New Years Resolutions

Drink More Water - I made this one last year but I've slacked off in the past few months. Those 24oz diet Pepsi's have slowly replaced the water I was drinking.

Update My blog more regularly - I went from doing about 12 posts a month to about 2. I think my goal for 2009 will be to have around 6 posts a month. That is once about every 4 days. So the 5 of you that read this can try and hold me accountable.

Eat Better - Jen and I are both going to try and work on eating better. I've slowly been trying to do this anyways. However, we are going to cut out a lot of bad sweets and too large portion sizes.

Stay Active - Last year I planned to run a half marathon. I don't know if I will do that this year or not. However, I am planning to keep up my cardio by running, biking, and playing tennis. I also plan to continue lifting weights, but probably not at the same intensity. I probably won't be benching 200lbs very often any more.

Have an Active Social Life - I hope in 2009 we can do more things out with friends in Birmingham. Go to movies, bowling, or just have people over for dinner occasionally.

Develop a taste for wine - I'm not talking about me and Jen throwing down on a Friday night alone at the apartment, but we both would like to learn a little bit about wines. There are several health benefits to drinking a glass of red wine a day, and it's a sophisticated beverage to enjoy.

2008 Survey

I completely ripped this post off Zac's blog. I just want to get that out up front so everyone knows. However, I thought it was a noteworthy survey so here ya go.

2008

What did you do in 2008 that you've never done before? Stayed away from Knoxville for months at a time.

Did you keep New Year's Resolutions? I said I was going to run a half marathon and did that in March.

Did anyone close to you give birth? Ryan and Sam

Did anyone close to you pass away? no

Did anyone close to you get married? Scott and Kristin

What places did you visit? Nashville, Knoxville, Pensacola Beach, Huntsville

What would you like to have more of 2009 that you lacked in 2008? Spare time

What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory? April 19th, my last day at Penske Truck Leasing

What was your biggest achievement of the year? Making a career change

What was your biggest failure? Putting off grad school - once again

Did you suffer illness or injury? I had kidney stones - that was lame

What was the best thing you bought? I bought Jen some jewelry items she wanted, that made her real happy

Whose behavior merited most celebration? Jen consistently kicking butt in pharmacy school merits a lot of celebration

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I don't like to name names, but I'm sure some of my friends already know the answer to this one

Where did most of your money go? bills

What did you get really excited about? Having weekends and federal holidays off

What songs will always remind you of 2008? If I had Eyes - Jack Johnson, SOS - Jonas Brothers, there are probably more that I just can't think of right now.

Compared to this time last year are you:

i. Happier or Sadder? happier
ii. Thinner or Fatter? probably firmer
iii. Richer or Poorer? slightly richer

What do you wish you'd done more of? Gone on more "dates" with Jen

What do you wish you'd done less of? Wasted time complaining about things I can't change

How will you be spending the holidays? with my family and seeing what friends I can

How will you be spending New Years? In B'ham

Did you fall in love in 2008? I'm already in love

How many one night stands? none

What was your favorite TV program? I really got in to the Mentalist, How I Met Your Mother and Life on Mars

Do you hate anyone now you didn't hate this time last year? hate is a strong word

Do you like anyone you didn't like this time last year? I've built upon some friendships

What was the best book you read? I read the Twilight series

Greatest musical discovery? Jerry Jeff Walker

What did you want and get? I wanted a new bike which Jen got me for our anniversary

What did you want and not get? A new car, Jen got one though, so I guess that's half

Favorite film? film would imply I watched something artsy and educational. I in fact only watched major motion pictures last year. Unless Juno counts, but I really wasn't that impressed with it.

What did you do on your Birthday? Went to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen with my parents, went to dinner at Village Tavern with Jen, had some friends come over for cookie cake afterwards.

What one thing would have made your year immensely more satisfying? winning the lottery

How would you describe your personal fashion concept of 2008? Preppy and dressy, more adult than trendy these days

What kept you sane? Having co-workers that shared my views

What celebrity did you fancy the most? Brad Pitt grew a mustache, so that is noteworthy

What political issue stirred you the most? Taxing

Who was the best new person you met? I've met some pretty cool people in my new job as well as through my neighbors.

A valuable life lesson learned from 2008? Don't be complacent doing what your doing, and always maintain your friendships

Quote a song lyric that reminds you of 2008? "These days I'm up about the time I used to go to bed" - Jimmy Buffett

Something I'd never done before 2008? Quit a full time job, took up road bicycling, joined a tennis league

Other memorable moments from 2008 include.... Going to the beach on Memorial Day Weekend, Staying in Nashville,

Tender Tennessee Christmas

I haven't blogged in a while so I thought I would catch everyone up on our Christmas break. I got off from December 19-25 to go home for the holidays. We had a great time but still didn't manage to see everyone and do everything we intended.

Every Monday Kendall and I email each other "the rundown" of activities from the weekend. I will give you all the rundown of Christmas Vacation.

Saturday - My mom had strep throat so I did my best to avoid getting germs at the house. Dad and I played some tennis and hung around the house. Jen and I went to the mall and to Gondolier (a local pizza place) for dinner on Saturday. At the mall we saw 5 people we knew. Two of them I went to high school with and they already have 2 kids. Weird...

Sunday - Got up and went to my old church. Then we headed to Jen's grandmothers for lunch and a Christmas exchange with Jen's extended family. I left her grandmother's house with a large pocket full of money and way too much food in my stomach. We ate dinner with my parents later that evening.

Monday - We got up early and headed to Pigeon Forge for some holiday shopping. We spent most of the day there with my mom. We came back to town and met some of my good friends for dinner at the Butcher Shop (semi-fancy steak restaurant). The food was not the best that night, but we had a great time with our friends. Afterwards Jen and I went and looked at a few festively decorated houses.

Tuesday - We got up and went to see my grandparents in Clinton. That was followed by getting a haircut and some light shopping in west Knoxville. Dad and I played tennis that afternoon. Jen went to the Ye Ole Steakhouse (nice steak restaurant) with her good friends and their moms. I went and got her a couple presents while she was there. Then I went over to Dusty and Emilee's to see their dogs and have a festive beverage with Dusty. It was good times.

Wednesday - It is a Christmas Eve tradition to go to lunch with my parents. We went to the Downtown Grill and Brewery (just like it sounds) for lunch. We walked around the city and then went to see Four Christmases at the downtown theater. That movie was absolutely hilarious. Christmas Eve night the tradition is to eat with Jen's family, in particular her dad's side. Her mom hosted the dinner this year and it was fantastic. Prime Rib was the main course.

Thursday - Christmas morning we still get up early to open presents. We did Christmas breakfast and presents at Jen's parents and then we did lunch with my parents. Jen's parents joined us for lunch too. We got most of your typical Christmas presents but did get a few things of note. Jen got a new Dooney and Burke purse, a Vera Bradley dog carrier, a black onyx ring from me and lots of clothes. I got a couple suits, a new racquet bag and some Rayban Wayfarers from Jen. It was a really great Christmas.

So that is what we spent our week of vacation doing. We came home very tired. I wish I could have seen more people, and done more things but that will just have to be on the next trip. I did get a gift card to Litton's (local burger place) and plan on going there next time we are in. I hope everyone else had as great a Christmas as we did.

Overly Festive

It has recently been brought to my attention at work that me and another associate might be overly festive. I know this may be hard to believe.

Apparently just because I own one or seven holiday sweaters, have been playing Christmas music since mid November and talk about holiday movies like they are classic films I've been given this stigma of being overly festive.

I mean, isn't it normal to have lots of holiday clothing. What would Christmas Eve be without my reindeer sweater. I even talked Jen in to getting a snowflake sweater last Christmas. And it's perfectly normal to put your tree up right after Halloween isn't it. You only get to enjoy it this once a year. Go big or go home I say. I only have a small balcony, but you can bet that every part of it that can host a decoration has a colored light on it. Yes, you head that right, COLORED LIGHTS. Because classy Christmas white just doesn't cut it for me. I grew up with this nice tree at my parents house with the white lights and "nice" ornaments. There are no arts and crafts on my parents tree, with the exception of the angel I made in the second grade that I insist be placed upon the top of the tree.

Some people thing that Christmas has become overly commercialized. I'm not saying I disagree with this, but I have some nice renditions of songs referring to the birth of Christ on the Christmas mix I made myself that I listen to in the car.

I think if there is any problem with the festiveness of the holidays it is because other people just don't have the spirit like I do.

Favorite Christmas music

Now that it's officially the holiday season I thought I would list some of my favorite Christmas songs.

In no particular order:

Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World

Ho HO HO and a Bottle of Rum - Jimmy Buffett

All I want for Christmas is a Real Good Tan - Kenny Chesney

River - James Taylor

Tennessee Christmas - Amy Grant

Baby It's Cold Outside

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen - Bare Naked Ladies

Christmas Song - Dave Matthews

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer - Jack Johnson

Christmas in the Carribean - Jimmy Buffett

O Come O Come Emmanuel - Third Day


I made add upon this list as we get closer to the holidays and I'm reminded of more great songs.

Thankful at Thanksgiving

I have a lot to be thankful for at Thanksgiving this year. Below is my list of what I'm thankful for.

1. A loving wife who puts up with me, my messes, and all of my "oddities."

2. A dog that runs to the door every time I come home.

3. Festive decorations in my apartment all year long

4. A family that loves me.

5. Friends that keep in touch even though I live 4 hours away.

6. A job that allows me to pay the bills and occasionally splurge on something.

7. A cat that purrs when she seems me after a long day.

8. The "Thanksgiving Turkey" gifts that I still receive.

9. Sundays that I can just sit on the couch with Jen and watch movies and relax.

10. Co-workers that keep me sane during a work day.

11. Emailing my friends throughout the day about absolutely nothing important or relevant at all.

12. The knowledge that one day I'll look back at this time in my life and realize how great we really have it.

Sick Season

I got up this morning feeling slightly congested but not too bad. I went through my morning routine and took some cold medicine. About the time I got to work, I felt sick to my stomach. I was abruptly sent home.

The nice thing about my new job is you can actually take a sick day without being scrutinized for it. My previous employer, both in Alabama and Tennessee,looked at taking a sick as not being a team player. If you can walk you can work was basically the mentality. I'm not someone who calls in sick for any given reason. However, I am someone who thinks that working when you sick is bad for customer service and for getting better. Everyone at work told me that they didn't want whatever they had and sent me home.

Ironically, yesterday I got a flu shot hoping to avoid any major illness this winter. The flu shot was kind of awkward because I got it in a room with several tables and everyone could see you getting the shot. The problem was I was wearing a button down dress shirt. So for the nurse to get to my arm I had to unbutton most of my shirt in front of everyone there. Slightly awkward for me and the rest of the bank employees getting a flu shot yesterday.

So now I'm home laying in the bed with Taylor and Emma. I don't know if they can sense when you don't feel well, but they have been sitting with me since I've been home. It's kind of nice to have some company while Jen is at school.

I'm also revisiting watching some daytime tv. I was very disappointed to find out that my current cable package does not include the sleuth network. I was very excited to watch some Magnum PI, however that did not work out. I have watched a couple episodes of Las Vegas in between sleeping and being sick.

Homecoming

Yesterday was homecoming for my alma matre, The University of Tennessee. Homecoming is always a game I try to make it to. I graduated college three years ago, so Homecoming is kind of a tradition Jen and I have started.

Yesterday was a pretty good day. In the morning my dad and I went out and played some tennis. I'm starting to get my groundstrokes back the more I hit. For those of you that don't know, I'm trying to get back in to playing tennis. There is a local league starting in January and my goal is to get to a point where I can play competitively in my division. So Dad and I put in about an hour of practice yesterday.

After that I donned my orange and white and Jen and I headed to the game. A friend of my dad's gave us his tickets. The seats were awesome. We were on the 15 yard line, 40 rows back, in seats with cushions and backs already on them. It was the perfect place to watch an unperfect execution of Tennessee football. For anyone that didn't see the news yesterday, Tennesse lost it's homecoming game to the Wyoming Cowboys. Yeah - SEC football at it's finest.

After the game we headed to Litton's for a great dinner. TN football and Litton's are two things I miss in Birmingham.

Today we are toting all our Christmas decorations back home that we stored up here. Next weekend will begin the Christmas decorations holiday extravaganza at the Brooks Household. I will post some pictures.

In brighter news, I work tomorrow and then I'm off on Tuesday for Veteran's Day. I love bank holidays.

Election Day

I haven't blogged in a while, but I thought today was as good a day as any to write a new one.

Today is election day. One of the many great reason to live in the United States of America. Because, we as a nation have the right to line up every four years and cast a ballot for the candidate that we most identify with. No candidate is ever perfect, but everyone can find someone that they can identify with. If not you haven't done your research. If you still can't you can always right someone else in.

This morning I got up early and went to the polls to vote at 7am. There were a couple hundred of people in line. The wait wasn't too long and I really didn't mind it. I thought it was pretty cool how an election can bring everyone together and divide them at the same time. Everyone I was in line with had the same feeling of responsibility to vote for the next leader of America.

Election years bring out the best and worst of people. This year in particular the talk of politics in regular conversation has been worse than normal. By worse I mean more than there should be and more retarded than ever. Apparently radio DJ's are being considered a neutral form of information. I did not get any of my voting information from the morning radio talkshow.

Everyone seems to have an opinion on how the country would benefit from each candidate. I also have my opinions, but I try not to offer them unless asked. I don't care if other people vote how I do. I understand that voting is a personal decision people make and they have their own reasons for it. At times I've had to defend my decision of the candidate I'm voting for. However, that is a good thing. If you can defend the person you voted for that means you actually know why you are voting for them.

I didn't cast my vote half heartedly or just because of a party line. I looked at the issues that are important to me right now. When I voted for the rest of offices I didn't vote for a single party. I heard a conversation today that sounded like this.

"Did you vote for _________ for Judge"?
"Were they republican?
" I just voted for whoever was republican."

If that is what voting is for people, they would be better off just leaving that section blank. No single party or person has all the answers.

A lot of people worry about a candidate being some sort of tyrant and ruining the country. Last time I checked we have Congress and the Senate to regulate any tyrannical behavior. There is a stat that says city government is the most tyrannical of any form. I would definitely believe that.

So I did my civic duty today and casted my vote. I hope my candidate wins, but if he doesn't at least I did my part to get him elected.

1492

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Five Hundred sixteen years later I'm off work because of Mr. Columbus.

It's not the first time I've been off work for this holiday. I worked at a bank in college and also was off on these "random" holidays. However, when you work part time you don't appreciate time off. Fast forward five years since I worked at a bank and I am elated to have off today.

My mom is visiting so it's nice to have an extra day off to hang out with her. Next month I'm off for Veteran's day. I get off ten federal holidays each year. It's pretty much awesome.

So here is to you Mr. Columbus. For sailing the Ocean Blue and discovering this great land of America. Even if it was by accident we appreciate your discovery. I am glad this great nation chooses to honor you today.

Just give me dial up and bunny ears

I think my cable and internet company may be worse that UT's football team. Yes, they are that horrible.

In the past month I've had 5 technicians come to my apartment to fix my cable. The first tech installed a cable box incorrectly. So I had to have a second tech come out to fix what he messed up. Then I had two other techs come out to fix my internet and basic cable in my bedroom. We had fuzzy channels and our internet quit working. Both of these techs were unable to fix the problem.

Today there were five technicians at once working on the cable and internet for our entire building. The have messed up our digital cable box but our basic cable and internet is working. Every time these people come out they give you a six hour window to be home or you can sign a key release. I don't know why anyone would sign a key release and let a complete stranger in their home, but every time I call they tell me that is what I should do.

Speaking of calling, I have called Direcpath at least 15 times in the past month. So far I have acquired $48 in credit on my account. I'm not a very confrontational person, but I have yelled at several of the operators and most recently I asked for the manager and yelled at her. Unfortunately it does not help with getting prompt service but I do seem to be able to get more credit on my account.

Our cable company company is the only option we have at our apartment complex. So in essence they have a monopoly on the cable and internet service for us. Therefore, they can give us crappy service and we can't take any real recourse.

I thought today was Thursday - apparently it is not

It's been "one of those weeks" here in Birmingham. Nothing exciting has really happened, but nothing terribly bad has happened. It's kind of one of those weeks where you coast through life.

Last Sunday we visited the church at the movie theater again. We heard the last of a three part series about leadership. It was pretty entertaining. I'm slowly getting used to watching the pastor on a movie screen.

Jen passed her first test of the semester today. It was a law test and she studied for days. Apparently there is another test on Monday that she is already studying for. You can tell school is in session by all the books and binders at the apartment.

I'm pretty excited about this weekend. Kendall is coming down along with Jen's friends Lauren and Holly. It's been a long time since we've had company and we haven't seen our parents in about a month. I'm looking forward to hanging out and having a good time with old friends this weekend.

This was a pretty boring post, so I'll try to do better next time...

Walk of Shame

I feel confident in saying that almost everyone that reads this blog either watched first hand or heard about the massacre in Neyland on Saturday. The score didn't look as bad, compared to last years beating in the swamp. However, what hope do the mighty vols have for the rest of the season.

We play Auburn this week who barely lost to LSU. We play Georgia who is ranked ahead of Florida. We also play Alabama who hog tied the Arizona razorbacks. All in all things aren't looking up for Tennessee.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of things I can do here in Alabama besides watch college football. When a Tennessee game comes on I'm going to find myself in front of the TV watching and praying. I had the opportunity to travel to Auburn next weekend and watch the game. The ticket prices were not outrageous, but the gas would have been moderately costly. I decided to save the money, and based on yesterday's performance I think I made a good decision.

I don't want to sound like a bandwagon fan. I love the vols and I will always cheer and route for my alma matre. However, when you live in the middle of tide country you kind of hope that your team plays respectable. This makes the second Monday I have had to go to work and do the walk of shame. Everyone knows what happened and I'm the walking punch line because I have TN stuff proudly displayed all over my desk.

If we could find a way to beat Auburn and Alabama I wouldn't care if we lost all the other games of the season.

Down at the DMV

Last Monday Jen and I traveled to one of my least favorite places in the city. The Jefferson County Department of Motor Vehicles. We recently traded in Jen's car for a new VW Jetta and we needed to go pay the Alabama taxes on the vehicle.

This trip started out as most other trips to the DMV. Long lines, smelly people and unfriendly employees. We hoped by going later in the day we may avoid some of the long lines. That didn't work out real well.

We had been standing in line for about 30 minutes when Jen looked at me and said "I feel like I'm going to pass out." Ten seconds later I saw her head fall forward and I caught her before she fell to the floor. I brought her down gently to the green and was calling her name. I had her seated upright and was looking her in the eyes calling her name. A nurse ran up and told me to lay her flat on the ground. I was freaking out at this point calling Jen, Jen, Jen....

Three nurses ran up and someone called the paramedics. Jen came to and the paramedics ran tests on her. Luckily all her vital signs were normal and they said it was probable nothing major. However, for me it was scariest thing I have ever been a part of. To see someone you love fall to the ground and not respond to you calling there name is terrifying.

After the fact I realized that my first aid and CPR training was pretty much worthless in a crisis. What is the first thing you are always taught. Designate someone to call 911 immediately. Sadly, this never crossed my mind. Picking Jen up and driving her to the nearest hospital did, but getting there via ambulance did not.

I tried to convince Jen to leave, but she insisted at this point we stay and get our tags and pay the taxes for the car. Everyone gladly let me regain my place in line which was now three spots from the front. We got Jen home and she is feeling fine and back to normal now.

Where were you?

At work today I was emailing my friend Ryan. He brought to my attention that my blogging has decreased. He told me I should blog about 9-11-01 in honor of today.

I've talked with several people about what they were doing on 9-11. No matter who it is everyone remembers were they were when they first heard the news. I was a freshman at UT when I got a call from someone on my cell saying that a plane flew in to the world trade center. I think I was on my way to math class when I first heard about the news. I remember going home and on every channel they just kept showing the video.

It seems weird that was seven years ago. In history books that our kids will read 9-11 will be in it. Today is known as patriot day. For those of you not in the banking industry you should look up the Patriot Act. But we all can say we've lived through a major world event. When my parents were in there 20s Vietnam was taking place and World War 2 was in our grandparents prime.

Just five months before 9-11 took place I visited New York for the first time. I vividly remember the twin towers and how really tall they were. If you've never seen the New York Skyline it is amazing. But those two buildings were taller than anything else in the city. They were an amazing site.

I still feel bad for the people and families that were directly affected by that tragedy. In a way though, it's affected us all.

At Least I have the Open

As everyone knows, my coveted Volunteers failed to beat the UCLA Bruins on Monday. It's disappointing to see the game slip through the cracks in the fourth quarter. I give a lot of credit to UCLA's quarterback for not sucking up the second half like he did the first.

We can blame Lincoln, Crompton, Fulmer, or even Colquitt for being suspended but at the end of the day you win and lose as a team. Fulmer's career rests in the hands of college students. How many of us would want our salary and job security to rest in the hands of some 18-21 year old kids. In Zac's blog he made a nice reference to how these are just kids and they have so many eyes watching them and pressure from the entire state. We forget that in between practice they have to attend and pass their classes, because football is not a profession that 75% of them will pursue professionally.

Despite the tragedy of Monday night, I have found great joy in watching the US Open tennis tournament. I did grow up and play tennis for 11 years of my life, so I am biased on watching the sport. There have been a lot of great matches this year. I attended the open my senior year in college. I hope to make it back there one day.

I'd like to see Roddick come through and win the entire tournament. I know that is a tall order, but it's possible. If not Roddick then hopefully Federer can come beat Nadal and add another championship to his resume.

The only thing that rolls is toilet paper

It's the time of year when the trash talk starts and the orange comes out of the closet. That's right - It's fall and that means college football.

Once again, I'm working in an office where I'm the minority as far being a college football fan. We have a couple Alabama fans and a few Auburn among other schools. I can't help that those that wear the crimson on Friday didn't know you have to go north to Knoxville to get a quality education. It's not my fault that they don't know that Tuscaloosa is secondary compared to the great city of Knoxville.

They are currently running a commercial in Alabama about a defensive player who wrote a poem that has now been printed on the back of a t-shirt. It's called the "Alabama Way." The funny thing is that this guy's claim to fame is he was on an Alabama team that hate the number 1 rated defense two years ago. He does not have a national championship, sec championship, or a Heisman. I haven't taken time to read the poem, so I can't comment on its content. I just find it funny that they have sold out of these shirts in Alabama already.

Yes, they did beat Clemson the other night. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then. Tennessee plays tonight and that will justify how good the rest of my week at work will go. If we win, I will be left alone and the no one will question the orange blazer that I will undoubtedly wear this fall. However, if we lose on the same weekend Alabama wins, my co-workers, my customers, and my neighbors will make sure I am aware of Tennessee's defeat.

With all that being said all I can do is say a big GO VOLS for tonight against UCLA. Hopefully this will be the start of a good season.

Back when......

One of the things I have come to enjoy most about my new job is the chance to talk to people on a daily basis. Not the people who complain about fees and how the bank should be a "non for proffit" and let everyone overdraft their accounts and never be held responsible for spending money they didn't have. Not those people.

More specifically, I have come to enjoy conversations with those society deems as elderly. In the past it has frustrated trying to convey things to those who are 50 years my senior. However, through people that I have met at the bank I am starting to enjoy talking with these old people.

Most of them have a pretty intersting story. One lady recently told me about living overseas for the majority of her life and becoming bilingual. Today I was informed that in the 1940s you could see a double feature "picture show" for 30 cents.

The great thing about the elderly is they have time to stop their day and tell you some stories. And for the most part I have the time to sit and listen to them. Because every time I hear one of these stories I realize that one day I'll probably be the old man that goes to the bank and rambles on about "back when I worked at the bank..."

So next time you meet someone older, listen to what they have to say, you might just be entertained.

Been a while

I realize that it has been awhile since I have made an update to my blog. I apologize for neglecting those of you who actually read this thing. In an attempt to catch everyone up with the past few weeks, I will give a brief update of the events that have happened. I promise not to go so long without blogging again.

The Olympics - I think it's pretty crazy that Michael Phelps won his 8th gold medal of this games last night. The guy is basically the closest thing to aquaman we've ever seen. And his diet? The guy eats 8000-10000 calories a day. He eats more calories in one day than I eat in 5. I'm pretty excited about track and field getting started as well. Last night I watched a racer known as "lightning" destroy the field in the 100 meter dash. I just wish I could be in Bejing watching all this live instead of tape delayed on NBC.

One Year anniversary - Jen and I celebrated one year of marriage last weekend in Nashville. We stayed at the Opryland hotel and had an amazing weekend. We went to the Grand Ol Opry and saw carrie underwood, visited the country music hall of fame and the Ryman auditorium, and stopped by wildhorse saloon. Every time I visit Nashvill I think of how neat of a city it really is. Jen and I had a wonderful time, and we have had an even better first year of marriage.

Random Happenings - The Knoxville Duck Race took place yesterday. They dropped 47,000 ducks off the South Knoxville Bridge which proceeded to float a mile down the river. It was a big event as always and my dad has had a good time organizing and planning everything. I think he likes the duck race as much as I like Christmas.

We got see our friends Ryan and Sam the other night. Their baby, Kenzli, just keeps getting bigger and bigger. We had a good time with the three of them, getting to catch up and spend some time with there little girl.

I also swung by the UT bookstore the other day. The bookstore is located in the University center and I happened to be there on move in day. So naturally I was reminded of my college days and felt like it only happened yesterday. At least until I saw this kid in line to buy lunch that was in college and he looked about 12 years old to me. In fact he was 18, and once again I was reminded that college freshman are 7 years younger than me.

So that is the past few weeks in a nutshell. I have more stories about everthing that I will try to update in here. I also have pictures to share.

Quack Quack Dash

Every year in Knoxville there is an event that almost everyone in the city has heard of. It is called the Great Knoxville Rubber Duck Race. Each year they drop 40 to 50 THOUSAND ducks of the Gay street bridge in Knoxville.

To say the least it is a really fun experience to watch those ducks drop and race a mile down the river. These are small rubber ducks. You can compete to win a slew of prizes. This event is special to me because I have been going since it began. My dad plays a large part in planning and arranging this event.

I saw all of that to share a link to the race website. If you have time please click on the commercial with Bruce Pearl at the bottom. I promise you will laugh...

http://www.knoxvilleduckrace.com/

Sick again

Wednesday afternoon at work I noticed that the bank felt exceptionally cold. It is generally cool in our branch but for some reason I was cold, and that never happens. By the time I got home from work I was shivering. It was 98 degrees outside and I had our air kicked up to 80, and was under blankets on the couch shivering. That is when I first realized I was sick.

It turned out I had a 103 degree temperature. I later talked to my mom and we determined the last time I had run a temperature was 7 years ago, my freshman year in college when I had the flu. I thought that maybe I would be able to sleep of this little illness. So I went to bed and woke up Thursday morning feeling even worse and still with the temperature. Unfortunately I had to call in to work again and head to the doctor.

The doctor first thought I had the flu. Yes, the flu in July based on all my symptoms. It turns out it was a bacteria that caused all the same symptoms of the flu. So he gave me some medicine and told me I would feel better in a couple days.

So I went home and started taking the medicine. I noticed no change until Thursday night. That was at the point when my stomach became effected. I wore a trail out to our bathroom. I won't go in to any further detail. So Friday, I still feel bad and now I have this additional problem. The doctor prescribed me some additional medicine to help with the stomach issues.

So Friday afternoon I started feeling a little better and then my stomach started to cramp. Because now I have the exact opposite problem. However, at least I'm getting my strength back. My boss was nice enough to tell me that Saturday at work was covered which I was supposed to work. Nobody really wanted to risk contracting what I have. And I would feel pretty to give it to anyone.

So I've been at home bonding with the dog and the cat for a few days now. They have been really good to keep me company while Jen was at work. Jen has taken good care of me too. I worked at my last job for 2 years and never took a sick day. I've been at the bank three months and I've had to take 3 sick days. I hope they don't start to think I'm illness prone. At least I have the doctors note to prove my legitimacy.

3.75 College Graduates vs. The Kitten

As many of you know, after college your weekend typically is not what it used to be. You may go out to dinner or even catch a movie, but late nights are a thing of the past. Well, Jen and I had a late night on Friday....

Friday evening Jen and I heard a strange noise coming from the bushes below our apartment. We didn't think much of it until our neighbor came over and told us it was a stray kitten. At this point Jen and our neighbor (also named Jen) decided that they had to save it. This of course involved me and Matt (other Jen's boyfriend.)

Armed with a broom, two flashlights, a bowl of milk, and some dry cat food the four of us set out to get the kitten. The Jen's wanted to rescue it, take it to the vet, and find it a good home. All this began around 10pm.

An hour and a half later we decided the kitten had outsmarted us. Three college graduates and one almost graduate (Matt) could not outsmart a 9 week old kitten. We tried to coax it out the bushes, we cornered it under a car, we even touched it but no one could get ahold of it. This went on for about two hours.

Distressed and discouraged we thought we would try again in the morning. Saturday morning I took Jen's cousins, ages 6 and 8, to look for the kitten. We heard it under an SUV in the parking lot. Our other neighbor came up and told us how she had left it food and tried to capture it the other night as well. She has a law degree and couldn't outsmart the cat.

Later that afternoon our neighbor along with a few others were able to apprehend the kitten. He has since been to the vet, had his first round of shots, been flee dipped and bathed. He is 9 weeks old and needs a good home. If anyone is interested please let me know. He is very affectionate and is litter trained.

He is also apparently pretty smart. We all realize we are not cut out for animal control. We could not catch this little kitten, but now that we have we want to make sure he has a good home. So apparently it takes a kitten search party to keep me and Jen out on a Friday these days.

That's Profilin and that's wrong

There have been a few times in my life when I have been moderately discriminated against. Typically they have happened in jewelry stores or car lots where people don't think I have the money to buy things. However, last night I think I uncovered a group of patrons that were being profiled and discriminated.

Jen's family is in town for the weekend. By family I mean her grandmother, aunt and two younger cousins that are ages 6 and 8. Last night we decided we would have dinner at a large chain Italian Restaurant. I won't name any names but it rhymes with the golive arden. We were told the wait for six would be 30 minutes which is average on a Saturday night.

Once we were seated in the restaurant I began to look around and notice one common factor around all the tables in our section. They all had multiple children under the age of 10. Some of the kids around us were loud and some were even screaming. Our family was one of the quietest in the area.

I think that the restaurant had purposely sat all the children in one area as not to disturb the other patrons. So, yes we were profiled at dinner. Since I grew up an only child and so did Jen we have never witnessed this injustice before. Even if you have quiet kids you are thrown in to a chuck e cheese like atmosphere for reproducing multiples. Coincidence? I think not.

Played a Fool

As most of you know a few months ago I changed jobs from the transportation industry to banking. After three solid months in the bank I can say that I am happy for the change. I like the hours, the type of work I do, talking with people every day and working in a more professional environment.

One of the main reasons I took the bank job was based on the amount of time I would have off. I would have more time in the afternoon/evening and I would be on a Saturday rotation to where I would only have to work one Saturday every 4-5 weeks.

I worked at my previous job for two years: first in Knoxville then in Birmingham. In Knoxville I worked several different schedules, but for the most part I worked 6-4 M-thursday and usually 6-12 on Fridays. It was one of the perks of being the senior guy in my position. So needless to say I loved having the afternoon and a three and a half day weekend. However, when I moved to Birmingham I was told that everyone in this district works one day out of the weekend. I was not thrilled about that, but being newly married and having a wife that was accustomed to eating hand having heating and air, I tolerated the change and gave up my Sundays for 5 months. Then it switched to me giving up my Saturdays and ultimately I gave up the Mondays I was told I would have off to work at a satellite location.

I made the best of the situation and went to worked and earned my paycheck. When I got the chance to change jobs I jumped at it. Before I left our district manager asked me point blank what it would take to keep me. I said the main thing I would want is time. Weekends off in particular. He said I can't guarantee you that because we are a retail establishment.

I say all of the above to tell you of an eye story I heard yesterday. A lady I works with has a son that works at the exact location I used to. The one where I worked six days a week and every Saturday until 3pm. I asked her what schedule her son was on. She tells me he works Monday through Thursday. I said excuse me, what is the fifth day? "He works monday through thursday for ten hours a day and they give him Friday, Saturday and Sunday off." WHAT? I put in a grueling year of weekends and holidays and leave only to find out the brand new guy is pulling three day weekends.

Do I think it will last? Not at all. The turnover is way too high for anyone to actually get to keep a good schedule. But still, how does that work. If anyone knows please tell me. I told the lady I work with that I was impressed and amazed he pulled off that schedule.

Dog Days of Summer

This was a pretty eventful weekend for Jen and I. I will give the rundown of the events.

Saturday morning I went to the eye doctor for my annual exam. After waiting 45 minutes for the doctor to see me, I finally had my exam. I found out that I have healthy eyes, but still have horrible vision. My contact perscription got stronger. I also had the joy of having my eyes dialated. I looked like a stoner for the next four hours.

After they uncharacteristically long doctors appointment we headed up to Huntsville to see our good friend Kendall. Since Kendall is not allergic to dogs we were able to take Taylor to meet her "uncle" as well. We had a really got time in Huntsville. We went to a couple malls, ate at this great little Mexican place called Rosie's cantina, and hit the sonic for a blast. We ended up watching "The Bucket List" which was suprisingly dissappointing in my opinon.

We headed back to Birmingham this morning and I went for a run and Jen went to the gym. At the gym Jen said there was an overweight old man on the elliptical not wearing a shirt. She said his fat jiggled and he was covered in sweat as he kept riding the elliptical. This afternoon I attempted to hit the pool while Jen did some grocery shopping. Of course 10 minutes after I get there the sun goes in and it proceeds to storm.

More Poop to scoop

Here are some pics of our animals:

my resume

The other night I was having some trouble getting to sleep. For some reason I started counting the jobs I've had, and apparently I've had several. So I thought I would list my jobs in the order I had them, and right what I really did at each one.

Dry Cleaners Clerk - Basically I watched tv, listened to cd's and did my homework the majority of time I was working.

Bank Teller - I read a lot of Cosmopolitan magazine and heard way to much about ladies "cycles."

Tennis Club sub lifeguard - This was in the summers when I wasn't working at the bank. I got a really good tan.

Public Relations Firm Intern - I was a glorified errand runner

Parks and Recreation Intern - A lot of web surfing

Athletic Department Intern - I did a lot of writing that was work related.

UT Pool sub lifeguard - Got a really good tan when I worked.

Human Resources/data entry associate - Sat on the couch, entered data and watched a lot of Magnum PI.

Truck Rental Associate - Got cussed at by rednecks, learned to drive a semi truck, watched MacGyver at one of our locations, updated my blog almost daily, Used instant messenger

Banker - This is my current job and I actually stay busy enough that I don't get "off task"

So I have had roughly ten jobs since I was 16. I think I was surprised that I've worked so many places and didn't realize it. Nonetheless as you can see not all the jobs required my full attention. I was not a total slacker at all these jobs but a lot of them came with dead time and the boss was aware that other stuff was going on.

Kidney Stones

Today was a day of firsts for me. It was the first time I have used a sick day at a job. It was the first time I had been to a walk in clinic in Birmingham. It was the first time I have had a xray done on my bladder. It was the first time I've ever had kidney stones.

Due to contrary belief people my age can get kidney stones. It came on this morning during the staff meeting. One minute I was fine and then the next I felt sick to my stomach. My right side hurt with a pain like I had never experienced before. I knew at that point I had to go to the doctor. I went to the walk in clinic. In the waiting room the pain grew. At one point I thought that I might die. I was trying to get things right with the Lord because this might have been my last five minutes on Earth. What a way to die, in the waiting room of the walk in clinic.

Jen came because she knew I was hurting. We get in to see the doctor and they run a bunch of tests. At first they thought it may be my appendix but the blood work came back negative. However, my urine test pointed strait towards kidney stones.

We have all heard the tales of kidney stones being the male equivelant of giving birth. I was terrified by this diagnosis. I was doing the math, and passing a stone was not adding up. The logistics of it were impossible. The amount of pain this thing was causing must have meant it was the size of a golf ball. They give me some sort of shot for the pain. I was high as a kite for the next three hours.

The doctor ordered a catscan so I had to go see a urologist for some additional testing. I get there and they take more samples and xrays. They discover that between the time I left the clinic and the time they took the xrays I have passed the stone. It was explained to me that kidney stones when passed are usually the size of a few grains of sand. You never know you pass them unless you sift for them.

So the worse part of having the stones is before they are passed. I was literally crippled in pain. I'm still a little soar, but nothing like this morning. My boss was cool about me missing work. I just have to make it through three more days and then I have a long weekend.

Ghetto Games 2020

I was listening to the radio yesterday and heard one of the strangest things since I've moved down here. The mayor of Birmingham wants to petition for the 2020 Olympic games to be held in Birmingham. I assume that if they actually host the Olympics here that Hell will be freezing over sometime in 2021.

I can only imagine how that would even work out. Downtown is the absolute worse place to be. And you want millions of tourist to come and stay in hotels conveniantly located next to the projects. Let's not forget about the dowtown attractions like The Furnace, the local ghetto strip club. Or who could forget about the live sex bar that got shut down last summer. That will really give the French a great impession of Americans.

I'm sure they will be equally impressed at the amount of culture this great city has to offer. The Italians will be at the Olive Garden, the Chinese at PF Chang's, and everyone else can try one of the 700 "steakhouses" in the city.

And then there is the issue of site seeing. You have the zoo, the botanical gardens, a large statue of some trojan warrior downtown and a few golf courses. That is really going to pack them in for the games.

However, for some reason they are trying to have facilities built so we can legitimately host these games. I'll be one of the first to get tickets because I love the Olympics. But I really think Boise Idaho has a better shot of hosting them than Birmingham. Everyone loves a good potato.

"These days I'm up about the time I used to go to bed"

Since I haven't been blogging lately we have a few updates in the Brooks household.

We got some new neighbors last week. We haven't really met them but I'm fairly certain one of the girls is an idiot. I came home from work one day last week and the trunk to the girl's SUV was open. It remained open for the next three hours until someone came and shut it for her. I don't know if she thinks Birmingham is mayberry but leaving the car unlocked is never a good idea.

The other new girl hosted a party on Saturday night. Apparently her guests got rather intoxicated and went out on the balcony around 12am. They proceeded to stay on the balcony yelling and talking obscenely loud until around 3am. We were slightl upset considering we went to bed around midnight. We hope this isn't a frequent thing.

Last, but not least we have a new addition to the family. We adopted a dog from the Greater Birmingham Society on Saturday. Her name is Taylor and she is a small black poodle. She is about the sweetest dog you will ever meet. She wants to be held constantly. She's a little over a year old. The cat is still adjusting to having her in the house. For the most part Emma leaves her alone, but occasionally she will walk up and hit Taylor in the face with her paw. Taylor doesn't get mad, she just looks at Emma with a confused expression.

I will post pictures of her soon.

Just a Groomsman and not a Groom

We're in Knoxville for Scott and Kristin's wedding this weekend. I got lucky and was able to get off Friday so we are having a long weekend. So far things have been fun - here is the rundown.

Friday morning went golfing with all the groomsmen. Lucky for me we played to course I grew up playing at, and despite my lack of recent practice I still shot under a 100. I proceeded to go to the tuxedo store after the golf. I felt somewhat violated and accosted by the 80 year old lady working in there. She had no problem handing the waist of my pants. There was tugging and adjusting and we exchanged some words about the fit of the tux. She says it fits, even though I'm sure me and three of my friends could get inside the shirt. Oh well, It's comfy.

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner. The food was amazing, and then it turned in to a roast for Scott. It was pretty entertaining at his expense. After that went for some late night video games at one of the groomsmen's house.

Today I got a haircut, and went to the bike store with dad. He is looking for a road bike, and in the process of dad looking for a bike I found one I like. It's a jamis coda hybrid road bike. So if you know anyone in the market for a mountain bike, I may be looking to sell mine. Serious inquiries only please.

I have to be at the church at 4 for pictures, and that's really when my day will start. I'm just glad I'm in the wedding and it's not my wedding. I'm happy for my friends, but it's nice to go and just have to stand on stage.

I'll try and post some pics and updates of the wedding soon.

Someone give that guy a bandaid, cause he's cut...

Jen and I take advantage of the gym at our apartment complex. It's decently nice and it's free which is an added bonus. We've made friends with the trainer, and we work out with him about three nights a week. All in all it's a pretty good setup.

Jen and I have both belonged to different gyms in Knoxville. As with all gyms you have certain types of people that tend to frequent the establishment. I'm going to give a brief overview of gym patrons.

The I think the gym is like a bar guy - This is the guy that has all the workout clothes, but is really just cruising for chicks. He can be found occupying various equipment but never actually breaking a sweat.

The I live at the gym guy - This guy is in shape, drenched in sweat, and logging his workout in to some sort of journal.

The guy that talks to much - These are the people that come to the gym with a friend and instead of actually working out, they just stand around and occupy equipment. They work out in pairs and it takes them about 30 minutes to get in a set.

The creepy guy - This is the guy that doesn't look like he belongs, and is usually found groping semi attractive women.

On Monday night Jen and I were working out and we had the talks too much guys in the gym. Of course they were on every machine I needed to get too, and they were discussing gas prices. They were pretty nerdy looking, but apparently they thought they were it.

On Tuesday night there was creepy gym guy. He was about 4ft 8inches tall, and trying to help to women way out of his league work out. They weren't even good looking women, but they were still out of his league. His face was pretty much glued to one of their chests, when he wasn't touching them, and pretending like he was the apartment complex trainer. I think he may have had short man syndrome.

So, those are my pet peeves regarding gym people.

"I've been drinking orange juice so I've got energy out the wazoo"

We ended up back in Knoxville this weekend. We were originally going to Nashville with my parents, but my dad has tendonitus in his foot and we couldn't make the trip. He was running a race at Vanderbilt and we were all going.

Since my friend Clay was in town from Texas we decided to come in. I played golf with him this morning. I broke 100 so I was pretty happy with my round. I forgot how much I like to play golf. Hopefully this summer I can get back in to it in Birmingham.

Tonight we are heading to dinner with my parents. I'm not sure where we're going, but we always enjoy a free meal. Next weekend is Scott and Kristin's wedding, which will also the be the last weekend we come in to town for a while. Not that we don't like seeing our friends and family, we just prefer not to add to the proffit of the gas industry by using up 2 tanks of gas every weekend.

That's all I got for today

summertime is here

I realize my blocking has slacked off in the past month or so. It seems that since I do not sit by myself in an office watching the clock all day,that I don't always find the time to post my insightful thoughts. I'll try to do better, but anyways here is an update.

It was pretty rough getting back in the work groove after the long weekend. I feel like we are never in Birmingham in the weekends. Not that this is the kind of city you miss when you're not here. We went back to Knoxville last weekend. Jen went to a bachelorette party, and I hung out with some old friends. I got to go to my favorite place in Knoxville - Barleys.

We got back and Jen was supposed to start work at the pharmacy this week. However, the people in charge are incredibly unorganized. Jen has spent the past three days calling her old pharmacy in Knoxville and playing the middle man between them in Birmingham. Apparently her "boss" here is too lazy to call and get all the paperwork straightened out. This has been going on all week, but hopefully tomorrow she will be able to start some computer training. It has been nothing but a pain so far though.

The bank job is still going well. My branch may hit its numbers so that means a bonus for everyone. You do realize how funny people are about money when you work at a bank. Most people have this idea that banks are non-for-profit organizations and we should never charge anyone fees or interest.

I have some pics to post - I will try to work on that soon.

Rainbows and speedos

Last weekend Jen and I headed down to Pensacola Beach for memorial day weekend. It was a great time, but we did have something funny happen to us.

You see, Memorial Day weekend is also Gay pride weekend at Pensacola beach. "Couples" from all over the U.S. gather for a weekend of partying. Think of it like spring break in panama city but gay.

For the most part we didn't see many couples near our condo at the beach. We were off the beaten path, and there were mostly families staying near us. We spent our days camped out on the beach, and my aunt and uncle new the safe spots for us to go in the evening. Saturday evening Jen and I decided we would head down to Destin for some shopping and dining. My uncle suggested we take a road that paralleled the highways to save time.

The road ran alongside the beach, so it would have been a scenic view. However, we got slightly down this road and all of a sudden saw there were cars lined up along the sides as far as the eye could see. There were tents set up on the beach, and there were groups and couples everywhere. By couples I mean boy-boy, and girl-girl. The guys mostly wore speedos and short tight swim trunks. The girls wore board shorts, and short haircuts and more tattoos than I had ever seen. Not just one or two, but all over.

Needless to see we were driving right down the middle of this sticking out like a soar thumb. We got stuck behind a police officer who stopped traffic in the middle of the road to ticket a group of girls. About this time 8 guys surrounded our car. I didn't know what to do. No one ever bothered us, but you never know what a bunch of intoxicated homosexuals are capable of. We tried to ask the officer where we could turn around, because they had blocked the road and we would not be able to take this road to Destin. He was pretty much mad at the world and told us we could drive to the end of it and then turn around.

We finally got turned around and got stuck behind a two trucks. The first one had girls in the back and the second had boys. They were cruising down this strip picking up other guys and girls. After about 45 minutes we finally got out of there and down to Destin.

I have no problem with those that choose the same sex relationship lifestyle. However, being surrounded by thousands of them was pretty uncomfortable. Sure they are great employees at the GAP, but they were out to hook up last weekend.

"The sun, the sand, and a cold drink in my hand"

I realize my blog has taken a back seat lately. It's not on purpose, it's just that now that I don't sit in the closet/rental office all day anymore it seems my free time has decreased. Don't get me wrong I have free time, cause I get home from work earlier, but I've been enjoying the awesome weather and getting to hang out with Jen.

This weekend marks the first of 10 bank holidays that I get each year. This is an odd feeling. I haven't had off Memorial Day in two years. Typically its the busiest moving weekend of the year, which meant, you know who was slinging trucks all weekend while his friends were out on the lake.

But not this year. I get off work at 5pm tomorrow, I'm swinging by Wendy's to pick up dinner, and hopefully we will be on the road by 6. I have found a great advantage to living in Birmingham. We are only 3 1/2 hours away from the beach. This is much better than the 8 hour trek I am used to making from Knoxville. So instead of renting trucks this year, I'll be sitting on Pensacola beach enjoying my holiday weekend.

The job still seems to be going well. I got a good job email from the boss yesterday for opening up a certain type of account. I really like the branch and people I work with too.

Jen is still waiting to here if she can get her summer internship location moved out of the ghetto. Apparently the people at the pharmacy never learned common courtesy or how to hit the reply button on an email. She's emailed two different people multiple times, and left phone messages, yet they won't tell her what they plan to do. Hopefully we can get all this worked out before we hit the beach.

Drought = better driving

Last summer when I moved to Alabama we were in a stage 4 drought. What this means is that the rainfall was way down for the year, and people had to limit and ration there water usage. They would fine people for watering there yard or washing there car if they were caught.

Unfortunately, this drought has created a chain reaction of bad events. The most notorious being the lack of ability to drive in the rain on Alabama roadway systems.

Yesterday, I got out of some training a little before 4pm. I was pretty excited to get off early and was excited to get home. The training center was about 15 minutes from my house so I was estimating an arrival before 4:15pm. WRONG - there was a moderate rain shower, but nothing I would consider major. It had been raining steadily all day though. When I turned on my radio I heard of 4 wrecks, and one of the interstates I had to merge on to was backed up for miles.

I don't know if people in Alabama can't drive in the rain, or if they think rain means to speed up and drive like an idiot. I'm not a great driver by any means, but I can drive in the rain. We used to get out for "flood" days in high school. So needless to say, I don't find the average rain shower that difficult to drive in.

Apparently in Alabama driving in the rain requires some type of advanced certification. Within 2 minutes of any rain shower the interstate system will undoubtedly be backed up and shut down.

I think a drought would be safer for the city than the rain.

Time is just a father we can't see

This past weekend I headed back to Knoxville. My parents were in California which meant Jen and I could do whatever without having to worry about family time.

Saturday we went shopping all over Knoxville. We also both got hair cuts from my girl in Knoxville. Mine is about the norm, but Jen did something drastic. She actually got her hair cut above her shoulders. This is the shortest it has ever been, but I really like it. For those of you who don't know Jen, she had long hair and around the time of our wedding is was down to her waist. So this is a big change to say the least.

Saturday night we went out with some friends to the Japanese restaurant. It was a good time. After that we went back to a friends and played some Wii, and Jen got to hold Ryan's baby. I wish we knew someone here that had kids so we could just go by, hold them a little while, and give them back to the mom for a diaper change.

Sunday we did the standard Mother's Day stuff with Jen's family.

I grabbed some old burned cd's from my parents house. One of them was titled Spring 03, which would have been my sophomore year in college. I don't remember making that cd, but apparently I was really in to pop punk rock at the time. It is weird to listen to an old cd, it takes you back in a way. As soon as some of those songs came on it was like I was magically transported to a different time in my life.

In case you were wondering

After my first week at the bank things have been going pretty well. I'm slowly starting to get the hang of things, and realizing that this job can be a lot of fun. There are some things that will be mundane, but I get to talk to people all day long. Today I talked to a guy about motor scooters, another guy about the discovery channel, and some one else about the beach. I get paid to listen to peoples stories and help them out. I think that is kind of cool.

However, this doesn't just apply to customers. After a week of being the only male at my training branch it finally happened. Today, out of nowhere I found myself in the middle of a conversation that I did not want to hear. To sum it up, it was two ladies telling me about how they explained puberty, hormones, and things that 13 year old boys learn to do. It didn't know if I should laugh or just be disgusted. I opted to smile and laugh.

Jen has had a pretty rough week. The people at Walgreens basically told her she could work at their location in the ghetto or not work at all. This stinks because they only have about 60 locations in Birmingham, but for some reason they want Jen at this one because she is experienced. She also found out that she has to pull an all nighter at work next Monday. Also, she found out she has some conflicts on weekends that we had planned to do stuff.

Being in Birmingham alone has been pretty boring, but I have actually done some productive stuff. I did the laundry, cleaned all the dishes, and have cleaned this week. I'm not saying I like doing this stuff but at least I can function as an adult when necessary.

It's back to Knoxville this weekend for Mother's Day. I'm going to squeeze in a trip to the japanese restaraunt and a hair cut while I'm in town.

Mexico: I've never really been, but I'd sure like to go

I hope everyone is celebrating cinco de mayo today. What better excuse to go eat mexican food and have a good time than the 5th of May. It also happens to be my mom's birthday, who is currently vacationing in San Francisco with my dad. I do miss the days of being taken on a free vacation with my parents.

Over the weekend I made the trek to Knoxville to hang out with Jen and my parents pre-vacation. Saturday we ran some errands and went to Calhouns for mom's birthday. It was just as good as I remember it being. My mom is a bit of a procrastinator so me and Jen spent the rest of the evening running errands with her so she could get ready for her trip. We made it to Wal-Mart at about 10pm. The Wal-Mart near my hometown must have had the world's largest collection of ugly people in one night at that Wal-Mart. There were mullets galore and people that must only leave the house at night. You got to feel sorry for people that get beat with the ugly stick.

Sunday Jen and I headed up to the outlets in Pigeon Forge. I picked up some dress clothes for the new job and some other odds and ends.

Jen and I got some good news and bad news today.

Good News: My aunt and uncle are staying at a friend of theirs condo on Pensacola Beach for Memorial Day weekend and they want us to come down and stay with them. This basically translates in to a free beach trip for Jen and I. Definitely excited about that.

Bad News: Jen got an email saying that she is supposed to work at one of the most ghetto Wal-Greens. It's in a really bad area of town, where I was told is not a good place to be. Hopefully she can get it changed before her first day.

I've got more stuff to write about but I've pretty much exhausted this posting. More updates this week.

Up in Smoke

Wednesday on my lunch break I got a text from Kendall asking if I was okay because he heard my apartment was on fire. I told him I was fine but had not clue what he was talking about. About 10 minutes later, Laura from my old job called to make sure I was okay. It was about at this point I started to panic.

I kept hearing phrases like 60ft flames above highway 280, and that there were multiple fire units on the seen. Not stuff that makes you feel at ease while you are at Wal-Mart on your lunch break.

I called my apartment complex only to find out the fire was in the building above mine. At first they told me my building was only safe "for the time being." This concerned me and I continued to call until I was assured, building 5 was alright. My neighbor eventually called and let me know that her mom had gone to our building and everyone was safe.

This is probably one of the worse scares we have had. There are a lot of people left with nothing at all. Two of the people are in Jen's class, and they have lost everything. What if it had been our building? What about our stuff, and the cat? Yes, I'd even be worried about the cat.

Kendall kept me abreast of what the news was saying, and being the true friend he is offered to strap up and come down here to rescue Emma (the cat). There are three things in the world Kendall doesn't like, and cats are one of them. However, he was going to rescue ours.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people with no stuff and no place to live. I feel bad for these people and can't imagine what they must be feeling. I hope over the coming days/weeks we will be able to help them out. Either with food, or household items, or clothing. They will definitely remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Best part is the wrecks

Today marked a monumental occasion in Alabama. That's right, it was the day of the spring Nascar race in Talladega. People from all over flocked to Talladega to camp out for days to watch the race.

Let me further explain what I mean by camping. Sure some of the people have very nice RV's or tents that they stay in. But then, there are the creative fans. They featured a man on the news who converted a school bus in to an RV. Why spend the money on an RV when you can drive a big yellow bus to the race and set up a drink stand outside of it.

Along the same lines I had a man come in to my office when I was working in the trucking industry to inquire about purchasing a truck. I was explaining the benefits of the truck, when he finally interrupted me to inform me of his plans to convert the truck in to an RV. He explained how he would mount an air conditioner in the front of the truck, and was going to put a bed and refrigerator in their as well. Seemed like a costly project, when you could probably by an RV for the same price. Must be something about those big yellow trucks that people want to take them everywhere.

I have never been to a Nascar race so I can't judge the experience first hand. I've seen plenty of races on television, and I've found they are great for instigating my Sunday nap. I can't get in to watching cars drive around in circles. I hear its fun if you go, and I'm sure the redneck watching is prime. I imagine its kind of like going to the Wal-Mart. If you are feeling bad about yourself its a great place to go to gain some self esteem.

One is the lonliest number

So Jen is gone for the next three weeks. Despite the fact that I miss her, I'm bored out of my mind here in Birmingham. I grew up an only child and had to entertain myself most of life, but when you are used to having someone around its weird being alone.

I'm not locked up alone in my apartment cut off from the world or anything, but its definitely hard to occupy the hours from 4pm-11pm when I come home to this empty apartment. So far this to occupy some time I have visited the dry cleaners twice, went to the grocery story to by Styrofoam cups and straws, and worked out and run numerous times. Today I was bored after work so I ran, and then went an worked out a couple hours later.

You know things are getting bad when you start trying to have conversations with the cat. She doesn't talk back or anything, but she has been my buddy this week. She's normally feisty and likes to bite and pounce. I guess she knows that with Jen gone she is not far from being replaced with a friendlier animal. Just kidding - kind of.

Anyways, tomorrow wraps up the first week of work for me and Jen. Her and my mom are coming down here so I'm pretty excited to have company. Not sure what we'll do, but I'm sure we will eat good.

Next week I'm going to attempt to be more sociable. Maybe go hit some golf balls, run with my neighbor, or even go do something in the evening.

Anybody got any interesting ways they entertain themselves while alone?

First Day Jitters

Yesterday was my first day at the new bank job. I had to go to an orientation that was supposed to last all day. To my pleasant surprise the orientation ended at 3pm and we were all free to leave for the day.

I got to the orientation about 15 minutes early. I figured I would used the interview rule of thumb of arriving 15 minutes early for the interview or first day. To my surprise when I arrived all the good seats in the back and on the sides were taken. But guess what seats were available. That's right, the front row dead center, where I absolutely hate to sit. Nonetheless, I sat up there, looking like captain brownnoser on the front row, and being forced to pay close attention to our benefits package and w-4 form process.

Today I went to the branch where I will eventually end up after about a month of various training. Everyone seemed pretty nice, and my boss gave me a rundown of how things were going to work. I found out that I am a salary exempt employee, meaning that whether I work 35 or 50 hours, I get paid the same. However, the beauty of the bank is the fact that they try to keep there employees around 40 hours. Basically, I will get off 1 day at 2:30, a couple days after 4, and a couple days after 5, and two or three Fridays a month I will work until 6. We work one Saturday a month, but there is a possibility that if I work a Saturday I will accumulate vacation time for it.

I don't mind these hours at all, especially since I was previously working until 6pm every night, eating lunch at my desk, and working every Saturday until 3.

Today I had to sit with another lady that has the same position I do. Basically I just sat and watched what she did, and didn't have a clue, considering it was my second day. Nonetheless, it made for an easy but slow day of employment. Tomorrow I have to go to computer training for the next week and a half.

Jen left for Knoxville today. She starts her rotation at the hospital tomorrow, and her new boss does not sound friendly. She was told she would have to work some overnighters and some weekends. That kind of stinks considering she won't be getting paid for any of her time there. She's coming back down here this weekend with my mom, so I'm doing the bachelor thing for the next few days.

Every Weekend Should last 3 Days

I decided I would write about mine and Jen's weekend once again on this blog. I realize we never do anything that people would refer to as exciting, but I know that somewhere out there someone is reading this to kill two minutes at work. And I feel it is my duty to encourage mindless internet cruising while at work. So, on with the update.

Friday marked my first and last day of "unemployment." To celebrate Jen and I slept in and laid around the house most of the morning. We then decided to visit the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, one of the states most popular attractions. Me and Jen are not necessarily "nature" people, but we really enjoyed walking around the gardens. We were amazed there was something so nice that was free in Birmingham. It was definitely peaceful and serene to walk around in the gardens. Later on that night we went to a restaurant called wings, where I had a delightfully tasty order of teryaki chicken wings. We proceeded to rent Juno and see what all the hype was about.

Saturday Jen deemed "shopping day. We got up and hit the sales at Kohls and Macy's. I say Jen deemed it shopping day, but we mostly went so that I could try and find some new dress clothes for work. We ate lunch at the Olive Garden, and then ate dessert later that evening at The Melting Pot. The fondue chocolate was absolutely delicious.

*As a side note I cold barely walk Saturday from doing squats at the gym the previous day. So I basically looked like a 90 year old man hobbling around the mall. I could barely make it up stairs. I would have fought an old lady for her walker.

Today we slept in and scoped out the training site I have to go to tomorrow for training. We went to the pool this afternoon to lounge and read some magazines in the awesome weather. It was in the low 80s for those readers not living in Birmingham. Other than that we pretty much have just been getting read for the coming week. Jen heads back to Knoxville on Tuesday for her three week rotation for pharmacy school.

That is the update for this weekend. I hope it can kill some time for some of you. Also, I have recently changed the setting on this blog to allow comments from non-users. That means anyone reading is welcomed and encouraged to leave a comment every now and then and let me know your reading. I mean, you don't have to comment if the post is lame, but every now and then let me know you are out there.

More updates on our new jobs to come this week.

Dedication to Excellence

Today marks the last day of my first full time job. Almost two years ago I signed on for promotions, opportunity, and the all coveted American dollar. Two years later I’ve found another path to pursue and thus am closing the transportation industry chapter of my life.

The main reason this job appealed to me was the fact that it paid better than all the communications jobs out of college I had been applying for. That and the fact that it’s about impossible to find an entry level PR job in Knoxville. Knoxville is not exactly the hub of mass communications in case anyone was wondering. So, I took the transportation job preparing myself for a future of full of benefits.

I’ve learned some noteworthy skills over the past two years. Don’t get me wrong, this company has helped me and is a big part of why Jen and I were able to get married and move to Alabama together. However, I thought it might be entertaining to list some things that some of you don’t know I do/or can do that I have learned through my job.

1. I can drive a tractor (semi truck) – not fast or on the interstate, but I can shift gears and maneuver one around a parking lot.
2. I can hook up a 26ft truck to an auto trailer – Imagine hooking a boat up to an SUV. It’s basically the same thing except much longer.
3. Be cussed at and not care – Unfortunately the transportation industry is not always known for the nicest clientele. I have been cussed at, threatened, and yelled at for things that had nothing to do with me at all.
4. Explain the difference between tractor brand and engine size – who would have thought the least mechanical person you will ever meet would know about trucks?

So that is some random skills I have that you just never know when they’ll come in handy.

I will take a lot with me from this job, but I don’t plan on stealing any office supplies or boxes. I will miss the people, and the stories from our drivers. I’ll miss our offices form of instant messaging, and the all the funny emails everyone would forward to me because they knew I had time to read them. I will also miss using email like its instant messenger with my friends that don’t work here.

What happened to AIM?

Most everyone I knew in high school used to get on AOL instant messenger (AIM) every night back in high school. Sure, some people talked on the phone, but there was something special about talking in text to 15 of your closest friends with those little text boxes all over your computer.

As most people, my “buddy” list grew over time, and any given night you could find a plethora of people on AIM. In high school, there were relationships that started out of instant messaging, friendships ruined because of copy and paste, and in some drastic cases you had the “instant messenger breakup.” Yes, I know a guy that broke up with a girl via instant messenger. Talk about being blindsided. I myself never engaged in the AIM breakup, however I did once go for the email. Not sure that is much better, but moving on….

After high school everyone gets to college where my generation first discovered the joys of broadband wireless. What this ultimately meant was that you could stay signed on to AIM all day and not tie up your parents phone line. And that is where the real popularity with the “away message” started.

The away message was tricky. You had to get it just right. For some it was a chance to show their friends from high school what cool thing they were out doing (i.e Gone to Blue Cats to see Copper, call me on my cell). Despite the fact that no one is going to call you on your cell, everyone could know that you had a life. The other popular tactic was to post a song lyric from your favorite band that no one has heard of yet. You know this way you could show everyone how deep and evolved you were becoming off at college. Your new hairstyle plus some emo acoustic friendly lyrics meant that you were not the same person you were three months ago.

Now, fast forward to three years after college and I sign on to my buddy list. There are 5 people out of 100 that are signed on. After all these years there are about 3 people I talk to on a regular basis on AIM. I still sign on when I check my email, just to see who is there. But for those of us in our mid 20s, AIM is a dying pastime. I personally blame the downfall of AIM on texting.

my weekend

So some random thing went on this weekend I felt may be worth mentioning.

Saturday the music store that my office is located in had a Guitar Hero contest. As many middle and high schoolers filled the store I started to become intrigued. So I emerged from my little hole in the instruction rooms only to find Jeff Carlisi from the band .38 special leading a clinic at the front of the store. I'm not a huge .38 special fan, but they had some good hits back in the day. One of my favorites is "Hold On Loosely" among several others.

Anyways this guy was up front talking about the neighborhood he grew up in. He said all the kids in his neighborhood grew up to be in either Lynard Skynard or .38 special. That must have been a rocking neighborhood back in the day. Anyways it was really cool to stand and watch this guy do some amazing stuff with an electric guitar.

Today we visited a new church. We only sang two worship songs and I had never heard either. The praise band had horns and a choir, and it was just a strange combination. The pastor seemed intelligent enough but he used to be a professor, and church felt a lot like a college lecture. Needless to say, it was not for us.

I plan on spending the rest of the day watching the masters and our birds on the feeder. Jen has finals next week, so she has her nose in the books today. Me and the cat will just have to hang out and watch some golf and birds.

Train = Pain

For the past three months Jen has been seeing a personal trainer. This is a free service from our apartment complex. I opted not to begin training when she did, because I wanted to concentrate on training for the half marathon. Now that the half marathon has come and gone, I thougt it was time I started taking advantage of this service.

The first time Jen went to the trainer she could barely walk up the stairs. I, of course, found this absolutely hillarious. Not in a mean kind of way, more in the way where I know what that is like from playing sports most of my life. So nonetheless, she got her turn to laugh at me.

Monday was my first day in training. It was 45 mintues of pretty intense weight lifing. Something I had not done in quit some time. So, we get back the apartment and my arms are so soar I can barely get my shirt off. Raising my arms is literally a painstaking tasks.

Then I go back on Wednesday, and the trainer was like, you were fine after Monday right, since we just took it light. Took it light, my foot, I could barely dress myself after all that. Me being a man responded with, "oh yeah, I'm fine, just a little tight." That was stupid, because then for the next 45 minutes we increased the difficulty of exercises.

Yet for some reason I've signed back up for another pain session today. I don't know if I'm dumb or just stupid. Actually I think its the fact that I feel like I'm actually benefiting from this process. All the while, Jen is conditioned to the point where she is not longer soar after these sessions. If I could get 1/4 as in shape as the trainer I would be doing well. I just keep telling myself that one day my biceps won't fit under my polo shirts. (I don't believe this to be true at all).

Hopefully we both will be back in prime shape for the summer.

Before I'm 30

When I was 18 years old and starting college I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish before I was 30. Somewhere over time I lost that list but I still remember a lot of the things on it. I’m going to re-visit that idea and make an updated list of some goals, and most of them are not the same ones I had fresh out of high school.

1. To own a house – I’m not necessarily talking about my dream home, but to have a place with a garage, a deck, and some trees would be nice.
2. To visit Europe – This was also on my previous list. Hopefully when Jen graduates we will have the time and money to make this trip. If not I suppose Epcot at Disneyworld may be as close as we come for a few more years.
3. To play guitar well – I have a guitar, and I can play some chords. I can play a couple almost sounds similar to the original versions, but I’d like to actually be proficient at it.
4. To own a real Rolex watch – For some reason this has always been something I have wanted. I like watches, and having the Rolex is just a way of knowing you’ve made it.
5. To run under 20 minutes for a 5k – This goal was a little easier when I was 19 and in shape. However, hopefully I can get back in shape and start running better.
6. Get a masters degree - Part of me wants to get a masters in communication for the simple fact I think it would be interesting. Realistically the MBA may be more beneficial, but then we go back to the whole problem of me and not liking math.

Those are just a few things, and I plan on revisiting this topic from time to time.

For those that were curious here are some things I remember from my original list.
Learn to sail a boat

- Live at the beach
- See Jimmy Buffett Live (accomplished)
- Attend a professional sporting event (accomplished) - braves game and US Open tennis
- Run a half marathon (accomplished 4 times)
- learn to play guitar (I can play some chords)
- bungee jump (did a slingshot bungee jump at the beach)
- visit Europe

One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain

So I'm writing this blog trying to occupy my last 30 minutes of work. I'm basically stealing the idea for the blog from my friend Zac. Zac wrote about what defines a favorite band, and proceeded to list his top bands. I really liked his definition and idea, so I'm making a list of my top bands of all time. For a definition of a favorite band please visit http://zacjx.blogspot.com

So here is my list of favorite artists/bands of all time in no particular order.

1. Jimmy Buffett - yeah, he's an old guy, but the man is a legend. He has also evolved his songs and sound over time. You can't go to any restaraunt or night spot in Florida and not come accross at least one of his songs being covered.

2. Dave matthes Band - These guys are timeless. I prefer there older stuff as many do, but they continue to make great music. Sure their last studio album was a little "off the mark" but I'm sure the next will be right on.

3. Everclear - Most people don't know that I used to be really in to alternative rock back in high school. I couldn't get enough of these guys. I even converted my dad in to a fan.

4. Keith Urban - I realize that listing a country act may discredit my last for many of you. However, go see this guy live, he is a freaking rock star.

5. Kenny Chesney - I think deep down Kenny really wants to be Jimmy Buffett, but he always has some songs I can relate too. I guess it's that East TN upbringing of his.

7. O.A.R.- I really got in to these guys in college. Yeah its jam band "frat rock" but with catchy melodies you can't help but like them.

8. Griffin House - One of my favorite singer/songwrites.

9. Matt Nathanson- This guy is as funny as he is talented.

10. Nickel Creek - Although they have broken up in my mind they can do no wrong. Some of my best memories are listening to these guys on the way to go backpacking in East TN.

So that is my list. Most people probably would not put those 10 people together, but that's why it is my list and not theirs.