Happy Birthday Aunt Joyce

Happy Birthday to Aunt Joyce today. What is it now 28? 29? Well anyways I hope you have a wonderful day and that you have a nice big piece of cake with a scoop of ice cream on top. I also hope the Tigers will pull out a win for you on your birthday. I'm off to work, Happy Thursday everyone.

Well by now most of us have heard that Willie Nelson's tour bus got busted for marijuana. Well.......I was driving to work yesterday and they said he commented on the situation. Now I'm usually pretty good at telling if someone is joking or not but I didn't think what the radio dj's were saying was a joke and knowing Willie Nelson it was probably true but when asked about the whole thing they said he told the police "I sure am glad you didn't find any spinach in there." Due to the recent e coli bacteria being found in spinach I had a good chuckle. I mean, you don't really have to try that hard to picture Willie Nelson standing next to some officer and saying that. Joke or no joke it made me laugh.

In other news....there are only 2 work days left in the week. Then it's the weekend which marks the end of the regular season for baseball. It's nice to know the Tigers are going to be playing a little longer. I was reading an article today that commented on how long it's been for the Tigers to make the playoffs and one line read "The most popular person in a Tigers hat the last time they made the playoffs was Magnum P.I." I don't think I've ever watched a single episode of that but I still can get a laugh out of picturing Tom Selleck in a Hawaiian shirt and a Tigers ball cap.

Well I think I've covered the bases with Willie Nelson and Magnum P.I. so enjoy your morning, afternoon, or night or whenever it is you decide to read this.

Clinched

Tigers clinched a playoff spot !!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a wonderful thing. The last time we did this I was a whopping 3 years old. Bring on New York...Bring on Oakland.....I don't care....This is awesome !

BOOYAH

I got gas for $2.08 today.......that's all I got but I was mildly excited so I thought I'd share that.

P.S. Go Tigers

Old Ways

Today reminded me a lot of what I used to do in highschool. After I got home from work I fell asleep watching tv on the couch. I can't even count the many times I'd come home after school and take a nap. Good thing I played a few sports or I would have been one lazy bum. I'm glad this nap only lasted about an hour. I wasn't even that tired but it's kind of cold and rainy here so it was pretty good napping weather so I'm blaming it on that.

In other news....it's the weekend. Yahoo. What are you going to do with your weekend? I'm going to do some laundry and maybe clean the apartment some even though it's not that dirty.

Well happy weekend everyone. Hope y'all enjoy it.

Happy Birthday !

Happy Birthday Aunt Joyce !

I hope you have a wonderful day.


I myself am going to go to work and see what fun I can find there. Happy Thursday everyone.

Songs

I heard two songs today both of which I've listened to about a hundred times each before but you know how when you haven't heard a song in a while and then it comes on you're reminded of how good it is.....that's what it was like for me today. The first song is called "If I was Jesus" by Toby Keith. It's fun to listen to and has some good lyrics in it. The second is a less common song called "The Lumber Song" by Eli. While yes, it is about building, it may not be in the way you think about building. Anyways, I decided I'll post the lyrics to each song just for the fun of it. Check 'em out !

Song #1: If I Was Jesus

Verse 1

If I Was Jesus, I'd have some real long hair

A robe and some sandals, is exactly what I'd wear

I'd be the guy at the party, turnin' water to wine

Yeah me and my disciples, we'd have a real good time.

Chorus:

Ooh and I'd lay my life down for you

And I show you who's the boss

I'd forgive you and adore you

While I was hangin' on your cross

Verse 2

If I Was Jesus.

I'd have some friends that were poor

I'd run around with the wrong crowd,

man I'd never be bored

Then I'd heal me a blind man,

get myself crucified

By politicians and preachers,

who got somethin' to hide.

Verse 3

If I Was Jesus,

I'd come back from the dead

And I'd walk on some water,

just to mess with your head

I know your dark little secrets,

I'd look you right in the face

And I'd tell you I love you,

with Amazing Grace

If I Was Jesus.

The Lumber Song

Verse 1

Said a friend to a friend one day,Was a man who passed away

St. Peter met him at the gate

Pete said: "Walk with me if you will, I'll take you to the house you built"

Man said: "I can't wait!"Passed a mansion made of stone

But with each new house he's shown. They get smaller by degrees

Stopped in front of a two room shack

Pete said hope you're happy with that

Man said: "How can this be?"Pete said:

Chorus:

That's all the lumber--that's all the lumber

that's all the lumber you sent

Looks like the builder--man he's got your number

That's all the lumber you sent.

Verse 2

Man didn't know what to say, poor guy was blown away

"you mean this is what I deserve?"Pete said: "I'm afraid it's so

It's too late but now you know

Shoulda done better work"

You mean not lie and cheat and helpin' old ladies across the street?

Pete says: Well, that's a start

Remember that man back in that great big house?

He found out early what it's all about

Built that place with his heart--as for you (chorus)

Bridge:

What if that man was me

And I failed that miserably

You're showin' me things I don't wanna see.

Verse 3

St. Peter if you can, Send me back to earth again

Is that somethin' you can do?Pete said: It ain't up to me

If it was I'd like to see, How you plan to improve

I'd love God and fellow man

Take a wife and make a stand, Be the givinest guy I can be

And when I get back to this neighborhood

There'd be a big gigantic pile of wood

And I'd say: What's this I see?--You'd tell me

Chorus

That's all the lumber--that's all the lumber

that's all the lumber you sent

Looks like the builder--man he's got your number

That's all the lumber you sent.

No Idea

I have no idea what to blog about. Nothing out of the ordinary happened lately. I think that's a good thing. It's almost 9:30 p.m., it's Monday, and I have not a clue as to what would be interesting to share with everyone. It was quite a dreary day in the Sandusky/Huron area today.....it was one of those cold rains. One of many to come I bet.

My back hasn't caused me pain for almost a whole month now. I cannot begin to express my tremendous feeling of joy because of this. I once wondered if I would be able to do the simplest things like a normal person and now I can do those things. I can get out of bed, walk, twist and turn...swing a golf club, the only thing that I notice that causes pain is running. So I keep that to an extreme minimum. I have no explanation of why my back got better.....or why it hurt so bad in the first place. I don't think the doctors ever really came up with a solid answer as to what was wrong with me but it is feeling much better now.

Last week I was getting out of my car to go into work and one of the guys shouted over to me......"Hey, what's that car going to be when it grows up?" I laughed and walked into work. Of course he drives a big dodge ram which could probably eat my little escort if it wanted to but I've had my escort for 6 years now and it has been wonderful to me......except for sweetest day in 2001. In broke down on me that day. It was not very sweet. Overall though it's been a good car and has completed the job in getting me from point a to point b. I don't know when I'll get my next car but whenever I do I hope it's as good to me as my escort has been.

I'd like to congratulate U of M on their old fashioned whoopin' of the Irish of Notre Dame. It wasn't luck, Michigan just flat out beat those guys. 47-21. I bet Lloyd Carr doesn't mind adding that nice little win to his resume. Now if he could find a way to beat Ohio State and win a bowl game then a lot of people would get off his case.

Over the weekend I was checking out prices of playoff tickets for Comerica Park. Bleacher seats are going for a mere $175 bucks a pop. I believe they were supposed to go on sale at 10 a.m. on the 19th but they may have reconsidered that idea since the playoffs are still in jeopardy, I'm not sure.

I believe the Tigers are up 4-0 on the White Sox at the moment. Hopefully we can hold onto that lead for a nice victory. Every game is important the rest of the way. It seems like every loss is magnified, especially when Minnesota and Chicago are breathing down your neck. 2 out of those 3 teams are going to make the playoffs and one is going to be headed home. Minnesota has been playing out of their gourd lately and Chicago is the defending world champs.....we are the Tigers.....a team of Nate Robertsons and Curtis Grandersons not to mention a touch of Jason Grilli in the bullpen. If I had to pick a second favorite Tiger it would be an uncommon one but my pick would be Vance Wilson. That's right, the back up catcher. I like him for some reason. I just hope the Tigers find enough for one last push to make it through the last stretch of the season.

I think that's all for now. I hope everyone is having a good week so far!

Finally Friday

Well today is Friday and you won't hear any complaints out of me about that. If I was still in college my weekend would have started yesterday afternoon and I wouldn't be awake today for another 4 or 5 hours. At least now I have more self worth. I remember sitting around on Fridays with nothing to do.......yes, I could have done homework but what normal student does homework on a Friday when he knows he has a few more days to do it? So anyhow, I'm going to go to work today, drive home, and watch the Tigers....I haven't seen a game in two weeks.

Tomorrow is the Notre Dame/Michigan football game at Notre Dame. Michigan hasn't won in South Bend in twelve years if I heard correctly. The Wolverines haven't really had a test yet by playing Vanderbilt and Central Michigan. So they're either going to get totally crushed by the Irish or pull off an amazing upset. I vote for option 2.

That's all for now. Happy Friday and weekend to all !

Don't Be Wasteful

That's aimed directly at you Tigers. You cannot waste this great season you've had. I don't care if you get swept in the first round of the playoffs. Please don't make us any more nervous than we already are. I'm thankful that 6 of the 15 remaining games are against the Kansas City Royals. Hopefully we can take 4 or 5 of those games with no problems. We also have a 3 game stint left with the dreaded White Sox......that could make or break the chase for the playoffs. I hope it all works out for Detroit. Happy Thursday everybody.

0 for 6

That's my stat line for last nights Mega Millions Lottery. It leaves much room for improvement.

I'm glad to hear the Tigers, with the help of a 2 homer night by Carlos Guillen, could pull off a victory last night. They needed it.

I think I'm going to head to work now. One more day in means one more day closer to the weekend. Yahoo! Happy Wednesday everyone.

9/11

This tragic day is probably the most shocking moment of my generation. In highschool my friends and I often wondered when we'd hear about the first assassination attempt on a president, thankfully that has not happened. Instead we had quite a different experience. Like most people, I remember where I was. I was in Mr. Couch's 3rd hour sociology class when I first heard of the news, not knowing the seriousness of what had happened. It wasn't until later when we had the radio's turned on in the classrooms that we figured out how serious it was. I remember my drafting teacher, Mr. Vontroba telling us we didn't have to work on anything that day unless we wanted to. I chose to work and listen at the same time. I remember coming home and watching the images play again and again and again on the tv. What a surreal day. What an awful day.

I heard Lee Greenwood's "God Bless The USA" on the radio this morning and remembered hearing that many times in the days that followed September 11th. It made me think of some of the things that have changed since then. For one, I was a junior in highschool then and now I'm a college graduate. The Pistons won an NBA championship. The Red Sox won a world series. We said goodbye to a family member who as Uncle Mark put it best, "taught us how to live and taught us how to die" in Grandma Cook. We said hello to the newest member of the family in Seth who we can only wonder what he'll aspire to be. My parents bought a house in Georgia and sold our house on Labo Road. I went to Las vegas 4 or 5 times....those trips blend together after a while. I've seen Fenway Park-Thanks Mom(Cheers!). I've asked out and broken up with two girlfriends. I had my face sliced open by a golf ball (Have the scar to prove it). The Tigers were 57-86 on this date in 2001 and 5 years later they are almost a mirror image of themselves at 86-58....crazy huh? I've been to ground zero. I've found greater joy in music. I've brushed shoulders with Ernie Harwell. I've made new friends and lost some as well. I've weighed up to as much as 165 pounds and as little as 141 pounds. I've suffered through back pain that made me feel like I was going to die (I tried passing out once but the family decided against that smooth move) - thanks for not letting my noggin' smack the kitchen table pops. I've tried teaching myself how to play the piano and guitar-one worked a little better than the other but neither are very good. We got to see Grandpa Cook turn 90-that's awesome. I ran 17 miles straight with no socks (have the bloody shoes to prove it). I've partied in Ann Arbor the day of a Michigan/Ohio State football game. I've jumped in a freezing cold Lake Huron every February since 2002. I've turned pumpkin carving into a tedious yet rewarding thing. I've seen what politics can do to a church. I've watched the car ratio between my sister and I rise to 5/6 to 1.(She's always been able to go faster though, as well as text message, eat, change songs, sing, shift, and communicate with the rest of traffic at the same time).

So as you can see, there have been ups and downs and twists and turns along the road the past 5 years. We can only expect more of that to come. 9/11 serves as a reminder that each day is a blessing and each memory whether it's passing out, carving a pumpkin, or saying goodbye to a loved one should be cherished.

Sports and Laundry Saturday

That's what I'll be doing today. I cleaned last night and put some clothes away. Today I think I'm going to relax and wait for some good college football games to come on. I'm also waiting to watch the space shuttle Atlantis take off in about 20 or so minutes. This will be the fifth attempt for Atlantis so I hope all goes well for NASA.

The Tigers didn't fare too well last night but going by the number of games we're up (4) and the number of games we have left (20) I have a a hard time believing anyone is going to outplay us by more than 4 games. Yes, we've been struggling as of late. We're going to do it though. We will make the playoffs.

Well that's all I have for now. Enjoy your weekend!

Friday 9/8

Just another Friday in paradise today. Work until 2:30, maybe get an oil change, clean the apartment and do laundry, and then who knows. Enjoy your weekend everyone. Go Tigers !

Random question: Can you imagine a color you've never seen before ? I'm having the hardest time.

Post-It

Not much to post today. I had an enjoyable weekend at home where I amounted to a lot of nothing. Maybe that's why it was enjoyable. I decided to take some pictures of the lake tonight just for the heck of it. Enjoy !

One More Day

Today is finally Friday and I'm off work at 2:30, yahoo. 3 day weekend. Yay ! What are you going to do with your extra day off ?