Hooks Win Again

Will’s fall team, the Hooks, won their game 9-3 Tuesday night. He played shortstop for two innings, caught two scoreless innings, and caught a fly ball the one inning he played centerfield.

Will was the Hook’s most productive offensive player, reaching base all three times he batted. He had a hit, walked, scored two runs, knocked one in, and stole a base.

He led off the bottom of the first by walking on four pitches. Before the next batter could walk on five pitches Will had scored, advancing one base at a time on three passed balls.

In the second Will singled down the third base line. He continued to second on the throw home. After Parker walked, Mitch grounded to the third-baseman, who stepped on the bag to end the inning.

In the fourth inning Will hit a hard grounder off the third-baseman’s glove, driving in the runner that was on third. Will stole second on the first pitch. Parker then hit a line drive that the rightfielder charged, but had to play on one hop. Will had to hold up to see if the ball would be caught in the air. Then he took off, rounded third, and slid in home just before the catcher could tag him out.

The Hooks play at 10 am on Saturday.

Medic!

There was a medical emergency in the service Sunday. Anna said Andy made a joke about thinking the guy had gone to sleep. Before the service Andy came up to speak to the mom Anna was sitting with. Anna said Andy said hey to her as well, but looked at her quizzically, since Anna wasn’t one of her daughters, perhaps.

Some people are talking about the new Monday show, The Event. Last night was the second episode, but I missed the first two. I was watching the game, but went to bed after the 10th

Tuesday McCann batted third in Prado’s place. Conrad, not Glaus, at third. No idea how banged up Glaus is, or if Conrad is playing based on the lefty/righty matchup thing.

We’ll see how Huddy and Lowe fare on a day’s less rest. Some MLB experts did the math on what would’ve happened had the Braves matched the Phillies pitchers with Hudson/Lowe/Hanson. Results were inconclusive.

Looks like I’m going to the Sunday game with Lang and his dad. Will is probably going, but I’ll need to get him a ticket.

Ewing Reception

While the wedding party took pictures, the guests gathered inside. I caught up with Cynthia, who is enjoying raising her three children, all under ten. Lauren caught me up with the last twenty years of her life, and the whereabouts of sister Beverly. Later Lauren spent considerable time talking home-schooling with Ceil and Mary.

We were delighted to see Bob and Myra. Before the service Dr. Marsh told me Alabama was trailing Arkansas. It reminded me of the story Bob told not long after arriving at SPdL, in the late seventies. If you weren’t aware, the Marsh’s son Charles’ best friend in high school, Steadman Shealy, quarterbacked the 1979 National Championship team:

In Dothan Marsh preached a funeral one Saturday afternoon in the fall, while a key Bama football game was raging. The ensuing funeral procession drove slower and slower as every car radio tuned to the penultimate march downfield. As the procession reached the gravesite, Bama’s drive was halted one yard short of the goal. After the graveside service a young man approached the preacher, seeking comfort. Dr. Marsh gently said “What a shame.” “Yes”, said the young man, looking defeated. “Just one more yard.”

At the reception I mentioned the story to Bob, who immediately remembered. Later he updated the score: Bama had come back to beat Arkansas. Later, near the food line, he asked where Myra was. I pointed him to her table. Thanks, he said…and turned and strode off in the other direction.

Mark must’ve been hungry, for as we all talked he was one of the first through the line. He sat behind us at a table, quietly chowing down, nodding at the bits of conversation tossed his way. Later I followed Ceil and Mary through the line. Jimmy and Tyler were temporarily stationed at the end of the line, so we were able to chat with the bride and groom.

Most of us “old” people are grains of sand in Jimmy’s universe. But with the exception of the crow-shooting Mark, the rest of our old gang are classified as friends of parents. To Jimmy’s great delight, Mary tries to joust with him on the internet. Ceil was a friend of Jenny, and I Ceil’s husband. All my hilarious bits and skits and Top Ten Lists with the SPdL youth were before Jimmy’s time. That dark side of me is largely unknown to him.

Jimmy and George were always quite accommodating to Will, bestowing crow’s foot necklaces round his neck and taking him fishing in thunderstorms. Sister Margaret was gracious enough to include Anna and Ceil in several of her pre-wedding activities.

But on this night Jimmy was uncharacteristically gracious, going out of his way to talk to us several times. I had only met Tyler once before, but she seemed to enjoy the one-liners we shot her way.

As usual, Ceil was paying more attention to the people around her than the food, so by the end of the line she had a huge plate of food. This delighted Jim to no end, and he capitalized on the opportunity to rib Ceil for taking advantage of all the “free food.” Since it was Jimmy's reception, we thought it strange there was no pig or deer strung up to eat.

Though most were sitting, David and I stood. We were able to have several extended conversations with Jim, who didn’t seem to have many father-of-the-groom duties. He pointed out his look-alike brother, whose scandalous wedding date was a vivacious redhead.

Jim recounted his victory at Margaret’s wedding reception, when challenged by the father of the groom to an unlikely daddy dance-off. Always the near teetotalling outdoorsman, the low-key, self effacing Jim has never been known to get his freak on. And as the competition unfolded his older opponent took the lead, at least in Margaret’s eyes. “Dad, he’s beating you!” she exclaimed.

That was all Jim needed to hear. Soon he was down on all fours, cutting moves that amazed the crowd. “She was the only one in the world I’d do that for” Jim told me. “You won’t be seeing any of that tonight.”

A DJ cranked up the music, welcoming guests and introducing the newlyweds. Out came Jimmy and Tyler, almost in a trot. When they arrived on the dance floor, they gave each other a big high five. I expected to see high school football highlights. The DJ played “Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I’m Yours” for the first dance. Other classic tunes followed. Before I could say it out loud, “Mac the Knife” was playing.

Next Tyler danced with her dad. Jimmy found his grandmother, and danced with her. Hurt wondered if it would be OK to cut in.

With both siblings married off, poor George was the recipient of a constant barrage of obligatory “Well, I guess you’re next!” remarks all night long. He suffered in good humor. At the reception he greeted David and I as “Mr. Hurt and Mr. Murphy.” Nonsense, we said. David said “Call me ‘Hey, You!’” I said “Please! Call me Mr. DAVE Murphy.”

Ceil and Mary needed a place to eat, so we moved outside. Our wives knew more people, and spent considerable time talking to friends and family. They got to talk to Margaret for a long while, and a Ewing aunt who’d had puppies. This was fine for David and me, and we sat and discussed the issues of the day. I knew we had talked a long time when he told me TWO stories about his favorite place in the world, the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon at Disney World.

Later Jimmy passed us, hustling to the car. He carried Tyler’s purse, allowing us to give him a hard time. Of course, not long after that I had to retrieve Ceil’s tiny purse from where I’d left it inside. All the younger people had filled the floor, and were dancing up a storm. I thought the only way to maneuver to the purse would be to pull a Kramer, and dance my way over to the table. Fortunately it didn’t come to that.

On my way back outside I passed Tyler, so I reported that Jimmy looked good carrying her purse. Then I showed her how I was in the same boat. Jimmy was just outside, and he thanked me for “helping make the evening special.” I had?

We knew it was time to leave when the DJ played "Brick House." Thirty minutes later he played Lady GaGa's "Bad Romance"…so we left.

We made our way to the front of the Inn just as George backed in the getaway vehicle. He left it unlocked and unattended, but we were too tired to come up with any schemes. By this time Mary was carrying her shoes, and I thought they might fit well in Jimmy’s bag. Instead, us old folks hobbled off into the night.

Nashville

Early June.

Stay Away From Taco Bell on Haynes Bridge

Sunday I’d dropped Ceil off at Joann Fabrics. Anna was starving, so I went to pick her up something at Taco Bell, next to the Lobster House (where sushi is 50% off). There was a LONG line inside Taco Bell, and cars were stacked up at the drive thru. We waited five minutes, and no car moved. I slipped out and went to Steak & Shake next door. No wait. We were back to get Ceil in only three more minutes.

Joel works at the ChickfilA in west Roswell, by the super Target. After work he brought milkshakes to the yard sale.

I was watching that NYY/Boston game, but fell asleep.

Am I Next?

My company just let an outside salesman go; I suppose his sales numbers weren’t good enough. He’d been with the company longer than me, and was in his mid-fifties.

They also let one of the “new” inside salespeople go, also probably due to lack of performance. A single mom who had just moved down from Virginia, she had worked hard, but perhaps this wasn’t her cup of tea. Meanwhile, three brand new salespeople have been hired. My desk neighbor Darren is moving over to that growth department, from our contractual group. The changes continue.

Ate at Willys Thursday night, then buzzed Hancock Fabrics, Target, and Gap. Everyone but Will. Van in shop for brakes. Fingers crossed that it won’t be as extensive as Tires Plus was saying.

Still looking halfheartedly for a clunker for Will. There are plenty of Civics out there, but Ceil prefers something bigger. First he needs to finish some insurance paperwork, and have a better attitude around the house. First graduation meeting yesterday…there’s plenty to do for that all year, including an immediate $200.00 fee. Reminds me that the salesman that just got canned has a daughter graduating this year.

One Car Weekend

Busy weekend…imagine that. The shop repairing the van’s brakes closed at five on Friday, so we only had one car all weekend. Ceil was ready to get out, so she took Anna to the Wesleyan football game at the old Milton High, and Will to a party. She and Matthew shopped. I had a headache, probably from using that mouthwash again. Went to bed after the Braves game, but had to go get Will at 11:30.

Saturday Will and I worked the Living Science Yard Sale, which was fun. Had to go back and get Matthew. They made around $4,000.00, not bad considering they’d had a sale a year earlier. Had a nice chat with Alyssa, who was there with her two sisters. The famous Mary Clayton showed as well, toting her precocious younger brother. As to be expected, I came home with several “treasures.”

Had to make a quick run to Peachtree Corners to recover Anna, before the 7 pm Jimmy Ewing wedding near the Marietta Square. The Marshes looked well, as did Jim. Mark & Leah Stephens, Jim & Suzi Voyles, the Hurts, and Cynthia Bankston Hammond were there. I took notes, and wrote a long recap.

Left at 11 pm, and gathered football scores on the way home. Bob had kept us up to date on the Bama comeback. After dropping off Ceil, I had to once more pick up Will at the Normans. When no one answered the door I quietly crept in, finding Will and Joel fast asleep.

Sunday we went to church, where NP celebrated their 15th birthday. More of a Bible-based sermon than usual. Then Will and I went home, but his practice was cancelled. He napped, and I drove back to get C, A, and M at NP. Joann Fabrics, Steak & Shake, and Harrys took up half the afternoon. Saw the Braves lose and Falcons win.

At 4:30 I drove Ceil the 25 miles over to Lilburn for Passion City Church. Good service, though a much smaller crowd than the one at Cobb Energy Center. WSB weatherman David Chandley sat behind me. I didn’t see him until I shook his hand.

Louie spoke about how God worked in the last few hours of his mother’s life. The doctor was Will’s long-time Sunday School teacher. Time of death was 5:15 last Sunday. The address of Louie’s new church is 515 Garmon Road.

Monday morning I was late to work, and Will late to class, since we had to pick up the van at the shop. I had put over 250 miles on the Civic.

Under the Big Top: Jimmy Gets Married

“I now pronounce you husband and wife” Dr. Marsh concluded.

“Hell has officially frozen over” quipped a voice down the row to my right.

Such was the wedding of Jimmy and Tyler, the social event of the evening.

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The Davenport/Ewing wedding was a lovely affair, staged at the Whitlock Inn not far from the Marietta Square. I dropped off Ceil and parked across the street. The first person I saw in the parking lot was a man wearing a kilt. “Surely”, I thought, “there’s no way Jimmy is going have a bagpipe play at his wedding.” But the man welded no bagpipe. I happened to follow behind this man on the walk to the Inn, wanting to tell onlookers that “I’m not with him!” Father Jim later told me the man was Tyler’s relative.

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As we entered the large tent behind the Inn, we found Leah chatting with Myra. Mark was sitting in the row in front of them, with daughters Lydia (employed at Buckhead Church) and Ansley (freshman at UGA). Mark, Jimmy’s long-time hunting buddy and partner in crime, recounted stories told at the previous evening’s rehearsal dinner. Tales of Flintstone pajamas and scary noises in the dark.

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Fortunately, our row of plastic chairs was situated on a concrete aisle, making our chairs sturdy as we sat. Jim and Suzi Voyles arrived and were seated behind us in chairs on the grass, and immediately felt their chairs sink in a bit, much lower than our row. They quickly moved up next to me, and we had a nice chat.

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Lauren Petty Banta sat by Lydia. The Hurts by the Voyles, and Cynthia in front of them. I had allotted one side of an 8-1/2x11 piece of paper for notes, and Lauren took up 25% of it for her address and email. I was this close to panic.

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Speaking of noises in the dark, our proximity to Powder Springs Road and the Marietta 120 Loop was quickly brought to our attention: before the wedding commenced, two emergency vehicles roared past, sirens a-blaring.

Dr. Marsh, Jimmy, and best man Jim entered, striding down the aisle. The groom sported a neatly-trimmed month-old beard, making his face look thinner. The eight groomsmen escorted the eight bridesmaids, whose hard heels were heard clomping on the brick path. Brother George was first to process, followed shortly thereafter by cousin Seth. Margaret was escorted by her new husband Will.

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Perhaps to make sure a sick child did not make a mess during the service, the junior bridesmaid and groomsman were placed out far to the side. They practically trotted down the aisle, perhaps setting a speed record in the process. Perhaps they were told to hurry, as the music stopped just as they made it to the front.

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In the back, Tyler appeared from the side entrance, so she wouldn’t have to walk down the steep steps in her lovely, long gown. She towered over her father, and I feared she would soon stand taller than her groom. Jimmy is by no means short, but surely he stood on a box. At the reception Jimmy proved to be a tad taller, when Tyler confessed to wearing her “shorter heels.” (Your servant always asks the tough questions).

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As Tyler joined Jimmy at the front I counted at least four amateur photographers snapping pictures, in addition to the professional. And had I not respectfully left my phone in the car, I would’ve already posted a picture of the kilt guy (Your servant always stays above reproach. Almost always).

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Including grandparents, pianists, soloists, Bible-readers, ushers, and honorary bridesmaids, the wedding party totaled forty people. This did not include the security officers monitoring parking at the adjoining church and bank. The large white tent was well lighted by a single chandelier, though some ceiling fans would’ve been nice. I’m sure Mark wasn’t the only one drenched in sweat. Even the groom was glistening.

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Right off the bat, two new customs proved to be nice touches. Set up by Dr. Marsh, father of the groom Jim gave a one word blessing of the marriage. Then the bride was given away by her father AND mother, as both stood by her side.

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Next came the Bible reading. In the poorly-lit corner, Jimmy’s longtime friend Tommy Statham struggled to see the passage. It hardly mattered, as he was quickly drowned out by another siren. Later while Dr. Marsh was speaking, a large flower fell from the archway just above and behind him. Marsh glanced back, smiled, and chuckled, perhaps relieved to know the disturbance wasn’t a local vandal.

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Marsh then launched into a very personalized, almost hip rendering of Romans Twelve. Indeed, of all the weddings I’ve seen him officiate, this may have been his finest.

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When Dr. Marsh asked Jim for the ring, the best man dutifully handed over the simple golden band. But when Bob forwarded the ring to Jimmy, the groom stealthily made a switch, instead slipping a beautiful new diamond-encrusted band on Tyler’s finger. The bride was caught completely off guard. Clued in, Jim had known to watch for her reaction.

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When the soloist began her beautiful, low-key version of The Lord’s Prayer, everyone looked around to see where she was…including Jimmy and Tyler. The newlyweds spent the song smiling and laughing at each other, probably about the ring. A security guard chose this tender moment to crank up his motorcycle.

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Immediately after Jimmy and Tyler strode down the aisle, best man Jim escorted both grandmothers away. A most special moment. I looked, but did not detect moisture in Jim’s eyes.

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Congratulations, you newlyweds, you. After all, hell freezing over is a good thing, right?

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TOMORROW: The Reception, the DJ, and the Dance Floor.

The Rosemary Beach Players

Haley, Will, Emily, Holt, Margaret, Matthew, Kevin, and Anna

MATH-hew

It’s not the schoolwork driving Ceil crazy, just Matthew’s aversion to it. This year he’s taking separate math and science classes in addition to his regular load at Veritas. Last year he took math at home. He knows how to do the math, but is just stubborn about doing it.

All day Tuesday & Wednesday everyone is at school, including Ceil. Will drives the van to class all day Monday and Thursday, leaving Ceil home all day to work with Matthew. Those days she’s pretty frustrated by the time I get home. She lets him get to her, and doesn’t punish him enough for bad behavior.

Fredi

Gonzalez used to be a coach for the Braves and is a leading candidate to replace Cox. A week or two ago the Cubs wanted to interview Fredi, but he turned them down. Some think that means Gonzalez already has a deal with the Braves.

The Marlins owner is one of those wacko types, with unrealistic expectations for the team. Then manager Fredi Gonzalez benched star shortstop Hanley Ramirez for a few games, for a lack of hustling. Gonzalez was fired not long after that, even though many experts credited him with keeping the Marlins competitive.

Cox defended Gonzalez in the press. The rumor is the owner decreed that the Marlins would not honor Cox.

The Marlins owner wants to hire Bobby Valentine to manage. Valentine would rather manage the higher profile Cubs, Mets, or Dodgers.

Torre is 70. I love him, but I think he’d rather have the Mets job, if any. Or the Yankees, if Giraldi were to move to the Cubs. Torre was talking about watching his daughter’s games, so he may retire to Fox or ESPN.

Perhaps Gonzalez will promote the Gwinnett Braves hitting coach, who’s been given high marks.

McLouth has been asked to play LF these past two games, and has discovered it to be quite different than center. He missed one that dropped foul, misjudged a tough one and missed on the dive, had a ball get knocked out of his glove over making a diving catch, then rainbowed the throw over the cutoff man’s head, allowing the winning run to score last night.

At the plate he is making good contact, but continues to try to hit home runs.

Game of Inches

Tough two games for the Braves. Baseball can sure be a game of inches. Both games have had many plays that could’ve gone either way. Turned out that Monday’s rookie did better than Minor. At least old man Hanson is going tonight.

Sounds like McCann took it hard last night, leaving instead of answering questions about getting thrown out at third. I was madder at Ankiel the other day, trying to stretch that leadoff double into a triple.

To read the blogs, the “fans” are really coming out of the woodwork these days. I’ve been tempted to slam Philadelphia myself. Us outsiders don’t know half of what’s going on, with all the info that goes into each decision-making process. I forget how bad Prado is hurting…it sure showed last night.

Things were kinda slow for the last week, but today it’s been much busier.

Matthew continues to drive Ceil crazy, schoolwork wise. She shouldn’t let it get to her so much. He is doing more schoolwork than ever.

Living Science yearbook came out. Interesting to see that many of the trip pictures were taken by Ceil and me.

C. S. Lewis.

"You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body."

1915 Boston Braves

Been looking for a Braves cap to replace the bright 1974 royal model.

This muted wool baby should keep the noggin warm this winter.

Perhaps it will change the Braves luck as well.

Sept 20: Phils Got More Breaks?

While several things did go the Braves way Monday night, I kept track of some of the breaks the Phillies got…

1. JJ goes down with an injury, and is replaced by a rookie making his MLB debut.

2. Utley turns a phantom double play in the first.

3. McCann just misses a two-run HR in the second.

4. Prado just misses a leaping catch of Ruiz’s line drive RBI double.

5. Howard’s line drive hits the RF foul line for a double, and later scores.

6. Bad call at second on the steal, when Victorino clearly slides nowhere near the base.

7. Heyward can’t catch the tough, knuckling line drive.

8. On steal, McCann’s throw hits off Utley’s leg.

9. Prado’s game-tying HR barely hooks foul. On next pitch he hits into inning-ending DP.

I lost interest after that.

Yes, Minor could’ve been moved up. But I believe what the experts are saying, that for the rest of the season no one game is more important than another. While pitchers won’t confirm this because they want the ball, it’s been proven that pitching on short rest results in less-effective outcomes. This gives the entire pitching staff the best shot at winning these upcoming games.

This is the third straight year the Phillies have been strong in September. Their payroll is twice that of the Braves. It helps to sell out every game…so can some of the blame rest with Braves fans? Granted, the Philadelphia market is much bigger than Atlanta’s. Given these conditions, should Bobby Cox be lauded or jeered? To me, the answer is obvious.

As of Monday night the Braves were down three starters. Their best shot is the wild card.

Still, the Phillies want to clinch before the season-ending series in Atlanta, since they have a losing record at the Ted. Hence they lined up Hammels, Halladay, and Oswalt to pitch this series.

Hilarious moment when the guy in the red bodysuit ran out on the field. TV was determined not to show it, though the announcers were obligated to explain the delay. Funny watching McCann and Werth watching the chase. Then Diaz became a hero to the Philly fans by tripping the rebel, after the stadium employee fell flat on his face chasing the guy.

The Phillies announcers made a good comment: it was a good thing Farnsworth wasn’t pitching at the time!

Anna Watches the YOLOers

Anna watches the YOLOers.

This was one of the most visited posts on my blog when it was titled "A". That creeped me out, so I changed the title. We'll see if it gains or loses popularity.

Kennesaw State Football Uniform Suggestions

Congratulations on Kennesaw State’s new football program! This is a proud moment for the school, and for all Cobb County residents like me.

As a student of good and bad uniforms for the past forty years, I’d like to offer my help with the uniform design process. A great uniform needs to be attractive both to an 18-year old athlete considering playing for KSU, as well as the alumni and other north-Georgia ticket-buying football fans.

A great uniform dovetails precisely with Coach Dooley’s quote in the press conference:

A football team, Dooley said, “establishes national brand and by that I mean a visible distinguished identification and a national prominence that’s really not available from any part of the campus. It does initiate a sense of pride, a point of connection around the state. A football and a marching band energizes campus life and turns into the heartbeat and the spirit of a campus.”

Please do not hesitate to call me with any uniform design questions you may have.

Sincerely,

David

Marietta, GA

A few respectfully submitted suggestions:

Keep it simple! This is a hallmark of most of the most successful football programs in the country: Southern Cal, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas, UCLA, Nebraska, Penn State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia.

Watch out for manufacturers marketing their latest “trendy” designs. They care more about making a name for themselves than maintaining school integrity. While companies like Nike and Russell can supply low-cost product, it still should be the school that has the final say.

Jerseys: These days jerseys are basically sleeveless, leaving little room on the shoulders for both stripes and TV numbers. Skip placing a logo on the shoulders or sleeves, which is usually a repeat of the nearby helmet logo anyway.

For a distinctive look, forgo the TV numbers and go with shoulder stripes instead. For a black jersey, a gold-burgundy-gold stripe might look good, or white-burgundy-white. The white jersey would look great with black-gold-black stripes, and large, black block numbers. Refrain from trendy colored side panels or piping.

Try to keep the front of the jersey clean. Some teams will have three or four logos, team names, and patches, making the jersey look more like a race car. Have the jersey collar be the same color as the jersey. I don’t think it would look good to place the team name on the front of the jersey, as “Kennesaw State” is too long, and “Owls” is too short.

Jersey Numbers: Large, simple, block numbers are best. Ten of the twelve teams listed above have untrimmed block numbers. It’s a football uniform, not a fashion show runway! These days jersey numbers start halfway down the player’s chest. Buck that trend! Insist on having the top of the number just below where the collar meets.

Pants: Stripes are good! Stripeless pants are too plain. Simple stripes running from top to bottom look much better than bizarre piping meandering here and there. For a sharp, clean look, stick with white pants…gold pants with black jerseys can be too much color (see Vanderbilt and Wake Forest!). Either black-gold-black or gold-black-gold stripes would look great.

Helmets: The original design shown in the AJC photo is hard to beat. The white facemask does contrast considerably with the black helmet. A black mask might look better, or the traditional grey. Grey masks allow the best view of a player’s face, in my opinion. The great-looking KSU Owl logo could be bigger, to make it more visible and formidable.

Some teams these days have uniforms seemingly designed by a committee. Contrastingly, a simple look projects a clear identity. And if you really want to make a statement, I can help with that as well.

If you have any questions, feel free to call me at any time!

Football Thoughts

Since Kennesaw State is starting up a football team, today I emailed them several uniform suggestions, and offered my assistance. I may know someone on the committee.

Paul Johnson’s system is set up to win, not win pretty. I try to remember that. The UNC win was a classic example. Those two second-half UNC turnovers were key, the difference in the game. Good thing Tech hit on the two field goals.

Loved that Nesbitt only threw four passes. Completed three, one for a TD. Didn’t see a pass dropped.

UGA got beat by an experienced QB. Thought that last Arkansas sack should’ve drawn a helmet on helmet penalty.

Clemson looked good. Auburn didn’t, and was lucky to win. Cheap shot by Auburn DB to stick Parker in the back helmet first. Parker almost gutted out the win. The long-snapper cost Clemson a shot a winning. Good call by the refs on that play. Perhaps a bad no-call on an earlier OT play, when they could’ve called roughing the passer on Auburn.

Glad Auburn didn’t wear blue helmets and pants. Hope I never see them. Auburn has some good-looking unis.

Bama Backs: Richardson is better than Ingram. No ACC school blows out Duke like that.

Sweet call by the Michigan State coach, faking the FG to win in OT. Then he checks into the hospital and had a stint inserted.

Nice catch by Randy Moss, though he should’ve caught the three earlier over-the-middle passes thrown his way. I like Wes Welker, Tom Brady, and that rookie TE Fernandez from Florida.

Nice that Calvin Johnson caught a TD to keep the Lions in the game. Was rooting for him, since Vick’s Eagles weren’t wearing their lovely throwbacks.

Knowshawn had a big game for Denver.

See where the Colts QB had a brother playing QB for the opposing Giants? What are the odds! NBC devoted a good chunk of the pregame to the Manning family. Some think it overkill. I loved it.

Interesting segment on the calls Peyton makes at the line of scrimmage. Some are completely fake. Showed proof that the calls throw the defense off. On NBC I like Costas, Michaels, Collingsworth, Dungy, and Patrick.

Saturday night I wore my grey Pumas to our friend’s house. While watching the Clemson game, I noticed the soles were cracking, just like my identical red pair. The first glue that I’d tried hadn’t worked, so Sunday I used a tube of water-resistant silicone sealant on both pair. The sealant went on white, and I smoothed it out around the entire soles. It dried clear and shiny, though I’m going to let them dry a few more days before testing them out. I may have to get some of that Shoe Goo stuff.

Weekend Sports

JJ’s out, and I’ve never heard of his fill-in for tonight. DOB likes him, though. For this series the Braves starters have 174 MLB starts. Halladay, Oswalt, and Hammels have combined for 376 major league WINS. And after seeing the Nats were winning, later I couldn’t believe reading on the crawl that Werth hit a walk-off.

It was a baseball/football weekend for me.

…Friday night I watched the Braves, some of the Kansas loss, and Woodstock beating Newman.

…Saturday I saw most of GT’s win, the end of the UGA loss, and some of the GSU game.

…During halftime Matt Stewart interviewed Whisenhunt, there to support his old college coach.

…Then the Braves, and some of the Florida Tennessee game.

…Watched Auburn Clemson over at a friend’s house.

I try to stay away from the Firestone/Goodyear/Wal-Mart type car places, because of all the reports (& actual experiences) of them running up the tab, & getting you to do un-needed work. But there I went on Saturday, taking the van up to Tires Plus for brakes. The guy called me, basically saying it would be over $800.00. He kept talking and talking. Finally I just said not to do anything, that I would pick up the van. THEN he said “well, uh, I could reprice this with, uh, less expensive parts.” Too late. I’ll take it to our regular mechanic in Roswell, during this week.

Saturday I was in and out of the heat, and working around the house. The dust and temperature changes made me sick by Saturday night…sneezing, etc. Slept in on Sunday. Watched the Braves win, and a little of the Falcons. Watched a good chunk of NE/NYJ, and the Colts/Giants pregame. I’ll watch a football game if the uniforms look good.

Mary Clayton had gone to NP with the Hurts, so afterwards my crowd and theirs went to Panera. Like me, I think David passed.

Last night I stayed home, as Anna had to study. C, M, W, and Joel Norman went to Passion City Church. At 6:10 pastor Louie tweeted that his mother had just died, so I wondered who was filling in. My guess was right: Andy. Ceil and Will said he was more laid back that his usual Sunday morning self.

YOLO Training

Anna, Haley, Matthew, Holt, and Will prepare to YOLO, paddling about on an oversized surfboard.

Hanging With Ex-Cons

This morning I came in late, after swing by my favorite tire place, Tire Deals. Across from Donna Freund’s WellStar office on Sandy Plains, near Highway 5. Took me about ten minutes to get in and out of there, though they didn’t open until 8:30.

Best I can tell, those hard, poor gas mileage Firestones lasted 68,754 miles. One was in terrible shape: warped, with tread showing. Made lots of noise. I could immediately tell the difference.

I often wondered if the Tire Deals owner (a shady cash-only character himself) hired ex-cons as his cheap labor.

This morning I got there early, so I parked in front of the one bay (claiming my spot as first in line). Eventually I caught a glimpse of a shady-looking guy in my mirror. He inadvertently stood in my blind spot, just well behind the car. Looked like the goofy clone in Multiplicity.

His not so shady co-worker then arrived. He was more outgoing. I tried to listen to their conversation as they worked, in case they discussed something exciting. Sounded like one of them watched a Sandra Bulloch movie last night.

So much for a glimpse into the evil underworld of crime.

Top Ten Hated Teams

1. People hated the Pistons and…

2. …Flyers, because they fought so much. They were far from dynasties.

3. The Miami Hurricanes were also hated, more because of their bad-boy image than their winning ways.

4. Other teams dreaded the powerful Packers, though they seemed like an all-American bunch.

5. Also the Browns, who dominated the AAFC.

6. Everyone hates the Yankees, who have all that money to buy championships.

7. In the 60’s and 80’s fans hated the Celtics and…

8. …Duke, who played smart, team oriented basketball. but they were quick to jump on the Lakers’ bandwagon, since Magic Johnson was so loveable.

9. Did people hate the UCLA dynasty?

10. Like the Yankees, you either love or hate Notre Dame.

No one seemed to hate the 1990’s Braves, except Fox and ESPN, and the fans who demanded a World Series win every year.

HBP

Jeter HBP: They said that had it been ARod, he would’ve been vilified. What Jeter said was true; the umpire pointed him to first. If HE had disputed the call, would it have been changed? I did see the play the night it happened.

Just read a SI article about the first big batting race, in 1909 between Ty Cobb and Nat Lajoie. On the last day of the season Cobb led by a point. The Browns hated Cobb, so the manager played the third baseman back on the leftfield grass. Nat went 8-8 in the doubleheader, with seven straight bunt hits.

Cobb still edged out Lajoie, when it was said the second game of an earlier DH had been counted. Cobb had gone 4-4. Years later statistians determined the 4-4 game was counted twice…on purpose. Bowie Kuhn did not correct the error.

What did Delta do for Bobby’s last road trip, spray the plane with fire hoses? I missed it, but Heyward tweeted about something.

Slow Friday for me, while several other departments take inventory, including my boss. Everyone wore football stuff today. I wore a hot Milwaukee Braves LS tee, then changed to a SD Chargers jersey.

This weekend I need to get the brakes on the van serviced. Hopefully I’ll watch Tech, and perhaps Clemson. Need to do some yardwork.

Football Friday

Friday was another wear football gear to work day. Once more, I went overboard.

Alicia…crimson Bama “got Nick?” tee, Bear Bryant houndstooth hat, & pom poms

Ashley…red Matt Ryan # 2 Falcons jersey, just like Denene’s.

Chase…red Falcons tee

Chris…grey Central Florida tee

Darren…blue Gators polo

Darryl…black retro #58 Jesse Tuggle Falcons jersey

Debby…crimson Bama tee

Denene…inauthentic red #2 Matt Ryan Falcons jersey

Dennis…white Georgia State polo

Gwen…orange Clemson tee

Jeff…navy #54 Urlacher Bears jersey

Jessica…white Georgia tee

Jonathan…blue Happy Valley tee

Josh…crimson Alabama tee

Matt…red UGA polo

Me (AM)…white long-sleeve Reebok Cooperstown Collection Milwaukee Braves tee

Me (PM)…powder blue #21 Tomlinson SD Chargers jersey (the LS tee was hot!)

Peggy…grey Georgia tee

Renee…navy #55 Norcross High jersey (her son)

Sandra…red UGA tee

Sherryl…new authentic black # 8 UGA jersey…bought from AJ Green?

…actually, she won it from work earlier this summer.

Steve…off red Georgia tee

Thomas…navy Tech polo

Thomas…white Georgia polo

Trevor…yellow adidas Michigan tee

Trey…red Georgia tee

Ceil & Emilio

Beaning

The kid that Will hit was fine…he got hit in the helmet, I meant. Also hit another kid in the back. Starting pitcher Mitch also hit a batter. Both try too hard. Mazzone said it’s better to pitch with 95% effort than 105%...especially against bottom of the order hitters looking for walks.

No bad blood, but the teams didn’t seem to like each other, perhaps from school. DuPont only had 5-6 decent hitters, but fielded well. Didn’t look like they had much pitching, past the stud starter.

Missed the Braves, which wasn’t much. Missed the Wednesday day game loss. Ceil is starting to pay attention, and worried about the loss, so I told her there was almost 3 weeks left. Do you think that if Heyward continues his strong September that he’ll win ROY? His OBP is better than Pujols right now, and he’s got his average up to .287. Seems like that’s an award the press likes to give to a player from the NE, or LA.

Lang’s Bobby Cox book is now available for pre-sale on Amazon. You can probably search Lang Whitaker Bobby Cox to find it. It won’t be coming out until mid-March. Didn’t realize he did the voiceovers for two audiobooks.

Kelly, the outspoken mom in our old small group, landed a multi-book contract to write historical fiction novels about the Pennsylvania Dutch Amish. I think one of them has already come out.

Ceil got a blackberry, and bothered me the whole game with texts, wanting updates, responding with frowny faces. Reminded me of the Hannah Montana episode. At least I can get hold of her better.

I just started texting just a few months ago myself, getting updates on Braves games and from different people on Twitter. It gave me something to do when I was at that concert with Matthew for eight hours!