go in Square Books Jr. and found her a book though…for $9.95.
A few more stores, harrassing a statue of William Faulkner before finally stopping at Abner’s for some of the best chicken around for supper. Oxford really is a good town. Lots of history and culture embodied there. Pretty town. But the air of social elietism that emanates from the University there tends to sour it just a bit for me.
Back at camp, I revisited my youth in a mean game of Four Square. Man, there are so many rules these days. And it seems that people never think they are out, even when it is obvious to everyone there watching. But I played more Four Square with a under-inflated basketball this weekend than I have in the past 8 years probably. But it was good fun with the kids.
Well, the mighty, mighty Bulldogs pulled off another win on Saturday. Their second win in probably the last 10 or so games. Florida-Shmorida! Who cares that UMiss beat them, we beat big bad Vandy!
So now we’re 1-4, 1-1 in the SEC. Not that good, huh? The crazy thing is, I don’t think we really stink that badly. I mean, yeah we do. But we shouldn’t. I think the talent is there on the team, it’s just not meshing or jelling with the coaches or the experience isn’t there yet or something. I still think the future looks bright, but the present is very cloudy.
Will Jackie stay or go? That’s the big question. And more and more I’m thinking he’ll still be here next year. I was thinking that even before the win over Vandy. Not sure that’s the right decision..but we’ll see. Memphis is next. A game we can win, but we’ll see how it goes.
My wife is having a yardsale today. Actually she’s out there right now, and it’s just past 6am. But lucky for me I’m leaving in an hour or so to go to Camp Lake Stephens for a retreat. But yesterday afternoon we put up some signs for this morning’s sale, then came back home to try to semi-organize some stuff, get it out on tables, hang up some clothes, etc. But people kept coming to the house because they saw the signs. I bet between 15-20 cars came by and half the stuff wasn’t out.
Anyway, this town has been yard sale crazy the past week or so it seems. Maybe the “market” is too saturated. But hopefully the sale will go well for her. I dont’ want to have to bring all that junk back in to the house. Maybe I’ll get an X-BOX with the profit!!!!
Man, it’s sad.
Back through the summer, the only gubernatorial tv ads I saw were for the Republican Candidate Haley Barbour. They were mild. But his commercials talked about him. The way it should be, in my opinion. But I really didn’t see any from the incumbant. Just in the last 2 weeks I finally saw one then another from the incumbant, Ronnie Musgrove. But they were all about Barbour. They were mud slinging. Then w/in a day I saw Barbour ads about Musgrove. They were pointing fingers back and forth, non stop. There was a gubernatorial (everytime I hear that word, I think of “goober” which is what most MS Govs seem to be) debate on Monday, and the highlights on the news showed them trading verbal jabs as well.
Then last night I saw that Barbara Blackmon, a challenger for Lt. Gov, issued a challenge to the other two female candidates. She started out saying, “I’m a Christian [uh-oh…what’s coming next?] and I believe in the sanctity of life. I’m issuing a challenge to the other candidates to take an oath with risk of guilt by perjury that they have never had an abortion…”
Excuse me? What? Now this lady is really going deep. The incumbant called it one of the sleaziest political tactics ever in Mississippi politics (while denying having had an abortion). Blackmon still wants a signed statement. Sheesh!
Have Mississippi politics really sunk this low? No wonder people make fun of us everywhere…
Because of some people here at the church being on vacation, I’ve had extra duties today. A day that’s busy enough as it is. But I got to do the devotions and coordinate the “play time” for our church’s Children’s Choir. I used to help with it nearly every week. Back then, when I was childless, I said that was the best form of birth control I knew of: hanging around those 50-60 kids.
As I said, it’s been a while since I’ve been to Children’s Choir for the entire afternoon….man, it’s rough sometimes. The kids that you think are good kids gain a ‘pack mentality’ in the larger group that make you just want to pull your (their?) hair out.
Of course, my kid will never be that way. I know better than to say that, but I sure hope if they are that I’m made aware of it so I can be sure to handle it at home.
Well, I expected a loss, and I knew it could get quite ugly. But after going nearly the entire first quarter with a still scoreless game I thought there might be some hope. Not hope in winning the game, but making it pretty respectable. But after the first score by the Tigers it just made them want more…. And more they got. And got. And got.
I guess I’ve finally accepted it. We’re just not that good. The Mississippi State Bulldogs are well below sub par. The perplexing question is what is the problem? I believe we have good coaches. I believe we have good players. Are they just not all on the same page? As much as I hate to say it, I think it’s time for Jackie Sherrill to go. Yes, he’s done more for the MSU football program than anyone else, but I think it’s about time him to step down.
Will it happen? Dunno. I hope it does in a way that he can hold his head high. But after two back to back three win seasons, and going winless so far this year (after four games), I don’t know how high he’ll be able to hold it no matter what happens. Sadness….
Now the question is who do we realistically hire as the new head coach. I say realistically because I can think of many coaches I’d want to hire, but it’s just not rational that they’d come to coach in Starkville right now (Spurrier, anyone?).
