Dad’s Day Reflections

  • Cuddling with the Young Extroverted One in bed while the Elder Extroverted Holy One showered.
  • YEO up in my face saying, “Happy Father’s Day, dada!”
  • YEO and EEHO making wonderful pancakes.
  • The neighbor taking YEO and her son to Maggie Moo’s for ice cream
  • Having a nice long talk with my dad and hearing some stories about his dad.

Dad: “Happy Father’s Day!”

me:   “Happy Father’s Day, back atcha!”

Dad: “That’s pretty cool, huh?”

me:   “Yeah . . . it is.”

And in Other Sad News . . .

I just heard about 30 minutes ago that the wonderful Ruth Graham just passed away.  I don’t have any words to describe what an absolute beautiful person she was.  I didn’t even know her personally.  But . . . wow.  So, I’ll let Reverend Graham do it:

“Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team,” Billy Graham said in a statement. “No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been impossible without her encouragement and support.

“I am so grateful to the Lord that He gave me Ruth, and especially for these last few years we’ve had in the mountains together. We’ve rekindled the romance of our youth, and my love for her continued to grow deeper every day. I will miss her terribly, and look forward even more to the day I can join her in Heaven.”

Oof.

 

I only have a couple of ties to her and her wonderful family: I saw the Grahams at Tong Sing once. Tong Sing isn’t a classy Chinese food joint but the best one we have in Black Mountain. At the time I just happened to look up and see the Reverend Billy Graham return to his seat from the restroom. Of course, he was carried by four angels.  Once he got back to his seat I saw the rest of the Grahams sitting there eating Chinese food.  Or, rather being fed Chinese food. God has them hooked up! =)

 

Also, as a wilderness ranger for the Montreat Conference Center I had the pleasure of spending time with Franklin Graham’s mother-in-law.  She has volunteered down at the Nature Center (ranger hut) for countless years.  Through her I met her grandchildren, Franklin’s children.  They were very fun to be around, especially, when I was doing environmental education for the conference center’s Club’s program.

Um . . . wow . . . all I can say is the world lost a special person today.  God be with the family (as if I needed to say that) and especially Reverend Graham.

The Passing of a Science Legend

My heart dropped when I heard yesterday that Mr. Wizard (aka Don Herbert) passed away.  I watched “Mr. Wizard’s World” on Nickelodeon back in the mid-to-late ’80s.  I thought it was way cool when my dad would watch with me because he told me that he used to watch “Watch Mr. Wizard” when he was young.  Of course hearing that made Mr. Wizard seem that  much older to me.

The kids seemed kind of dorky (the same could have been said about me).  There was even one that I wasn’t quite sure if it was a boy or girl and had some gender neutral name like, Chris or Terry.  But the experiments they did always intrigued me and some I still remember today.

Maybe after work the Young Extroverted One and I will blow something up!

The Future Looks Bright . . . Someone Cut That Light Off!

It’s looking more like I am getting the Director of Event Technology gig at the Marriott at Vanderbilt University. It seems like an exciting venture but there is a little more involved than just technology. I have to check in regularly with the hotel sales staff to get audio/visual leads, call these leads, meet with clients and generally be a real good audio/visual presence with hotel staff. Unfortunately, my technical background of 15 years or more is not enough because I can set up some mad a/v gear for a presentation and then gaff tape the hell out of some cables.

So, there is a bit of apprehension about the people thing. As the name of this blog suggests I am not much of a people person. I do alright, generally speaking. But that’s every once in awhile. And after a couple of beers. Dealing with people everyday might just drive me to drink.

. . . oh wait. I already do that. Nevermind, I guess I’ll be alright. For the most part. Must . . . stay . . . sober . . . at . . . work.

Stanley Cup Champs

First off, I am not a fan of the Anaheim Ducks whatsoever.  I am more of a fan of the sport of hockey than anything (and a big fan of the home team as well).  But I must say some things about the NHL playoffs that no other sport playoff series has.

Whenever I watch the playoffs and the finals no matter who wins the whole process brings a tear(s) to my eyes. Hockey is the only sport that has the hand-shaking thing.  Reminiscent of little league games it’s great to see opponents shake hands and hug (as manly as possible)after a rough series.  Especially after contentious moments.

It’s hard work and whoever ends up winning gets my respect.  One of my favorite teams to have won the cup was the Carolina Hurricanes.  I had the pleasure of working in the RBC Center and for the ‘canes before it was the RBC Center.  Always a fan even though I have since moved from Raleigh and am in Nashville and am a fan of my home team.

Congratulations to the Ducks.  And to the Predators, there’s always next year.

Are You On the List?

For the readers of this blog who are elsewhere in the states:
CoolPeopleCare‘s on a roll with 30 cities in 30 days.

Here’s where they’ll be:

June 1-Portland
June 2-Austin
June 3-Dallas
June 4-Fort Worth
June 5-Louisville
June 6-Phoenix
June 7-Baltimore
June 8-Charleston
June 9-Denver
June 10-Houston
June 11-Pittsburgh
June 12-Indianaplois
June 13-Seattle
June 14-San Francisco
June 15-Oakland		 June 16-Berkeley
June 17-New York
June 18-Chicago
June 19-Charlottesville
June 20-New Orleans
June 21-Charlotte
June 22-Fort Lauderdale
June 23-Orlando
June 24-Tampa
June 25-Raleigh
June 26-Philadelphia
June 27-Lincoln
June 28-Detroit
June 29-Minneapolis
June 30-???

Close Encounters of the . . . Well . . . I don’t really know

As the Elder Extroverted Holy One and I were taking the Young Extroverted One to her grandmother’s house for the night we had quite a surreal encounter. At the stop sign of our street waiting to turn onto Gallatin Road a vision in a faded magenta-ish velvet jumpsuit and purple suede-like shoes with black bushy hair and sideburns crosses in front of us. Pushing a shopping cart. What a time not to have a camera or a cell phone with a camera!

He turns and looks at us through his big, wraparound, bejewelled sunglasses and says, “You didn’t think you’d ever see the son of Elvis pushing a shopping cart, did you?”

Um, I didn’t think I’d ever see the son of Elvis ever! Let alone pushing a cart on Gallatin Road. I was so astounded freaked out that I didn’t even notice what he was pushing in his cart. But I did notice his purple suede shoes.

I thought I was having a flashback to when I was in Key West during Fantasy Fest (unbeknownst to me) and was passed by a pink Cadillac full of popes and a drag Marylin Monroe.