Interesting...

Have you ever seen magicians Penn and Teller?

They run perhaps the biggest magic show in Vegas... Penn Gillette is a big, brash, talkative guy, and Teller is a smaller, meek looking guy that never says anything. Does that ring a bell?

Anyhow, Penn Gillette has a pretty well-known case of potty-mouth, and is a well-known athiest, so I was surprised to see this on YouTube...

Should make us believers think about how we are doing in the area of evangelism...

Figgy Pudding?

Finally, Friday is here!

Cathy and I are just relaxing this evening, with no where to go (fortunately). So we're listening to the "holiday classics" music channel, and this guy is singing "Oh, bring me some figgy pudding, oh bring me some figgy pudding..."

Really?

Man, times must have been rough back in the day, if people were hoping to receive figgy pudding for Christmas! Now that's a lame gift.

I have some great childhood memories of Christmas gifts long ago... To be sure, little Brian Baker wasn't asking for any nasty pudding...no, this was the early 1970's, and toy companies like Mattel and Kenner were in full swing. My sibs (David, Teresa, Angela) and I got some cool toys from Santa over the years:

• Board games: Monopoly, Life, Scrabble, Clue, Risk, Yahtzee, Mouse Trap, Battleship, Stratego, Game of the States, Mad Marbles, Gnip Gnop, Facts in Five, Trouble, Super Sandwich
  
• Construction toys: Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Erector set, wooden building blocks...
• Cars, cars, cars!: Matchbox cars, Hot Wheels (the original 1970 ones with the redline tires!), SST cars (with the serrated T-handles and rubber flywheel), Smash-Up Derby SST cars (when they hit each other, the doors and hoods would fly off, and then you'd snap them back on), yellow metal Tonka dump truck & crane. Also, cool Hot Wheels tracks (orange track with purple connectors...) with loop-de-loops!
  
• Other: Superball, Whizzers (I remember spinning one up and sticking it in Teresa's hair...sorry!), Pick up Stix, Rubik's Cube, Mattel Basketball handheld "video game" (red LED lights, and when you scored it made the buh-DEE sound!), pop guns, Schwinn Caliente 10-speed bikes

Oddly enough, my Mom still lives in the home we all grew up in, and almost all these 1970's toys are still exactly where we left them (in the finished basement). Sometimes when I get together with the sibs at holidays, we'll break out a vintage game or two....

As fun as it was to receive these cool gifts, one of my most memorable Christmases was one where I learned to enjoy the GIVING more than the GETTING.

When Angela, my kid sister, was 3 years old, I bought her a Play-Doh Fuzzy Pumper for Christmas. This playset looked like a miniature barbershop, complete with plastic barber chairs, scissors, and little shavers. Here's how it worked: first, you would fill the barber chair with Play Doh. Second, you would take these little plastic people with holes all over their heads, and place them in the barber chair. Third, you would turn a crank, and little streams of Play Do hair would squish out of their heads. Finally, you would take your scissors and give them a haircut!

Angela loved this toy, and I loved seeing the happiness in her little eyes. It was a wonderful Christmas.

I look forward to the upcoming Christmas break (I'll be on vacation for a week and a half, woo hoo!). I look forward to spending time with my lovely wife, as well as Zach and Sarah. (Brandon and Megan, I'll miss you guys!) I hope the gifts I give bring more joy than any gifts I may receive... And I look forward to getting to see my sibs up in Virginia when I visit Mom.

Speaking of giving, I'd better get to bed...big shopping day tomorrow...

Busy

OK, I have perfectionist tendencies.

For hobbies and such, this is a good thing - it drives me toward doing things well. But for blogging, this is a bad thing - if I only have a few minutes available to blog, I end up NOT blogging, because I feel like I don't have enough time to write something worthwhile, something of substance...

Unfortunately for you, the reader, this is a day where I have decided to blog anyway, even though I don't have enough time to write something deep (I probably shouldn't have admitted that!).

So, just a few brief updates on life over the past few weeks:

• I've gotten the ole trumpet back out, and have been playing every week with the orchestra at church. There are some great players in this group, especially brass players. I had forgotten how much I enjoy traditional, classical music. I'll be playing in two of the three performances of our Christmas pageant, the first one in a few hours... The 100-member choir and 30-member orchestra are soundin pretty good, I must say!
• Went to Greensboro NC a few days ago to see a Yes concert. They are my favorite band of all time, and this year marks their 40th year of making music. True, they are old geezers now, but still some of the best musicians (and music) I have ever heard. Someone posted clips of the show on YouTube here and here...
  
• Went Christmas shopping today. Everywhere was packed and very busy, but I took my time and actually enjoyed it. (Not as much as I enjoy internet shopping though!). My sweet Cathy is kinda hard to shop for, but I think she will be pleased with today's purchases...
• Zach and Sarah are home from NGU, and I am looking forward to spending some time hanging out with them. (I missed the big shindig last night with Zach, Sarah, Dustin, and Chris due to a bluegrass gig at Table Rock state park...rats)
• Work has been crazy busy. All the IT software projects are due at the end of the year, so it is a mad scramble to finish the work. This week was one of the busiest I can remember. But soon, oh so soon, will be Christmas vacation...that will be nice.

Well, gotta run, I have about an hour to put up Christmas decorations before donning the black suit and bowtie and heading to church.

Have a nice day.

Thanksgiving

I may have already mentioned this, but...I love Thanksgiving!

Why, you ask? Let me count the ways...

1. Good times with family. Cathy and I had a great Thanksgiving Day with Bob & Sherry, and Zach & Sarah. Plenty of laughter and memories for later years...
   
   
2. Good food. At the Baker household, we are ham people. Its not that we don't like turkey, its just that...well...a spiral cut honey ham is just hard to beat. Especially with Cathy's Crock Pot mac & cheese, and a good pumpkin pie. (Have mercy, I'm gonna have to heat up some more leftovers soon!)
   
   
3. Good fun. From family games (Michigan Rummy, Scrabble, Cranium) to the Baker holiday tradition (for Brandon, Zach and I) of multiplayer first-person shooter video games (as Cathy says, "Are y'all shooting each other AGAIN?"), I always enjoy the holiday weekends.
   

But, there is one thing I sort of dread about Thanksgiving, and that is the day AFTER Thanksgiving. Why? Because it usually means getting all the Christmas stuff down from the attic (we have LOTS of Christmas boxes), buying and setting up the "real tree" (lots of sap and needles), and setting up the "fake-O" artificial tree (takes forever). I mean, shouldn't this time be reserved for, say, watching the Hokies perform their yearly stomping of the UVA Wahoos?

Well, for some reason, this year the dreaded day was...well, enjoyable! Maybe I'm getting soft in my old age, because my traditional "day-after" whining is not what it used to be. Yesterday, Cathy and I went and bought our real tree at Lowe's, and the cutting and setup actually went well (for once)! And even better, we are going to wait until later this week to put up the fake-O tree. So, this has all added up to a rather relaxing & enjoyable weekend.

I am excited about hanging out with Brandon and Megan tomorrow, who will be stopping by after their visit to Megan's family in Waynesville NC. I hope we can have one of our, shall we say, "memorable" family dinner/game nights... Can anyone say "Dr. Ruth"?

lol

Thankful

All right, it's Thanksgiving Day!

Regardless of our circumstances, we all have a lot to thank God for. I feel particularly blessed this Thanksgiving...God has given me so much, I don't know where to begin.

I am thankful for...

• A God who "so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." Who created the universe and all its wonders, yet cared for Brian Baker enough to call me to himself, that cold Sunday in January 1991. Who by His grace is willing and able to forgive my ever-increasing mountain of sin (and in fact has already done so!) Amazing.
• A wife who loves me unconditionally, who puts up with my annoying habits, who serves me in so many little ways that usually go unmentioned. A truly godly Proverbs 31 type woman, who loves God and other people with all her heart. She is my soul mate, my only true love, my best friend, my inspiration and role model. She is truly a gift from God. Cathy, I love you!
  
• Two of the finest stepsons a guy could ask for. My boys, by and large, have steered clear of the vices that drag down many a young man, and instead have kept on the narrow path. My boys serve God according to the talents and abilities He has given them, and I couldn't ask for more. They are funny, talented, well-mannered, honest, and hard-working. Guys, I love you too.
• "My girls", Megan and Sarah. You two are truly answers to my prayer that God would send our boys women who put Him first, who see the "big picture", who serve and love others selflessly. Love you guys...er, gals!
  
• A wonderful career at Michelin. I am thankful to work for a conservative company that focuses on long-term success, not short-term gain. I'm also thankful for a great bunch of co-workers that I have the pleasure of working with daily. God has truly provided for me (and my family) through this great job.
  
• A great home. I am thankful for a warm, happy home. Every day after work, I look forward to getting home to see Cathy (and Rupert, ha!). Rupert's "Daddy's home!" routine is truly something to behold (just ask Cathy, she'll tell you). These are truly the "good times" that everyone dreams of...I thank God for every day like this that He gives me.
• A great extended family (Mom, David & Cindy& Russell, Teresa & Mike & McKenzie, Angela & Mike & girls). I only get to see Mom & the sibs once or twice a year, but we always have a blast together. I am thankful for a Mom and Dad who gave me a great childhood, one of laughter, security, and memories. I am also thankful for a supportive and loving bunch of in-laws: Bob & Sherry, Fran & Steve...you all have done so much for Cathy and I over the years!
  
• My country, the great US of A. I am thankful to be a citizen of the greatest country in the world, a country that despite its many flaws, is still the best example of freedom, liberty, and democracy in the entire world. I'm thankful for the founding fathers, whose God-given wisdom has given us 200+ years of stability, strength, and prosperity. I'm thankful for the sacrifices made by our servicemen so that we can continue to experience freedom.
• The gift of music, which God has used to touch my soul in ways that words never could. I am thankful for the musical abilities He has given me, and I intend to use them for His glory. From bluegrass to baroque, rock to reggae, swing to salsa, metal to mariachi -- if it's music, I love it! I am especially thankful for my Christian band-mates (Dave, Benji, Mike), who make "gigging" a blast!

I'm sure there are many more things I'm gonna realize I left out, but these are the biggies. It has been a great year, and I have a LOT to be thankful for.

Remember the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers in Luke 17?

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Well, I want to be the one guy that takes the time to stop, turn around, and thank God for what He has done for me.

Don't you?

Update

Wow, its been a while... Lots going on this fall, to wit:

• Cathy and I (for some reason) have gotten into watching these new-style crime shows (NCIS, Law and Order, Law and Order Criminal Intent, CSI, CSI-NY, CSI-Miami, etc). Only problem is, Cathy usually guesses the plot way early in the show. I'm don't get upset that she spoiled the plot...I get upset that I have to keep admitting she was right!

• First Baptist Simpsonville is gradually starting to feel more like home. We had a great fellowship time with our Sunday School class at Cracker Barrell this past Friday. This Sunday, we went to the traditional service (8:45 AM) and...really enjoyed it. Good to hear the old hymns again, and also the choir/orchestra. Also, I'm going to play trumpet with the orchestra for the Christmas musical. I think at has been four years or so since I last played the horn...time to blow the dust out.
  
  
• Looking forward to Thanksgiving, and getting the chance to see the kids (B/M/Z/S) again... I'm looking forward to: eating a big meal with the whole group, saying the blessing (ha), party games afterward, and exhilirating discussions (oh mercy). Also, Thanksgiving means pumpkin pie, and Rupert and I have been practicing our pie-eating this week! yeah buddy.
  
  
• Been playing a lot of bluegrass gigs lately. What a great hobby: go play my favorite music, get out of doing yardwork, and get paid to boot! Seriously, my band mates are a great bunch of Christian guys, really fun to hang out with.
  
  
• It's been getting pretty cold here in Sville lately (hate it). Those of us who hate being cold (you know who you are) start to dread this time of year. But, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to fight ole Jack Frost: large hot chocolates, king-size heated blanket, ceramic heater for the bathroom, heavy lined corduroy shirts, thick hunting socks, wool pea coat, Hand Warmers. Wow, after making that list, winter doesn't seem so threatening...bring it on!

Oh well, that's my cheesy update... I hope to resume more frequent blogging during the dreary (but warm!) winter months.

Later tater.

Dole

The year was 1993, and the place was Simpsonville SC (more specifically West Georgia Road, and even more specifically the passenger seat of Jim Frady's car).

My trusty daily driver, a 1966 Pontiac Lemans, was in the shop for repairs, and I was carpooling with a good friend and co-worker. Jim came every morning that week, picked me up at home on Pliney Circle, and drove me on to MARC where we both worked (and still do!). Each day as we drove to and from work, behind our conversation I could hear some really, er, different music coming from his cassette tape player.

Asking Jim what kind of music that was, he said it was bluegrass. More specifically, he had a tape of the Dillards (aka the Darling Family from the Andy Griffith show) and another tape of a band called Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Now, Jim hails from Waynesville NC, and he said this kind of music was quite popular up in the mountains of North Carolina. I remember he and I chuckling at a Doyle song called "Stormy Waters", where the bass singer seemed to go so low it made the speakers rumble..."Tis the rock of ages, cleft for MEEEEEEEEEE." I also got a kick when Jim told me that the proper mountain pronunciation was "Dole", not "Doy-le" (silent y!)

I recall deciding that I liked that kind of music - it was upbeat, with great vocal harmonies, intricate picking, and lots of gospel-related content. Over the next year, I bought a bunch of bluegrass CDs from Horizon Records, the best store in Greenville for bluegrass. I took a particular liking to Doyle Lawson's music, and ended up with at least half a dozen of his CDs.

Shortly thereafter, I decided I wanted to learn to play this style of music. I bought a banjo (sorry Cathy) and started trying to teach myself how to "pick". I played those CDs over and over, singing along and trying to pick the banjo that fast (forgive me, Cathy!)

Fast forward 10+ years to 2008, specifically yesterday afternoon.

My band, Last Road, was honored to be able to open for Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver at Greenville's Peace Center! Now just so you understand, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is probably one of the top two bluegrass groups in existence today (the other being Del McCoury). Their live shows are so polished, they sound identical to their studio CDs -- perfect playing, perfect vocals. They have won the IBMA award for "Best Bluegrass Vocals" seven years in a row. Doyle is considered a bluegrass legend in his own right, having gotten his start in the original Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys (the band from which bluegrass got its name).

So to put this in terms for the average person, this is the equivalent of a budding actor being asked to co-star in a movie with Harrison Ford, or a fledgling basketballer getting the opportunity to go one-on-one with MJ. What a blessing!

It felt surreal, standing backstage looking out at the beautiful three-tiered Peace Center auditorium, and watching as Doyle and his band members ran a sound check. They rolled through a couple numbers, checking microphone levels and mix. Then, they put their instruments down, stepped up to their mics, and launched into a flawless acapella version of...Stormy Waters!

I instantly thought of that moment in Jim's car, and realized that a dream of mine had come true.

Once again, and this can't be understated...God is good!

Bummed?

I'm bummed. And not for the reason you think.

I'm bummed because my sweetheart is sick, and I can't do anything to speed her recovery. Hopefully, after a few days of bed rest and taking it easy, Cathy will feel good as new. Oh, and a heaping bowl of Breyer's mint chocolate chip should help the healing process, too! ha

I am NOT bummed about the election. Sure, the election did not go the way I wanted it to, and I am disappointed. But although I think Obama's positions on economics, abortion, and foreign policy will in the long run be harmful to the country I love, I am not going to mope and despair. God is still in control, and He is still busy accomplishing His purposes through His Word, preached to the lost by His people. Our hope is not in the political process, nor either political party; it must remain in Christ, and in Christ alone.

So as Christians, we can go forward with our chins up, knowing that nothing eternal changed yesterday: God is still God, He is still in the business of saving lost souls, He still wants us to press on with the unique tasks He has given each of us, and He still wants our focus to be on Him.

And as a conservative, the same applies. I need not change my principles and values just because they are not in vogue at the moment. We need to stick to our guns (literally and figuratively, ha), speak the truth, and let the chips fall where they may.

To borrow from Republican blogstress Michele Malkin:

There is no time to lick wounds, point fingers, and wallow in post-election mud.

I’m getting a lot of moan-y, sad-face “What do we do now, Michelle?” e-mails.

What do we do now? We do what we’ve always done.

We stand up for our principles, as we always have — through Democrat administrations and Republican administrations, in bear markets or bull markets, in peacetime and wartime.

We stay positive and focused.

We keep the faith.

We do not apologize for our beliefs. We do not re-brand them, re-form them, or relinquish them. We defend them.

We pay respect to the office of the presidency. We count our blessings and recommit ourselves to our constitutional republic.

We gird our loins, to borrow a phrase from our Vice President-elect.

We lock and load our ideological ammunition.

We fight.

So, the nonstop worship of the Obamessiah doesn't get me down...I have my own mission and my own tasks, and I'm gonna keep my focus.

Good day!

Countdown

Wow, ya just gotta love the internet... enjoy this!

Obama, Yomama

Well, all the anniversary/birthday festivities have passed, and I need to try and get back into some sort of blogging flow... The last few months have been pretty sad in terms of blog production here at the ole "Life of Brian" blog.

But, before getting to the main topic, one quick thing to get off my mind.

This is actually for Sarah. Ok, I gotta give Andrew Peterson some well-deserved props. Cathy and I were listening to some tunes on the way up to Saluda this past weekend, including AP's "Deliver Us". Wow - I'd have to give that song about a 99 on a scale of 100, a near-perfect tune. Absolutely incredible. (It almost is enough to make up for "Tools"...ha!) A couple more of those, and he'll be in Chris Rice territory! :D

Ok, on to the main rant.

Just some comments on the upcoming election. It will not be a surprise for most of you when I say that I am supporting McCain/Palin, not Obama/Biden. While I agree that Obama will bring change, I am convinced that much of it will be change in the wrong direction for our country.

Socially, as a Christian, I cannot in good conscience support Obama, who is strongly pro-abortion, pro-homosexual marriage, and likely to appoint a large number of liberals to the courts. Fiscally, I am sure an Obama presidency will result in higher taxes for all Americans, not just the wealthy (who by the way pay more than their fair share of taxes already...the top 1% of Americans pay 40% of the taxes, and the bottom 50% pay only 3%...is that fair?). And regarding foreign policy, I prefer the strong Reaganesque stance of war hero John McCain to Obama's "negotiate with terrorists" plans.

But beyond this, I am concerned over the way the majority of the media has given "the Messiah" a free pass, by neglecting to put a number of issues under the spotlight (Obama's relationship with Acorn, his relationships with domestic terrorist Bill Ayers and anti-American pastor Reverend Wright, etc).

If you have the time, read these two great articles about Obama, one from Focus on the Family's James Dobson, and the other from NewsMax. They basically sum up how I feel about Obama. And oh, this picture speaks volumes:



Senator Obama would be the one NOT holding his hand over his heart during the national anthem...

Having said that, I'm not a huge McCain fan, but he (and Palin) are a far better team to lead our nation, IMHO, than Obama/Biden.

Regardless of the outcome, we must remember that God is in control, and that America's TRUE need is a spiritual renewal, not a political one...

Oh well, rant over. Have a great week!

Happy

Here's wishing Cathy (and myself) a happy 18th anniversary!

And what an absolutely wonderful 18 years it has been -- God is good, indeed.

It seems like yesterday that Cathy and I were dating... I was a young engineer at Michelin, she was working at Staubli in Spartanburg. I would drive up to Spartanburg after work, pick up some Maurice's BBQ, and stop by for a visit at the duplex off Anderson Mill Road where Cathy and the boys lived. She loved me from the moment she met me (ha!).

Of course, there is no such thing as chance -- God was orchestrating things from the beginning, as always.

You see, my late teens and early twenties were years of rebellion for me, against my parents and against God. I was expected to attend church growing up, and as a form of rebellion against my parents, I vowed I would never go again once I left for college. At Virginia Tech, and after graduation, I had nothing to do with church, and nothing to do with God.

That is, until 1989. I had come to realize that the "wild" life just wasn't for me. I wasn't particularly good at it, and it really wasn't a match for me anyhow. What I really wanted was someone to love me as I was, someone to share life with, to start a family with. I realize that's maybe not "normal" for a 23-yr old guy, but I was finally being honest with myself.

For the first I could remember time since high school, I prayed to God. I don't actually remember exactly what I prayed, but I basically asked Him to take away the loneliness, to give me a soul mate. I vowed that if He would hold up His end of the bargain, I would be faithful, til death do us part.

Shortly after this prayer is when I met Cathy, shortly after that we were married, and shortly after that I accepted Christ (thanks to her example). Here we are 18 years later, and I'm happier with my soul mate than I ever thought I could be.

God gave me so much more than I even asked for...doesn't He always?

Happy

Greetings from the world's laziest blogger!

Here's a few reasons why I'm feeling good today:

1. Going out of town this weekend to celebrate my 18th anniversary of marriage to the world's best woman. Where to? The mountains, of course... Cool breeze, pretty leaves, Direct TV (Cathy's happy about that), and a good book (Thunder Run by David Zucchino). Of course, we're taking the Rubinator...

2. We joined First Baptist Simpsonville this past Sunday, and I am excited to see what opportunities God is going to open up there. It is great to be back on "solid ground" in terms of hearing sound doctrine! Also, I was fortunate to be able to play bass with the praise band a couple weeks ago... Fun.

3. Speaking of bass guitar...we have a new family member! It's a 1980 Peavey T-40 bass. In a nutshell, it is an incredible bass for a really low price (thanks, Craiglist!). Check out the raving reviews here. I am self-taught on bass, and picked up some bad fretting habits, so I plan on re-learning some technique. (Cathy, is there room for a bass and amp in the car for this weekend???) And yes, I will be selling my old electric bass, a cheapo Fender Squire I've had for about 10 years. Not gonna mourn that one!

4. The weather is just absolutely beautiful the last couple weeks. Love it, love it, love it. Are there actually people whose favorite season is something other than fall?

Have a great day, thank God for all that He has given you, and smile...life is good.

Brian

Trip

Well, I promised to post some pix of my trip to France, but they are all on my work PC, and here I am on my home PC, so pix will be on the next post...

Here's a quick review of some of the great things from my big trip a couple weeks ago:

• Wedding - The first stop on my trip was Harrisburg PA, where I had the pleasure of attending my sister Teresa's wedding. In a wonderful ceremony, Teresa was wed to Mike McElroy, who has been just wonderful for her. Great rehearsal dinner, great ceremony, great reception. It was great getting to see the whole family: Mom, David, Cindy, baby Russell, Angela, Mike, Julianne & Audrey, Aunt Ermine, cousins Matthew & Eddie McGee, and of course Teresa & Mike!
  
  
• Cycling Clermont - On my first day in Clermont-Ferrand, I rented a city bike from this place and rode all over the city. The weather was nice, high 60s, and I covered a lot of cobblestone streets over the course of 3 or 4 hours. And it only cost 2 euro (about $3 US)!!!
  
  
• Puy de Dome - Clermont-Ferrand sits in a valley beneath a chain of dormant volcanos, the largest of which is called "Puy de Dome". On the weekend, I drove out to the base of the mountain, and took a shuttle bus to the top. In addition to the INCREDIBLE view, I got to check out the ruins of a 1st century A.D. Roman temple to Mercury, built at the top of the mountain. Now THAT is history!
  
  
• Shopping - Saturday in France was overcast and a bit rainy, so I just had a chilled out day walking around the city checking out various stores and shops. My favorite finds? French fountain pens and paper, of course. Bought a couple fun fountain pens, a few Clairefontaine notebooks, and some cool inks (J. Herbin). Cathy likes her pink/purple pen and matching ink!
  
  
• Flood - On the last day, I stopped by a supermarket on the way to the airport. While in the store, it started pouring outside. Not just pouring, but big hailstones as well! It rained so hard for so long, I was worried I would miss my flight. Finally, it let up, and I ran to the car. After leaving the parking lot, I took a wrong turn and ended up on a road which was flooded with water. At first it was just a few inches deep, but before I knew it I was driving through water about a foot deep! I could see water gushing up from the manhole cover holes... Long story short, I made it through the flood, but was really worried I would stall the car and have to wade through the deep water. Yikes, that was a close one! The Lord was with me, though, and I got to the airport on time...
  
  
• Visits with Brandon and Megan - Fortunately, I flew Delta, and one of Delta's hubs is Cincinatti! So, I was able to have breakfast with Brandon and Megan at the airport on the way to France. And thanks to a 4+ hour layover on the way back, I was able to check out their house in Lebanon and visit for about an hour. Megan and Brandon, it was great to see your new home! It looks great, and I am so glad you guys are doing well in so many ways. I love you guys, and am very proud of you both.
  

Oh well, those are some of the highlights of my trip. Other than that, it was long work days, and really tasty dinners at fancy French restaurants!

Its a rough job, but someone's got to do it, ha!

Back

Well, it's good to be back!

Back from two weeks in France, that is, and a few days in Pennsylvania before that.

Why is it that when things are going normally, and we're following our daily routines, that we crave something different -- a vacation, a weekend road trip, or maybe just a quick trip to the store? Then, after going away for a while, all we can think about is getting back home? Human nature, I suppose, never satisfied with what we have...

Not sure why that is, but it really is good to be home. Regarding business trips to France, I came up with the "rule of two". For some reason, a week in France seems like two, and two weeks there seem like four. Not sure why, but it is true. So, it feels really great to be back home, with my lovely wife, my cute but annoying dog, and my normal routines.

Having said that, I had a great time at Teresa's wedding, and also in France. Over the next few days, I'm gonna share a bit of those trips with you on this blog.

So, stay tuned, more to come...

Ten

Yes, I'm a copycat.

Megan and Cathy and Sarah, I stole this idea from y'all. But it was a good idea, so it's worth stealing!

OK, here goes: 10 Things You May Not Know About Me

1. When NBA pro basketball player Grant Hill was a kid, he was in "my" class. I was in 9th grade, and got a summer job working as a teacher's assistant for a summer computer class (around 1980). Grant Hill was in 3rd grade, and a student in the class. All I remember is that he refused to do his work, and would frequently say "My dad is Calvin Hill, he's on the Redskins!"
2. I've only been taken to hospital once. Second grade, broke my arm falling from a tree. The only other times I've been to the hospital were when Cathy went, and I almost passed out from that!
   
3. My favorite color is blue. My favorite color combo is blue and yellow.
   
4. When I was a kid, I wanted to name my future kid "Murphy". (Maybe this is why God organized it to where I never got to name anyone!!!) You see, one of my favorite books as a kid was Richard Scarry's "What Do People Do All Day" (see picture), and in that book there was a dog policeman named Murphy, which is where I got the idea. When Cathy and I got married, and lived in a rental house in Spartanburg, we bought a yellow lab puppy and I named him Murphy. (No, he didn't become a policeman).
5. When I was a kid, I wanted to be either a helicopter pilot or an NFL TV cameraman.
6. My first summer jobs were: soccer referree (FIFA-certified!), McDonald's (10th grade...1982, the year Chicken McNuggets came out), drugstore clerk (Dart Drug), highway paving crew inspector (I was the the guy with no asphalt on his boots).
7. I once saved a man's life. Sort of. As a kid, we vacationed in Wisconsin every other summer. The family and relatives went to a man-made lake (no ocean nearby!), and I went in the water with Uncle Albert. We got into about 3-ft deep water, and ole Uncle Albert started splashing around alot. I figured he was just a bad swimmer, but after a bit he looked at me and said "Grab my arm and pull me out!". I shrugged, took his hand, and hauled him back out onto shore. Turns out he had vertigo due to an inner ear problem, and the whole family raved about how "Brian saved Uncle Albert! He could have drowned!" Have mercy... I didn't know what all the fuss was about, I just thought Uncle Al was about the worst swimmer I'd ever seen.
8. OK, this one's embarrassing. My brother David and I used to play Dungeons and Dragons. We were in junior high school, and rather geeky I might add. No, I will NOT post pictures from that era.
9. Most ball caps don't fit me because I have a ridiculously huge dome. When I was a kid, I would try and take turtlenecks off and they would get stuck on my head. Cathy, stop laughing!
10. Right after I accepted Christ, I went to a Billy Mayo crusade. He convinced my that all my rock albums (I had two wooden crates full) were of Satan. So, I went home and threw them all out. Do I regret it? Yes, and no. I gotta admit I'd love to have some of them back, but I think God was putting me through a cleansing process, and I don't regret having obeyed what I felt was His leading...
    

OK, there you have it! Hope you learned something, or at least had a good laugh!

Update

Greetings, earthlings. Sorry I haven't posted for so long. Busy busy, I suppose.

Here are some of the things that have happened since I last posted...

• Family vacation to a cabin in the mountains near Saluda...
  
  
• On the first day of the vacation, did the Bakery Ride with Zach and Heath. Hit a muddy patch and crashed my "new" road bike. Bruised a rib and got a pancake-sized bruise on my hip. No pain, no gain.
  
  
• Every time I have laughed for the past few weeks, I have had to hold my rib to reduce the pain. But that looks ridiculous, and makes me laugh all the harder.
  
  
• Helped get Brandon and Megan packed up and sent off to their new home in Ohio. It is cool to see them following God's leading (but we'll miss them!!!).
  
  
• Got Zach packed up and sent off to NGU for his senior year. Cathy, you're my only bike buddy now...get that Townie dusted off!
  
  
• Went to Cherokee Bluegrass Festival this past Saturday with a friend. We've been going every year in August since 1994. Good stuff.
  
  
• Been watching a lot of Olympics lately. Likes: cycling, soccer, swimming, track events, sychronized diving. Dislikes: synchronized swimming (sorry, this has got to be the cheesiest sport ever).
  
  
• Cathy and I are digging Craigslist...sorta like eBay but MUCH more convenient. It's fun converting junk into cashola. Attic, here I come.
  
  
• We've been visiting First Baptist Simpsonville a lot lately. This church is doing a lot of things well, but in particular they have a thriving Sunday School. There are those who might turn their nose up at Sunday School as being old-fashioned, but to me it is an effective discipleship mechanism that guarantees that the majority of attendees are getting solid, deep, structured Bible teaching on a weekly basis. I realize now that I've really missed that.

Well, that's all for now. Hope to have more posts soon. Ciao.

Bikes

Ever since I was a punk kid, I have loved bicycles.

When I was a wee lad, in the early 1970s, the cool bike for young boys was a Schwinn Stingray, complete with banana seat, chopper-style handlebars, and knob gear shifter. But, Mom and Dad unfortunately were big Consumer Reports readers, and they deemed this design to be hazardous. So, the first bikes for David and I were matching Schwinn Typhoon coaster-brake single-speed bikes. They were red, and looked a lot like the one shown to the right. Kinda retro looking now, but definitely not what a kid wanted when Stingrays were all the rage...

When we got older, Mom and Dad upgraded us to matching copper-colored Schwinn Calientes (just like the green one shown). These were the classic, "10-speed" bikes, with front and rear derailleurs, drop handlebars, the whole nine yards. Despite the fact that the steel frame weighed probably 35 pounds (that's a lot), I put many a mile on my old Caliente before getting my driver's license. Back then, a bicycle represented freedom, my only means of getting more than a couple miles from home.

David and I used to enjoy riding on this rails to trails path, which went from Washington DC all the way to the Blue Ridge mountains, and passed through our hometown of Vienna Va.

Fast forward to adulthood. In 1988, when I moved to Greenville, I bought a blue/white Nishiki Prestige sport-touring 14-speed from Sunshine Cycle Shop on Pleasantburg Dr. This was my first truly decent bike. Although at the time I didn't know what "Tange 2 double-butted seamless Chro-Moly lugged frame" meant, the guy at the store told me it was a good frame. So I bought it, and put probably less than 50 miles on it in the first ten years I had it.

Around the year 2000, some guys at work introduced my to real "road riding". I bought a helmet, clipless pedals, "fruity bike clothes", and a bike computer. Since then, I have put over 1,000 miles on the ole Nishiki.

I also got into mountain biking somewhat, and bought a Trek 3700... I'll do another post sometime about my various mountain biking adventures...!

This year, my son Zach got into road riding, and bought a sweet steel-frame Lemond bike. This bike made me realize that my 20-yr old Nishiki, though a great bike, was getting a bit dated. So, after hunting around a bit on Craigslist, this week I bought a "new to me" road bike!

The new ride is a 2007 Felt F75. Check out the glowing review here. For you tech geeks: 58 cm aluminum frame with Wolf TT carbon aero fork, carbon seat stays, Ultegra rear derailleur, 105 front derailleur and brifters, Shimano 600 compact crank 175mm, Shimano R500 wheelset, 12-27 Ultegra cassette, Felt racing saddle.

[Reality check - I'm 200 pounds, so the lightweight nature of this bike would mean more if I were to drop a few pounds!]

Anyhow, rode it for the first time this morning with Zach, on a brief 10 mile loop. Survey says: awesome! The frame felt light and responsive, but not "stiff" as I feared it would compared to the forgiving steel frame of the ole Nishiki. And the biggest difference: fingertip shifting!!! Oh my, it will be hard to go back to downtube shifters...

So in summary, this has been a great cycling week for the family... Last week of the Tour de France, new bikes for Brian and Cathy (check out her new Townie!), and a great group ride with Sarah and Zach this morning.

Life is good!

Answers

OK, here are the answers to the Simpsonville SC historic architecture/buildings quiz!

Old building, corner of Main & Curtis
The Elegant Gourmet, corner of Church St. and College St.
Original First Baptist Simpsonville church building
Old gas station, now Teal Automotive
Woodside Mill chimney
Stone house across from First Baptist, on East Curtis St.
Woodside Mills baseball park, W. Curtis St.
Simpsonville Seniors Center, W. Curtis St.
Hunter House, College St.
Wade Fowler House, E. Curtis St.
Temple Baptist Church, W. Curtis St.
New First Baptist Simpsonville sancutary, Church St.
Three Generations Boutique, Main St.
Old Simpsonville Elementary school building
Old Simpsonville library, Academy St.
Cannon Memorial Chapel, W. Curtis St.
Old house, corner of W. Curtis St. and Maple St.
Old Burdette building, corner of Main St. and Curtis St.

Quiz

OK, today's blog is just for fun...

As you know, I like old houses, old buildings, architecture, and Simpsonville history. So, today I went all over Simpsonville, taking closeup photos of some historic Simpsonville buildings and structures.

So, see how many of these buildings you can recognize from the closeups!


(PS - True story: when I got back to our house, I got "detained" by one of Simpsonville's finest, who had received a phone complaint about some strange man riding around town on a bicycle, taking pictures! Guess they thought I might be a terrorist, ha!)