Floss religiously

Last big hoop... pass SRTA.

2009-03-30T16:26:00.001-05:00

Weird Ebay

2009-03-04T01:29:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to try to explain how I came across this, but I can't wrap my mind around how 16 people think this is something worth bidding on. Here's a link: Strange on Ebay

Boards

2008-11-19T22:06:00.002-05:00

After checking our mailbox 3 times a day since some time last week.. and only finding unwanted credit card offers and useless bills for most of that time, I got the letter I've been waiting for...

I passed part 2 of the national boards.

whew. One requirement down. A few to go.

Japanese Soccer

2008-11-15T00:25:00.001-05:00

I had to share this (via popsci.com)

The Ten Commandments of Dental School

2008-10-28T18:47:00.004-05:00

The first commandment for dental students is "Thou Shalt Not Break Thy Hands."
I think the second commandment has something to do with what happens after you sneeze.
The rest are pretty hazy.

I broke the first commandment.

Bee Street River

2008-09-26T22:51:00.003-05:00

I drove through a big puddle the other night on the Bee St. River. I stopped and watched several small cars make it through, so I figured the TT would be fine if I kept it near the middle of the road.

I did not notice the stalled car on the far side of the "puddle."

We made it through without killing the engine.

But when I tried to go out earlier tonight, the clutch was stuck engaged whether I pushed the pedal to the floor or not. After trying in vain for a little while and pouting for the rest of the night over the need to take my baby to the shop....

I came across this little tid-bit from somebody who has suffered the same fate:

With some newfound hope, I went out and abused my starter, clutch, transmission, and most laws regarding red lights. I'm pretty sure somebody called me in for drunk driving.

On the plus side, I learned to powershift.

After about 15 minutes and 5 jerky laps around the block while wrestling a car out of control--I had my first glimmer of hope: a little stuttered a little when I pressed in the clutch and released it quickly. A couple more attempts and I was golden.

I guess one of the plates rusted to the other. I don't know. I can't quite figure out how this all fits together.

I'm never going down that end of Bee St. again without first caulking my wagon to ford the river.

Tuscaloosa

2008-09-20T22:31:00.002-05:00

We're here in T-town.

We spent the night at the University Church of Christ. Nice people. Smart thinking--build a church with showers. Maybe that's how churches should be built--not as ornate worship halls, but as practical facilities--shelters.

Maybe a lot of folks would say not.

We had moderate success today. 3 wins and a loss.

An early loss tomorrow would send us home. I have mixed feelings. I miss being home. I like winning.

Tuscaloosa

2008-09-19T10:09:00.002-05:00

In a few hours, I'm going to jump in my car and head to Tuscaloosa for an ultimate frisbee tournament with some of the guys from Harding--most of whom I haven't seen for quite some time.

I'm cautiously optimistic. I hope have haven't lost too much of my speed or talent. I also hope that it'll be fun, because this is a long drive to not have fun.

I'll be leaving this afternoon for North Augusta, where Paul will jump in the car (and hopefully drive), and we'll proceed to the University CofC in Tuscaloosa.

I think I'm most excited about a side trip to Moody, where we'll stop in to see Tom and Mary Beth.

On the road...

Toys

2008-09-16T19:10:00.004-05:00

****Note: all parties involved in this story may not recall the events I am describing as having occurred exactly as portrayed.

I am cheap. In fact, I am almost as cheap as I am impulsive.

Because of this little character flaw, I hate going to the grocery store. It's a constant battle. I think the grocery store is my toy store. I walk down the aisles and say, "I want that... and that.. this too. OH, and one of those... no, I'll take two."

But I am cheap. So I don't buy any of those things. And instead go for the grits and cheap-o store brand wheat squares and some 1% milk because it's cheaper than whole milk.

But on occasion, impulse wins out.

I was surfing craigslist when I saw my next impulse purchase: An audi tt with a manual transmission. Cool. I wanted it.

So I started to make deals--only I was the salesman.

"Sweetheart... if you'll let me buy this car, then I'll do the dishes all next week."
no dice.

"I like that shirt. You look really nice today."
not a chance.

"If you'll let me buy this car, I'll sell my motorcycle."
A glimmer of hope.

When my bride and I were dating, I made the mistake of saying that I loved my motorcycle.... months before I ever told Amber the same thing. She's had a little envy of that little machine ever since. She got a little curious enjoyment out of the motorcycle, but she mostly regarded its presence in the parking lot like she would an ex girlfriend who shows up every week for Monday Night Football.

As of now, I'm banned from craigslist. Amber says so.

But I also got my car. And I ditched the bike.

The battery was on the fritz when I bought the car. Leaving the lights on didn't help matters one bit. Amber showed up and gave me a jump.

I took the car home and got to work changing the battery.
I did some head scratching.
And gave a few confused looks.
Then did some more head scratching.
And I started taking off random bolts.
Then I dropped a few random bolts.
And I searched and searched for those silly bolts.
Three hours later, I had a new battery installed.
Three more hours later, I found all those silly bolts and put them back where they came from.

Maybe I should have begged for a Ford Focus after all.

Hanna

2008-09-05T12:26:00.000-05:00

Looks like Hanna is coming to visit after all.

MUSC dismissed class and clinic for today.
Amber's school did the same.

We considered escaping town for the weekend, but I think we'll wait it out.

More later.

Victory

2008-07-14T10:47:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my stud-like partner hitting better than I ever saw before and passing with remarkable accuracy, we managed to pull out an easy victory at Pafukas.

Most of the time, I felt like I was standing still while Paul was digging and hitting. I suppose that means that he put up some good passes so I didn't have to do much.

The scores for the championship games were something like 15-1, 15-6. It's easy to win when the other team looks like they're about to pass out from the crushing heat.

I think my part of our winnings will be paying for my next video game.

Google Streetview

2008-07-11T23:21:00.004-05:00

This might cost me some brownies in the future, but...

I discovered my dear mother in law standing in the cold with her dog-like critter. Ok, so Google's streetview might be a little bit scarier than I thought.

Google Directions

2008-07-11T22:54:00.002-05:00

Paul and I will be playing in the Pafukas grass doubles tournament tomorrowI just got on google maps to get directions to the Northwest YMCA and...

Holy Cow!

Google maps are getting wild. That crazy program shows me what all the turns will look like. Cool. And scary.
Wish us luck.

2008-07-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

There are a few things that I love most in life.

My God.
My wife.
Papa's steaks.
My mother-in-law's brownies.
And homemade vanilla ice cream.

President Street River

2008-07-09T13:00:00.000-05:00

I've been enjoying the thunderstorms rolling by ever since the weather turned hot; however, living downtown is a bit different from anything that I am accustomed to. These are a couple of shots I took a week or two ago. If this is what happens after a thunderstorm, I'm definitely leaving town if a hurricane comes.

Hm... houseboats.

RIP M.E.

2008-07-07T19:20:00.002-05:00

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. ....I guess.

One of my favorite blogs (Creating Passionate Users) shut down a little more than a year ago because of death threats from a small handful of angry readers. I loved her ideas and passion. Each new post was a new insight into how people work and think. And the pictures... I loved her graphics.

Maybe this final graphic explains what was so great about CPU, and a few others too. Mediocre things, like my blog produce neither love nor hate--there is no passion. But now I'll say so long to another of my favorite blogs because of threats. I suppose Elrod hasn't had too many death threats, but a few too many assassin-like unemployment threats appear to have sucked the air out of yet another of my favorite web writers. I'll miss your thoughts. They are different than mine, but I like the opportunity to challenge what I think--or thought.

I guess... here's a toast to public mediocrity. And a dirge for something special, loud, public, and different that will now be something quiet, hidden, private, and gone.

Fireworks

2008-07-05T02:56:00.003-05:00

Happy Independence Day

In-Laws

2008-07-05T02:03:00.003-05:00

I don't get it.

One

2008-06-30T21:47:00.004-05:00

Amber and I are celebrating our first year of marriage today. It's hard to believe that a whole year has already passed by. It's sometimes difficult to remember what things were like just over a year ago. Well, hectic I guess.

Over the past year we fought a little too much, ate too much junk food, and occasionally worked a little too hard. But we also learned to fight nice, work smarter, and I've discovered that I like a few vegetables. Things would be simpler if wives came with manuals. I did pick up on a few important details though.

I learned that it's not a good idea to compare my bride to any type of fruit or vegetable, either of our mothers, or anything else with two X chromosomes for that matter. Not all things are competitions. Winning is fun... for a little while. Eventually winning has its price. Flowers are worth at least twice as much as they cost.

Surgery

2008-06-28T09:00:00.004-05:00

Amber's computer stopped working the other day. It would shut down less than a minute after turning it on. After some internet research, I decided the heatsink must be plugged up with lint and dust.

So I did some surgery and got really nervous. And discovered that the thermal grease that helps transfer heat from the processor to the heatsink was nearly nonexistent. So I bought some thermal stuff and put the computer back together.

Many thanks to this guy.

Cumberland Island

2008-05-17T00:02:00.001-05:00

2008-05-03T18:53:00.002-05:00

Make Cheap Steaks better with salt.

I don't care if anybody reads this. I just want to be able to find this article later.

PS: Don't try this with thin steaks. They'll taste like a salt block.

Magnolia Plantation

2008-04-15T20:53:00.002-05:00

A random pond out at Magnolia...

New Grandparents

2008-04-14T21:57:00.003-05:00

There aren't many ways to get more grandparents. Although there are a few ways to have less. I guess I'm happy to get more any way I can.

And I did when I said I do.

Amber's Grandparents and Great Aunt+Uncle came down our way last week. We had a good time getting to hang out and get to know one another a little better.

I learned how to play dominoes. I taught them to play 42.

They took us to Hymen's Seafood. We talked them into JB's Smokeshack. They bought us dinner there too after a quick jaunt to the Angel Oak.

They toured the Yorktown and Magnolia Plantation.

We went to work and school.

A big thanks to them for dropping by. I loved spending some time with the new fam.

Car shopping

2008-04-08T12:22:00.000-05:00

I know graduation is still more than a year away, but if anyone wants to contribute to my next ride I'm more than happy to accept a little gift. (Dear Mom, that's a Ferrari)

Shem Creek

2008-04-06T20:52:00.002-05:00

Bridge Run 2

2008-04-05T20:13:00.004-05:00

The second time lapse video. It's a start.

Bridge Run Cleanup

2008-04-05T19:55:00.002-05:00

My first time-lapse video. The cleanup crew is getting started after the bridge run.

Time Lapse Photography

2008-04-05T08:42:00.006-05:00

How to turn a TI-86 into an Intervalometer

For some time, I've wanted to do a little time lapse photography. Very high end cameras have time lapse features built into the software. Some low end cameras do too; however, our Canon XTi doesn't. The only way to take time lapse pictures with the Rebel series is to rig an intervalometer yourself.

There are many ways to create an intervalometer, but this method doesn't require any soldering.

Parts:
TI-86
Canon XTi
2.5 mm double ended cable
tape
paper for labels

Tools:
Wire strippers/cutters

Write the Program

Disp "Interval in seconds"
Disp "x 100"
Prompt A
While 1
For(H,1,A,1)
End
Outpt("CBLSEND",A)
End

The program asks for a number. With full batteries, an input of 450 takes a picture every 3 seconds. It will be slower if the batteries are worn out.

Alter the Cable
The XTi has a 2.5mm remote input that is simple. The 2.5mm plug has three sections. Shorting the middle section with the base makes the camera focus, and shorting all three makes the camera take a picture.

The TI series graphing calculators also use 2.5mm jacks for their communication port. Someone wrote a program using the TI-89 as an intervalometer. Someone else wrote one for the TI-83. I combined a little of each in order to get the TI-86 working.

This will create a one-way cable. Using the cable in reverse will not work.
Label one 2.5mm jack as the Camera side. Label the other side as the TI-86 side. Cut the cable in half and strip the wires to expose about 3/8" of bare wire on each side.

Combine the red and white wires from the camera side with the red wire from the calculator side. Simply cut off the white wire from the calculator side--it will not be used. Connect the ground wires from each side.

All that's left to do is start the program and connect the camera to the calculator with our new cable.

2008-03-31T17:35:00.003-05:00

Shortly after the end of the Civil War a Georgia pharmacist named Pemberton invented a carbonated concoction in his back yard.

Somwhere along the way, Coca Cola marketed itself with the phrase: "Nothin' like the real thing." Or is that a clause?

Anyhow, there really ain't nothing like the real thing. I got by during my Harding years on cheap Sam's Cola and various other bottom of the barrel knockoffs. But fake coke has now taken a back seat to the real stuff because the real stuff tastes better.

Amber and I went to the Mt. Pleasant La Hacienda today and splurged on some caffeinated goodness--but it just didn't taste right. After sipping down a full glass (and making a sour face after each sip and slurp) I finally pinned down what it was that I was choking down through a plastic straw--Cheap coke knock-off.

I'm through with La Ha...

The Best $50 I ever made

2008-03-29T17:54:00.003-05:00

I turned 25 in March. On that wonderful day, I got to celebrate joining the rest of the world with reasonable car insurance rates. Unfortunately, 25 is also the age that Mom and Dad's health insurance gave me the boot. It was nice while it lasted. I signed up for my own, and I got a message that my premium was going up 10% because I'm getting older. (Correction: I procrastinated until Amber got so frustrated with me that she signed me up for some health insurance. I just signed the paperwork)

I've started attending lunch lectures on topics such as the two kinds of disability insurance
and financial solutions for starting your practice.

It hit me just the other day. I've never earned a real paycheck. Sure I've had a few summer flings with employment here and there, but I've never worked a real job.

I had an opportunity to bring in the big bucks Friday and today. One of the regional dental licensure testing agencies came to town to offer their "services" to the senior class. To say that those students were a little tense would be an understatement. Failure means that they loose an exorbitant test fee, and more importantly, they have take the test in another state before graduating.

The whole set-up was pretty controlled. Obscure paperwork flows from room to room. Examiners are not permitted to see the dental student who performs the work. I and my fellow minions escorted patients from the operatories to the examiner's secluded floor where they poked, prodded, and scrutinized each student's work.

In the meantime, I prodded and scrutinized how each examiner did his diligent duty. At some point, somebody asked why I'd do the such a monotonous job on my three day weekend. "It's simple" I told her. "I'm getting paid to gather intelligence." The testing agency offered me $50 per day to assist the examiners in the scoring area and watch exactly how they did their job.

The money won't go far, but at least I got to know the "enemy."

The Bachelor

2008-03-26T18:57:00.002-05:00

Amber left me and left town to stay with her parents for a while. That leaves me to hold down the pad. Suddenly, the couch feels bigger, and dinner is a lot lonelier.
I'm going to watch TV shows with lots of explosions and not cuddle and then I'll play video games all night.

Then I'll get fast food for dinner, and eat junk food until my stomach hurts.

Oh man do I hate spring break when it's not my spring break.

March Madness

2008-03-22T19:39:00.002-05:00

My 2008 bracket isn't looking so good....

PBC

2008-03-19T11:41:00.003-05:00

It's official. Amber and I are going to camp this year. I had to beat our dean of clinical affairs in a jello wrestling match in order to get the time off, but I'm free for a week and we're off to PBC. Now... what to do with all this jello...

Home Alone in a Flat World

2008-03-15T14:56:00.003-05:00

For one of the first times since we've been married, I'm home alone for the weekend. As much as I'm enjoying not fighting for the covers, I can't wait until Josh comes home tomorrow.

Anyway, while he's been gone, I've been catching up on some reading. I've been hearing about Friedman's The World is Flat for a while now, but with the job situation last semester I didn't have time to sit down and read the book.

I've only made it through a couple of chapters, but the premise of the book is that technology is leveling the playing field. My biggest question as I read is what does this mean for me and my students? Though we teach our students to use Word and remind them to never use Wikipedia (ha!), I'm not sure we're really teaching them the skills they need to make it in the world. In fact, many of my students know little about computers other than how to get around the firewall!

I'd love to get some input from others on what our students need to know when they enter college and the "real" world:

1) Should we be blocking technologies like Skype in our schools? We could be talking to experts around the world, but instead we block any type of chat or webconferencing tool for the safety of our students.

2) Which software programs (including web-based apps) are most important for our students?

3) What was most useful for you in high school? Which skills do you still actually use?

4) What are the essentials students need to know to get a job (and keep it)?

Color Pencil Gazebo

2008-03-11T21:18:00.001-05:00

I like this version better. Color pencil filter everywhere but the gazebo.

Gazebo at White Point Gardens

2008-03-11T01:43:00.002-05:00

I'm on Spring Break, so I thought I'd take some time to learn a little photoshop. This is my first attempt. I wanted to partially turn a picture into a line drawing. I'm not entirely happy.

FedEx Stinks

2008-03-05T17:56:00.004-05:00

Fedex sent my goodies from Texas to California. Wrong way, geniuses. Now I don't like them.

Ransom Note

2008-01-14T15:37:00.000-05:00

Jacob Metcalf

2007-12-17T00:36:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I heard a song that I loved the first time I heard it. Well, until 3 minutes ago it had been a long time.

Then I stumbled onto jacobmetcalf.com . Jacob lived down the hall from me when I was a freshman at Harding, and we'd talk every week or two. I always admired the way he always had a happy, yet calm outlook on all the happenings in our lives. I don't know what you call it, but he always came up with just the right way to look at things.

I'd tease him about his sister. We would sit and ponder our futures. I'd tease him about his sister some more. He always insisted she wasn't interested in me, but I knew he was really just trying to trick me. He'd walk the halls and serenade anyone who would listen....and some folks who wouldn't.

Click "Tunespeak" and check out "Bend." I don't know what genre you're supposed to call this stuff. Maybe just, "good." And it's coming from that guy from down the hall who had a hot sister (who was a nice girl).

You're missing out if you don't check out his stuff. Jacob, I give it a 10, just like your sister.

Fort Moultrie

2007-12-15T15:21:00.000-05:00

Sam, Mandi, Amber, and I went to Fort Moultrie the other day. We saw some stuff, and we did some things, and it was fun.

We were so glad to see them. I haven't heard anything from either since they left, but I hope they made it home safe last night.

The Roundup

2007-12-08T23:51:00.000-05:00

This post should have been divided and written in daily installments. Instead, here's the lowdown.

Amber and I are beginning our sixth month of marriage. I like to tease her by saying that nobody else could possibly make six months feel more like six years.

We've been a busy pair of bees these past few months. She balances teaching bratty runts, while I play at school with teeth and (mostly) nice people.

Papa and Mimi flew in and spent the weekend before Thanksgiving with us. We mostly poked around downtown. Mimi marveled at the flowers in planters on Rainbow Row. Papa seemed impressed with the architecture. He even went into an art gallery. I regret not taking them to one of the plantations for a look-see. Maybe we can talk them into flying to Savannah some day for a tour down there. I like the turret porches and Queen Anne style better than the Charleston style anyhow. Thanks for coming, ya'll.

Then we were off to Nashvegas for some fun times with the inlaws, good food, football, mongolian barbecue, and an introduction to the "grandpuppy." Amber's only response to such a brash (but creative) message was to a remark about how we hope that the grandpuppy holds them over. Otherwise, we might need to borrow a neice for a day or two. There aren't really any other solutions that I can imagine. It looks like a cross between a Mogwai (remember Gremlins?) and a gerbil anyhow.

Amber's birthday was the 27th. I went back to East Bay street and "acquired" some of those flowers that impressed Mimi.

This is finals week. Two down, two to go. I'm looking forward to Christmas break.

I'll probably head to North Augusta on Sunday and hang out with Mom, Dad, and the kiddos until Amber begins Christmas break on th 18th. Maybe we'll get to see Jaime and the melanin challenged kiddos as well.

Then we're off to Texas for some time with my end of the family. That's all I got to say about that.

Tetris

2007-12-07T00:12:00.000-05:00

If it makes me laugh out loud, then it's worth passing on.

By the way, this would be an amazing camp game.

Human tetris courtesy of BigSam82

Dumb emails

2007-12-06T23:49:00.000-05:00

I absolutely hate dumb emails. I get them from time to time from a variety of sources. Lately I've received a series of especially annoying messages from one of the 2nd years who is in charge of planning the dental school Christmas party. Amber and I won't be going. In fact, I don't know anybody who is because they're having it 3 days after exams are over.

I present to you the most annoying email of all time.

tomorrow is the (as flanders would say) ab-so-toodle-lee-doodle-lee LAST day to buy "tickets" for the lame-named, though politically correct "snow ball".

that means you can't buy them at the door. that means you can't buy them the week of. that means if you don't buy them tomorrow, SEE ya. more rosemary & sea salt rubbed lamb and godiva chocolate fondue for the rest of us.

they are 20 bucks.

you can catch anna louise, ryan, or me at lunch or you can try to contact us to meet up.

-challah at a playa when you see me in the streets.

Changes

2007-12-06T12:11:00.000-05:00

I suppose it's time I announce a few changes to my little corner of the internet. I've hired a co-thinker to add to the confusion here at FR. And by hired, I mean that I sent Amber an Email invite. My little corner will now be our little corner.

I hope she takes the time to share some of her thoughts.

Happy Birthday to Amber

2007-11-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

Last year, I wasn't too smooth with Amber's birthday. Looking back as I can now, I like to think I was smart enough to leave room for improvement. Another year has come and passed, and once again, I did better, but there's still room for improvement.
This time she gets flowers:

Burning Water

2007-11-26T23:41:00.000-05:00

Contrary to popular belief that grease fires are the only way to make water burn, some goober accidentally discovered that salt water will burn when you send a few radio waves through it.

Now that's cool. It definitely makes this blog.

Rec League Soccer

2007-11-22T11:45:00.000-05:00

If at first you don't succeed
, ,
Try,
Try,
Try ,
Try again.

Philip, Paul, and I could all try to keep up with the other kids. We did ok. Diana wasn't interested in anything related to competition.

And then there's Austin.

We went to Austin's rec league soccer game a few weeks ago. He's faster than all the other 5 year olds, and he isn't shy about it. Each Saturday morning Austin makes a few predictions about how many goals he'll score that day. Nobody is supposed to keep score, but if nobody keeps count, then the event is only 15 kids chasing a ball around the field. Austin keeps score, therefore he plays soccer. And he has a nasty habit of taunting the slower, less talented and less pigmented children.

Dad, who has waited patiently year after year may finally have the athletic kid he always dreamed about. Now, while he sits on the sidelines, Dad can trash talk all the other parents who are 20 years younger.

Harding Days

2007-11-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

Why come up with something original when you can piggyback on somebody else's work?

I saw Logan S at church Sunday morning. It was good to see him and to talk and hear that some things just don't seem to change all that much.

Harding University is a special place with some peculiar traditions and its own vocabulary. I thought I'd check YouTube to see what kind of trouble those kids are up to.

This one smells like a Student Impact compilation.

I think

2007-11-14T14:12:00.000-05:00

I think this is quite possibly the weirdest commercial I have ever witnessed.

What I think

2007-11-11T00:47:00.000-05:00

I had an interesting conversation with a friend at school the other day. "Let's be honest" she said, "What I want most is a husband and kids." I was taken back a little, because that's not the typical dream for most of the girls in graduate level education--at least, it's not the kind of thing that they are willing to admit. Her blunt response wasn't awkward though. I appreciated it.

Figuring out what I want is hard enough. Translating it into words and sharing it with somebody else. Well, that's a whole new ball game.

Quite frankly, I don't like telling people what I actually think. For example, it's a constant challenge for me to tell my bride that I love her. I do. Madly, wildly, uncontrollably. But telling her remains a daily challenge.

I'm quite happy to share some version of my thoughts(i.e. it's easy to tell her she's beautiful), but I almost never convey my actual feelings(I need her). I hold back. Resist. Refrain--especially when it's written, which is why I appreciate, and even envy, those who are able to thoughtfully convey their innermost desires. Exposed and easy prey, they articulate their actual feelings for the world to consider, to judge, to mock, and occasionally, to adore.

When we speak of past failures, it is easy to gloss over the low times. People who are failing don't usually come out and admit it; nor do they wear a stamp on their foreheads. They deny what is real and choose to view a miserable time or a big mistake as a something smaller, more manageable, and less consequential. My alcoholic friend "just does it because he likes it." And the cheater friend. Well, it was justified because you "needed more."

Physical pain is easy to acknowledge. Emotional pain is easy to hide. What I want is easy to feel, but it is hard to say. What I do is easy to share, but my hearts desires are hard to expose. Here's a toast to honesty, especially honesty in failure, which should not be mistaken for complaining. That's another animal altogether.

We are a planet of fake Supermans, running around in red capes and imagining that we can use our x-ray vision to get richer, smarter, and happier.

I want to thank you.... for being human. Special props go to you who have eloquently shared what you actually think.

Thanks friend from the other day. Your candor made my day. Maybe even my week. No matter how hard you try, it really isn't enough.

And other friend from the other other day, you don't have to be cheery and fun. You're sad, and you should be. You needn't wear a mask. This isn't a show. Our life is not a masquerade. Thanks for being sad when you needed to be sad. You remind me that it's ok to hurt, and it's ok to not be ok.

So not everybody in high school liked you, and you were rejected. I know it hurt. Thanks for saying what you really thought.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll be able to write on my own thoughts and my own failure. But you can be my superhero today.

The Charleston Peninsula, part 2

2007-10-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of the East side of the Charleston peninsula.

Today, I present the West side of the Charleston peninsula.

Too good to be true

2007-10-29T17:16:00.000-05:00

Don't believe most of what you hear, half of what you read, and some of what you see.

I almost never forward emails, and I never forward forwarded emails because some things just sound a little too good to be true.

Much like the "Support our Praying President" emails that I received before he was exposed as a Christian fraud, the deer fish email that I received and published on my blog was a partial fake. Never trust a President's PR photographers, and never, never trust an email that says "fwd" on it. I'd like to apologize to anyone who may have lost bet money or the respect of his friends for believing anything that I published.

The deer wasn't caught in Charleston. She was in the Chesapeake Bay.

Oh, and I think I'm voting libertarian.

It's too cold to blog

2007-10-29T15:39:00.000-05:00

Summer came to an abrupt halt today, and it's too cold to blog.

Instead, I'll attach a picture of the Cold War Submarine memorial.

Deerfish

2007-10-26T12:11:00.000-05:00

I received these pictures from a friend of a friend with the title:

"Caught 1 1/2 miles offshore Charleston, SC on Tuesday Oct 23"

I wonder, do you need a hunting permit or a fishing permit to catch a deer in the ocean? And what kind of bait would you use?

Way to go USMC guy.

For my brother

2007-10-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

Hotmail and CBS Sportsline without the skanky ads:

Here are the links to the must-have software for your computer.

1. Download Firefox

2. Get the AdBlock Plus add-on

3. Also get the Filterset.G Updater for AdBlock.

It's simple and free. And it's a little faster than Internet Explorer anyhow.

Public good or private right?

2007-10-23T21:03:00.000-05:00

For the good of the people, or private right to condos?
More here.

another lame post

2007-10-18T21:21:00.000-05:00

It's not nice to rip off other people. But "Be original" is a waste of time, and it's too difficult.

Maybe it's foolish for this Gamecock fan to mock overrated teams , but my hatred for ND might have to trump good sense. Here's to hoping that the 'cocks don't manage to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Another Panoramic

2007-10-12T20:39:00.001-05:00

I can't explain why, but I'm kinda hooked on these panoramic shots. These two are of Charleston City Marina.

Enjoy.

The Megadock
A 360 from another random dock.

For the Love of Football

2007-10-10T18:18:00.000-05:00

Just below the flyer seeking students to submit their bodies for research studies at MUSC and beside the intramural sports poster, I saw this:

"Discover why American football is so popular in the United States. Local legendary football stars will give insight on the exciting ins and outs of football."

Yes, a poster from the international student association for a meeting to help foreign guests appreciate our obsession for the football that uses feet very little.

I'm not sure how I would describe why I love football. It's a silly sport played by big dudes who frequently struggle to get better than 800s on their SAT's. But I'm hooked--even though my Gamecocks always disappoint, I treat the opening weekend of college football with more respect than Columbus Day, Labor Day, and President's Day combined.

I hope that the local legendary football stars manage to find the words to adequately describe a national obsession with big sweaty guys jumping on top of each other. More importantly, I hope that they find better words than "a bunch of big sweaty guys jumping on top of each other."

Georgetown, SC

2007-10-08T23:33:00.001-05:00

The waterfront at Georgetown, SC

Editorials for the people who can't think...

2007-10-05T16:39:00.000-05:00

My favorite pep talk of all time. This one ranks just above Mel Gibson's "Freedom" speech just before a bunch of smelly dudes mooned the opposing army.

How did Lou do that?

But there's still no way that Florida is going to beat LSU in the Valley this weekend. But don't worry, Florida fans. Happiness is nothing more than having a poor memory.

By the way. How do you like 'dem Gamecocks? That was one the most entertaining Thursday night games I ever saw. How'd they do that? I'll tell you: perfectly.

The Charleston Peninsula

2007-10-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

The Eastern Shore of the Charleston Peninsula

I made this panoramic a few weeks ago with five pictures taken from the walkway on the Ravenel bridge on a hazy day.

Hope you enjoy.

A special gift

2007-10-02T16:07:00.001-05:00

Somebody signed me up for some samples that arrived in a package labeled "The FREE Sample you requested from walmart.com is here!" I was pretty excited because I didn't actually remember asking for any free stuff.

Amber found the package and insisted on opening it herself. I was excited to get something for free, and she was curious to know what I had ordered myself.

After opening the package, she had that "we need to talk" look on her face.

I'm not really sure how you're supposed to explain to your wife, should the day ever come, that Serenity Male Guards are the new necessity from Wal-Mart, but that wasn't the case today. So um.. thanks for that stimulating conversation with my bride.

I wasn't too sure what to do with this generous gift at first, but I've put my mind to the task. These things must be useful for something. Maybe so, but aside from
1. being able to drive extra-long hours should I desire to kill an astronaut in Houston, or
2. the possibility that I might develop menstrual issues, or
3. fitting in with the "under 3" crowd at church;
I can't think of any use for these things.

Thanks again. Really... from the bottom of my heart. And if you should ever need some special absorbent pads "anatomically designed for men," give me a shout. I'll keep 'em in the glove box.

I think I'll call her

2007-09-30T21:42:00.000-05:00

Dear Paul,

I want to thank you for introducing me to Delilah. No, not the song. She's better than a song. You introduced us in Mom and Dad's front yard, and your Delilah and I have had the most wonderful time together. Oh how times have changed.

You should know better than to run off without your little friend. Surely you knew that sooner or later, she'd start going places without you. A little trip to the grocery store here. Another ride out to the ball game there. It's amazing how quickly those little times spent together can foster such a beautiful relationship.

You should know better than to try to wage a long distance relationship from a small South Pacific Island. And you should certainly know better than to find a temporary replacement for your one and only. I'm sure you've realized by now that temporary replacements don't work so well, and the two of you out there have endured a rocky relationship. I hear that your new little plaything gets a little stubborn sometimes, doesn't she?

I came across Delilah a few weeks ago, and I couldn't resist her. I drove her home to Charleston from our hometown, and she came back topless--all the way back to my place. Boy was that a sight to see. And as we drove along, wind in my hair passing mile after mile, I realized why her name was Delilah.

I call her Delilah because she always tempts me, and we always get off the highway in search of more exciting places for our fun, just like the biblical Delilah temped Samson off his proper path.

And, just like the Delilah who cut Samsons hair led him astray, Delilah tempted me, and our brief trip back to Charleston turned into a little escapade off the highway. I won't go into details, but let's just say that those shocks were rockin' somewhere off down a gravel road.

I know you miss her, but I couldn't resist this little tease. I'll try to take care of her until you come back to claim her as your own again.

P.S. Don't call my wife fat again, or I will not change the oil until 3,300 miles instead of the proper 3,000.

Webcam of the week, It's back from the dead

2007-09-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

A little more than a year ago, I had a post for the new dental school clinic building construction cam. Well, it took pictures of dirt and stuff for about a year.

Since that time, Mark Sanford vetoed the final $7 million to construct the building. The legislature overrode his veto. And then there were several months of constant pile driving.

And now there's some random holes for a basement.

Enjoy. MUSC Dental Clinic Construction

Who said that?

2007-09-24T10:09:00.000-05:00

So was it the Bible, Bin Laden or John Lennon? See the quiz at Murphys in American Samoa

Yosemite

2007-09-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

(Part 3 of 3)

Yosemite was pretty cool. I tried to pronounce it "YOSE-MITE" with a nice southern twang any time we were around people. Amber usually turned red from the experience. Whether she was embarrassed or angry, I couldn't say.

We had some bagels and soup-can hot chocolate before heading off to the giant Sequoias at Mariposa Grove.

Then we were off to Glacier Point for a nice overview of the valley. The tiny specs on the top, left of half dome are people. Whoa nelly.

Next we drove to the valley floor and examined waterfalls n' stuff.

We oohed and ahhed over El Capitan, and after some searching, we found some goobers crazy enough to climb that thing. Look closely, they're nearly to the top.

Ok... look a little closer
How easy do I have to make this for you?
The we went hiking to ~~another waterfall. I can't remember the name. Maybe Amber will edit this and correct me.~~ Vernal Falls

The setting sun makes for some really cool effects. The bright granite face of half-dome is brightly lit in contrast to the shady valley floor
And we drove back to our campsite.

And then we went home. Until the next adventure...

You know what he did?

2007-09-20T23:14:00.000-05:00

You probably remember this commercial from a few years ago. And... although this likely won't pass the Mimi test. It made me laugh uncontrollably for a little while. I hope you have a good chuckle too.

San Fransisco

2007-09-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

Friday

We got started on our big day in the big city around 9am. We looked up some google directions to the visitor's center in downtown San Francisco. It was on Market street. Despite what I'm sure were perfectly fine directions, we didn't ever find the visitor center, and instead wandered around some of the hilly streets.

Not really knowing what we were doing, whenever we saw other people standing around taking pictures, we went ahead and took pictures too. At one point, we found ourselves on some narrow, winding, steep brick road. Since other people were taking pictures, I took a few as well. I think it was called Lombard St or something. As it turns out, it's famous. (I ripped the first picture off wikipedia. The second is mine.)

Then we went to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was... well, it was a bridge that somebody painted red. We parked somewhere to the north and walked across. About half-way across, I told Amber that I thought I wanted 3 or 4 kids in a year or two...... And she threatened to jump. Then I decided on getting a dog instead, and she decided not to call whoever talks to you on the other end of the crisis phones.

The bridge didn't strike me as something particularly special in itself, a surprisingly short span, and remarkably flat for a bridge so storied--the Ravenel bridge in Charleston is certainly more of a challenge to traverse on foot. But the view is something to talk about, and it's quite high above the water below.

From there, we paid the $5 toll to re-enter San Francisco and we went to Fisherman's Wharf, but the parking was horrendous, and we had visions of El Capitan dancing in our heads. So we elected to leave the city and make our way towards the main event: Yosemite National Park.

Traffic was horrible. The radio traffic people routinely used terms like "The Tracy Parking Lot" to describe the less than speedy congestion that appeared to be accepted as normal. Places like that help me understand why anti-lock brakes are essential on modern vehicles. Our 4 hour trip turned into a 6 hour trip, but it gave us plenty of time to soak in the scenery. Unfortunately, it didn't seem like that part of Cali had a lot to show. Mostly just dead grass. Another hill, another curve, and another field of dead grass. My impressions of California are now that they basically build cities in the middle of desert, then harp about the necessity of conservation. No wonder they look like tree-hugging hippies to the rest of the US--conservation is a matter of necessity when you build large cities in the desert.

A few undesirable turns and a supply stop at Walmart lengthened our journey, but we finally found the twisties of the mountain roads.

9pm
At last, we arrived at the park and set up camp, warmed some canned soup for dinner, burrowed into our sleeping bags. Lows were in the 30s the first night, and I thought I was going to freeze, despite a sleeping bag and a jacket.

For the record...

2007-09-17T22:18:00.000-05:00

#756. I voted to brand it with an asterisk. You can vote too.

A very UnMurphy Murphy vacation

2007-09-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

Part 1 of 3

We got back late last night from our much anticipated, long awaited trip to the left coast. I wanted to tell you about our little vacation, partly to brag and partly to share.

Before pressing further, I'd like to thank Wendy's for a great promo and Airtran for coming to Charleston, SC to make our little weekend escapade possible.

Thursday.
5:30 pm We left home for the Charleston airport Thursday evening after work/school. Unfortunately, 526 turned into a parking type parkway instead of a driving type parkway and we were a little late for our flight.

7:30pm. But the same weather that hindered our drive also delayed our flight, and we had time to spare for an airport dinner.

Now, being a Murphy and especially susceptible to the laws that are attributed to Murphy, you might expect that our late flight out of Charleston turned into a late flight arriving in Atlanta. It did. But in a very UnMurphy kind of fashion, our Atlanta departure flight was also delayed and we had a few minutes to spare.

10pm. Now we were worried that the rental car place in SanFran might close before we arrived, and the hotel might overbook. I say we, but I mean Amber. She called both to confirm that our reservations were still intact, and they were.

And thanks to all the delays and the fact that our ATL-SFO flight was a late nighter, there was plenty of room for the 4 hour flight. Amber and I each took our own row, and in a very UnMurphy kind of fashion, slept pretty much the whole way there. Murphy's Law. hmmpff. What law?

Friday
Due to all the delays from that nasty little tropical storm, our 1am arrival in San Francisco turned into a 2:30am arrival. By my eastern time, that's way past my bed time, so we moseyed on over to the Hertz counter to find that nobody was present. After some searching, we found a pair of Hertz employees lounging in their break room. We coaxed them into giving us the car we had already paid for, and we drove off for the Hotel, 3 miles away.

At 3:30am other coast time, we pulled into the Travelodge only to find that, despite our advance booking, and despite our previous call to make sure we had a bed, there was no room at the inn. But just when Murphy's law of Vacations appeared ready to take hold, the night manager sent us to the Holiday Inn across the street with a letter that must have read something like, "We screwed up. Give them a bed and charge it to us." And so we had a room from Holiday Inn instead of a room from the critically disclaimed Travelodge.

Table Rock and get-togethers on Labor Day

2007-09-03T20:09:00.000-05:00

Two years ago, I took my new girlfriend to Table Rock State Park for some old-fashioned camping and hiking. We tried climbing Table Rock mountain and got a mid-afternoon start. After reaching the summit, we turned around and made a quick descent. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the huge mass of granite on the front of the mountain that offers the best view. We weren't as fast as I anticipated, the mountain was taller than I remembered, and since the sun moved a little faster than I wanted, we ended up coming down the mountain in darker and darker conditions. Then and now... (the dark one would be the one from 2 years ago)

Eventually, darker turned into just plain dark. We had no flashlight so I took a picture of my white undershirt with her camera, and we used the white light from the playback screen to guide our steps down the last few hundred yards of mountain trail. I felt foolish for pushing her up the mountain, and a little more foolish for trying to go up so late.

I went back to the mountain again this past weekend. Except, this time, I conned my new wife and in-laws into coming too.

We started climbing much earlier this year. I was determined to reach the huge granite face this time, dragging my poor bride as I went. But along the way, we stopped at the same spot where we took a picture two years ago and took a few pictures. But this time, the sun wasn't setting.

The mountain was a little steeper and even longer than either of the in-laws signed up for, and they spent some time at the CCC shelter about half way up. And that's pretty much how I think I've been banned from planning activities for our get-togethers.

You see, last time I organized a camping trip with the in-laws, things didn't quite go as planned either. That was this past Easter when we went camping at Hunting Island in windy 30 degree weather. I still got sunburned somehow. This time I think I nearly drove them to heart attacks. The in-laws are probably beginning to think that my ideas are something straight out of a book on Chinese torture tactics. First, freeze them. Then work them so hard they can't feel their fingers. Who knows what's next. Oh yes, I know. Mental games.

So I talked everyone into posing for pictures in front of the Giant Cow at Aunt Sue's Restaurant.

Not a bad day for the world's worst son-in-law, where every adventure is a disaster waiting to happen.

Ole' Mike Vick

2007-08-29T21:07:00.000-05:00

I love to watch Mike Vick play some football, but it looks like it could be a solid year before he sees grass with a stadium surrounding it rather than a field enclosed in barbed wire.

What a dummy.

In the meantime, there's always the Michael Vick Chew Toy.

License plate

2007-08-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

According to the P&C and the SCDMV, South Carolina has a new license plate, and I'm not at all a fan. I voted, but not for this one. I think it's rather hideous and just plain unoriginal. I knew I've seen something just like it before. But where?

Oh yes. Now I remember. That's a second-rate knockoff of a discontinued Michigan license plate.

One must also wonder, why should every driver in the state be relegated to running around with free, legally mandated tourism advertising. That smells like a fishy nod to the coastal half of the state.

Here's a big BOO to whoever voted for this hideous thing to be attached to the back of my car and an ever booier BOO to the goober who came up with that web address.

So much

2007-08-13T18:43:00.000-05:00

So much can happen when you wait a month or so between blogs. Maybe I haven't written because Amber's kept me busy with a to-do list longer than a Staples rebate receipt. Or maybe I just haven't felt like it. So here's the quick update:

Our apartment is finally in order. After plenty of arguments, including one or two over where to store envelopes, we've finally made our peace, signed a few treaties, and settled in.

We went to the Hwy 21 Drive-in near Beaufort and watched some movie with people pretending to be gay. But they weren't, and it wasn't that good anyways. While we were in the area, we stopped by the Old Sheldon Church for a gander and a picture. We did a little random sightseeing as well.

Amber and I have booked our first big trip: We're going to San Francisco for a weekend in September courtesy of AirTran and Wendy's. Not a bad deal. I'm so glad AirTran came to Charleston. (Dear AirTran, please stay around for at least 2 more years.)

I filled my first tooth a few weeks ago. It was a 90. I've heard that 100's don't exist. 95's are reserved for when the attending remarks, "that's better than I could have done."

I also played in the Charleston summer ultimate frisbee tournament in who knows how hot kind of weather. Unfortunately we have no pictures of the damage it caused me or the damage I caused. Amber says I was "out of it." DK and Morgan did too. Let's say that my record for not spewing has ended at ten years. All I know is that I was uncoordinated and a little slow in the head. As a write, Amber has corrected me to call it "slightly delusional." I've learned my lesson about running around in 100 degree weather. Or 98 degree weather, or whatever it was. Details are somewhat fuzzy now.

How to impress your new bride

2007-07-06T13:51:00.001-05:00

I wanted to put together a how-to guide on how to impress your new bride. I figure there's somebody out there who could stand on the shoulders of my experience.

How to impress your new bride...

... and how to salvage things when the first attempt doesn't work at all.

1. Book a beautiful cabin retreat in the mountains for your honeymoon. Hot tub? Check. Clean and spotless. Bed? Check. It's a king. Jacuzzi? Check. Chain saw alarm clock? Check. Wait.... chain saw alarm clock? Yup--one of those too. Note the happy bride in front of the washing machine.Everything was perfect until 7 Monday morning, when 15 construction workers began work a few feet away to continue construction on the adjacent cabin. Tuesday was no better. The tree cutters arrived promptly at 7 to do their work. Somebody needs to let their boss know that they were, indeed, on time for work. We heard, "saw, saw, saw....... crack...... thud." "saw, saw, saw....... crack...... thud." "saw, saw, saw....... crack...... thud." "saw, saw, saw....... crack..... scratch...... thud." I felt that last one. "Did that just hit the roof?" Says one lumberjack to another.

The details are a little hazy now, but I think that both a branch or two and my blood pressure were hitting the roof.

How to recover: After an engaging conversation with the booking agent, we packed our bags after lunch and headed to downtown Greenville for dinner and a stay at the Hyatt.

2. Make sure she comes home to a spotless new home. OK, so we're not even close on that one. I'm hoping we can catch up to the apartment by the end of the month.

How to recover: Baby, I'm calling Papa John's.
2b. Allow her to nest. You can't take your stuff to heaven when you die. You can't take it to your new apartment when you get married either. While moving her stuff in, make sure it's placed in neat piles in special places throughout the apartment. Leave for a while while she's nesting. Return several hours later to find a happy bride with all of her stuff tucked neatly into it's places. Notice that there is now only one pile in the living room. It's the trash pile, and all of your stuff will be in it.

How to recover: Keep your mouth shut while you take your possessions to the dumpster.

3. Impress her with your handyman skills. I spent the better part of the morning changing the new-to-me dryer plug from a 3 wire plug to a 4 wire plug. This should be a simple, 15 minute chore to complete before the next thing on my growing "do this or die" list. I went to Walmart to find a dryer cord, only to find that Lowe's would be a better choice. I returned an hour and half later with all the tools to do the job.

Eat breakfast.
Turn off the breaker to the dryer (30amp).
Take off the faceplate. Check.
Take off the old 3 wire cord. Check.
Put on the new cord. um...
Don't drop any nuts into the dryer. oops.
How to recover if you drop a nut:

Shake the dryer and try to listen for the nut. This doesn't accomplish much, but it makes you feel better because you get the pick the stupid thing up and vent a little.
take off the top of the dryer.
take off the front of the dryer
Vacuum out all the escaped lint stuff
Stop vacuuming dummy! You might suck up the nut that you're looking for.
Feel around unit. Wish you had vacuumed up all that crazy lint.
Find nut and get it back. Set it somewhere special and safe.
Finish that vacuuming for no good reason.
Play with the dryer guts. Watch the blower spin really fast when you turn the tub over. Act like you know what you're doing if your new bride walks in to see your hideous mess.
Put front panel back on. Screw in securely.
Put top back on. Screw in securely.
Use previously recovered nut to secure the last dryer cord wire.
What to do if you forgot where your "special and safe" spot was:

clean up tools.
search laundry room
search kitchen floor
check inside dryer
realize it was on the kitchen floor all along. Why did I ever think the kitchen floor was a "special and safe" place to put a nut?

Repeat step 4
Replace faceplate.

Oh yeah... plug in new cord.
Try out the dryer
Realize that it doesn't work
Eat lunch.
Remember to turn on the breaker
Watch her flip the breaker

4. Give her your undivided attention whenever she asks for it. Only rest after completing your tasks. And most importantly, never let her work alone or do your laundry while you're sitting around goofing off.

Um.. gotta go. I just got caught.

Amnesty

2007-06-13T10:48:00.000-05:00

Generally, I make a special effort to ensure that this blog is entirely devoid of anything meaningful. I occasionally dabble with something that I believe is important, but my little piece of the web is mostly a hangout for a few friends and family and some very random googlers to see a little way into a little piece of my life.

Most importantly, I usually try to avoid writing about anything political. It's not that I don't think that my opinion on political matters is better than yours--It is. But I'd generally rather not waste my time or yours, because you probably wouldn't change your mind for the better anyhow.

I think I'll break all those rules today.

The promise of joining a group can motivate us to work harder, achieve more, and creates a small sense of fraternity. This won't get a lot of support from my people in Southwest Texas, but they're allowed to be wrong every once in a while.

By the time I pack my bags to leave Charleston, I'll have spent four and half years and enough money to buy a comfortable house in order to join a fraternity of professionals. I want to be a part, and I want the benefits that come with joining such a group.

Immigrants who have come to this piece of America (legally or not) hope to join a fraternity of American success.

Specifically, I want to argue in favor of amnesty for the illegals who came and established good and honest lives in this nation. I strongly believe that any good answer to the question of how to deal with illegal immigrants living in the US requires an opportunity for all peaceful, hard-working aliens to earn their citizenship. That's right. Redemption.

Yes, they cheated the law when they overstayed their visas or swam across a river at night, but I think that every one should have the chance to earn citizenship--without returning to their country of origin. Their diligence, and their perseverance is a testament of model citizenship. Sure, feel free to deport those who are lazy, abusive, or drunkards. But America is honored by the presence of so those who come and behave honorably. They are an asset, a positive attribute, and they are integral to this nation.

How long can you prosecute a past sin? I cheated once in high school, but does that mean that I should be stripped of my bachelor's degree? At some point we must forgive the trespass of long ago in light of the accomplishment of more recent times. It's always easy to forgive somebody unless there's reason he needs forgiveness.

I believe that it is appropriate for the US to welcome talented and accomplished individuals into the fold. I also believe that it's appropriate to welcome the hard working who have made this nation their home.

Fareed Zakaria wrote an article in Newsweek in 2006 discussing immigration (To Become an American, April 2006), and I think he hit the nail on the head. The further we push immigrants from mainstream society, the more likely we are to see a backlash. Push far enough, and it could turn violent. For years, Europe marginalized their immigrants at every opportunity, and they created an angry, downtrodden segment of their population as a result. Why on Earth would we be so foolish as to emulate such a proven loser?

Boards

2007-06-09T17:17:00.000-05:00

National boards. They're finally done, and I'm very happy with my performance-- I took the whole test.

For the first time in two years, I legitimately feel like I can relax on the weekends. I sat down and read part of a book today. ... because I wanted to.

whoa nelly, that's some wind

2007-06-03T15:08:00.000-05:00

Some little squall came up out of the tropics and gave us a good pounding last night. As with every storm that's hit us lately, I was a little worried about the boat--and for good reason. The winds were coming from the north all night. Winds out of the north leave all the boats relatively unprotected.

I got a call from my friend, Will this afternoon. "Josh, I think I see your boat in a marsh. If you need a tug, we can get my boat and pull it out tomorrow."

"Not again," I thought as I found my keys and walked out the door.

Amber came too, and we drove down to survey the damage. On the way there, we saw Palms broken in half and tree limbs littered the road. Surveying from the James Island connector, we saw several boats washed up high on the southern shore, but mine wasn't one of them. There were big boats and small boats alike pushed up into the grass and trees. But my prodigal boat stayed true: it was bobbing in the current just like it should. We turned around to get another look at the damage. There was a boat that looked just like mine, and it was sitting way out in the marsh. That must have been some tide last night. I hope they've got a good shovel.

Pictures to come later.

google me

2007-05-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

I find it fascinating to learn how people wander into my blog. As it turns out, my blog is the top google search return for the phrase: "crying bridesmaid"

I'll add that to the resume.

Hey Mom, look at that cool...

2007-05-22T15:54:00.001-05:00

I drove the motorcycle to Chic-Fil-A today for lunch. There's nothing like a little peanut oil and waffle fries to clog up the heart pipes.

As usual, the place was full of young mothers and their preschool children. The indoor play area looked like a demented (and crowded) zoo exhibit. The kids were everywhere doing whatever kids in demented zoo exhibits do.

As I finished with lunch, I saw a Rolls Royce pull up next to my motorcycle. I looked it up and down, side to side, while trying not to obviously gawk.

It was time to go, so I threw my stuff away and made for the bike.

A kid--he couldn't have been much over 4-- and his mom was standing on the sidewalk staring at the parked vehicles. I thought, "that's a cool Rolls, isn't it?"

But the kid says, "look at the cool motorcycle."

Dumbfounded, I said hello. My cheap, little engine, bottom of the line, almost get laughed at by dudes on Harleys motorcycle looked like the coolest thing in the world to that kid (and his mom encouraged it). Nevermind that goofy looking $100,000+ car one parked one spot farther.

Well, I did buy a new back tire the other day, and it is pretty cool I guess. I just didn't know it was that cool.

Wufoo

2007-05-22T14:38:00.000-05:00

I found a cool tool that's free to use, and I wanted to share it. Wufoo.com makes online forms. Amber and I are using it for the RSVP part of the website. I don't know what you'd want to use if for, but I think it deserves some props.

A Little People

2007-05-17T13:31:00.000-05:00

Normally, I would probably elaborate on the smoke from the inland wildfires that has blanketed Charleston. Or maybe I would poke fun at the way Dr. B says "hypothalamus with his heavy French accent" but I haven't the heart.

It's rare that I watch something on a television screen and dream of being a part of what I see. I don't see how anybody can watch Top Gun without imagining that they were the ones catapulting off the deck of an aircraft carrier.

But today I watched this video-- so compelling that I actually felt sick to my stomach and had a burning desire to be a part of the action--as a shield.

Most disconcerting of all is not that there were 8 or 9 men ready to stone her, but that there was none good enough to save her.

Iraq is a nation of little people. Is there anything there worth the lives of our brothers? Iraq hasn't changed since WWI (the setting of Lawrence of Arabia). They fight between themselves. They kill their children. They cannot be saved from themselves.

"...so long will they be a little people, a silly people - greedy, barbarous, and cruel, as you are." -T.E. Lawrence, in the film Lawrence of Arabia

And "little people" they will remain.

Wedding Vows

2007-05-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

Amber and I have been working on our wedding vows off and on for the past few days. To be honest, I've never really paid attention to wedding vows in the past. I suppose there are several reasons.

Usually, it's during the vows that bridesmaids ruin their makeup with reminiscent tears and picture-ruining sniffles. I've always found this fascinating, and it's certainly more interesting than listening to some folks jabber about love and some other boring stuff.

Vows are also the part of a wedding ceremony where I become intrigued by the decorations. My mind wanders. "Is that candle behind the crying bridesmaid crooked?" and "I wonder if there will be those wierd powered sugar coated wedding cookies at reception.." an on and on.

It's even more difficult to find entertainment when you are part of the wedding party. There's not really a lot of freedom to look around so options for entertainment become more limited. I've tried to count sweat droplets on the preacher's head once or twice. "26? Is he nervous, or is he just hot? I'm hot. Does talking really make you sweat that much? Surely holding a bible and talking isn't that much work, is it? Maybe the preacherman is out of shape." My mind continues to wander, "Is that bug over there going to make it into the pictures?" "What about the sweat droplets?" Outdoor weddings are even more interesting: "I hope those geese don't get any closer."

But as much as I ignore those vows in other weddings, I see vows as the most serious part of my upcoming event.

Now, I generally try not to promise very much. You know, make little goals that are easy to accomplish. Weddings, by their nature, work exactly the opposite to my usual ways. We promise a lot in the beginning and try hard not to dissapoint.

And these wedding vows involve big promises. You know, things about my whole life, and love, and sacrifice n' stuff. I don't really like sacrifice. Neither does she, for that matter.

We started writing our vows a few days ago, and decided to avoid traditional vows, but we also wanted to avoid surprises. For instance, what if she decided to make bigger and better promises than me? That could cause a problem... at least that's what she said.

So we worked on them together, and the negotiations began.

J:"So what do you think of this?"
A:"No way, I'm not doing the dishes every night"
"Yeah, I don't think dishes should be in wedding vows anyways."
"If I'm promising to never leave you, there had better be something about you never looking at another woman again"
"Who says I do?"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Alright, then you're gonna have to cook."
"I'm not cooking every night."
"Of course not, we'll go out every now and then."
:angry stare:
"Ok, then I'll help with the cooking twice a week, and I'll throw in taking out the trash four out of five times."
"What does this have to do with never leaving me?"
"I dunno... why am I promising to lay down my life? That doesn't include laundry, does it?"
"Because, that's what you're supposed to do. And yes it does."
"So does that mean you're going to submit?"
"As long as you're doing what God says."
"Who gets to be the judge of that?"
"OK, I"ll submit"
"I get to be the boss"
"That's not what that's supposed to mean."

I guess "romance" isn't really my thing.

website

2007-05-11T11:57:00.000-05:00

Amber's mom and friend came down last weekend to go dress shopping. She found one pretty quickly. I'm glad. Three solid weeks of exams have ended. I'm thrilled.

Invitations have been sent. Our website is up. We're curious to see how the online RSVP stuff works out. We sent out invitations earlier this week, and the responses have been trickling in. I was concerned that the older folks would boycott an online RSVP, but it's been a pretty even split so far.

Next up... writing vows.

Quality entertainment

2007-05-10T14:35:00.000-05:00

It's pretty easy to tell when a Murphy has had a good day. He'll brag about the great deal he got on... well, most anything. My brothers have written (blogged) extensively on their triumphs over the man. They get free playstations, ski trips, and airmiles.

I also collected on the airmiles and a ski trip or two, but it was at the urging of my superiorly cheap brothers.

But today, I stake my claim as the best and most successful of the Murphy-cheaps. I've discovered a new way to rent movies... cheap.

The Bi-Lo in Town Center, Mt Pleasant has a movie vending machine, and for $1.49, Amber and I rented "The Last King of Scotland" last night. No joke. Pick a movie, swipe credit card, take movie, and return it in a little slot one day later.

Blockbuster is goin' down.

Health fair

2007-05-03T09:57:00.000-05:00

It looks like there's some kind of health fair going on outside the student center. I think I might get my blood pressure checked when the line goes down.

If it's not off the charts, then I'm not working hard enough.

Update: I must be lazy. 116/67

How to get out of wedding planning:

2007-05-01T18:31:00.000-05:00

Feign incompetence. Ok, well I tried...

Wedding planning is tons of work. It mostly involves aesthetics and people's feelings--two areas where I am wholly incompetent.

I hear it's also important to pay attention to details. Amber and I were making invitations this weekend, and I decided to try helping. I have a feeling that she'll prefer to take care of things on her own more now... at least that was the plan.

My extra teeth

2007-04-29T18:41:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking about no longer brushing my teeth. Now that I have backups, what use do I have for the originals?

Happy Birthday to Paul

2007-04-25T17:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Paul! In lieu of sending you something you'd like, I took this picture for you on your birthday. Please don't be too disappointed. I'll buy you a big gulp when you get back this summer.

Wish you were here:

Perspective

2007-04-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

from the samoans:

33 have died in the VT massacre.

233 souls died in Iraq in yesterday's bombings alone.

468 people are estimated to have died in Darfur yesterday from malnutrition and violence.

I don't think I'll wear those Hokie colors tomorrow afterall.

My mouth is numb

2007-04-18T18:23:00.000-05:00

I've had an interesting day, and I thought I'd share it.

After the usual series of Wednesday morning classes, we had a lunch lecture (which I skipped), and I was scheduled for the dreaded first anesthesia clinic.

I don't really have many fears about using the techniques and methods that I've spent the last 2 and a half years learning. Instead, I have fears about having some other goober use them on me. The only thing worse than getting a shot at the dentist is getting a shot from a dentist who has never given one before.

And that's why I was dreading the anesthesia clinic today--because I was scheduled to receive injections from another student. Rumors have been swirling all semester about the horror stories from years past.

We had a brief little talk from our friendly oral surgeon that included things like this: "push it in unil you hit the bone... then back off a little." And "aspirate (suck with a needle) a little bit to make sure you're not injecting into an artery.

We were then released to our little cubicles to poke each other with needles attached to carpules of xylocaine--2% actually. Somebody had the foresight to supply us with the stuff without epinephrine (so the numbness went away sooner).

Despite my fears of the worst, things went nicely. The injections I recieved went fairly well, and it only hurt a little.

The first injection I gave went smoothly. The second, well.. it went almost as smoothly. She still got numb.

And on that note---so am I, and I really need to stop sucking on my numb cheek.

still...

2007-04-12T22:44:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm still pretty well distracted. But I haven't seen much of Amber this week.

I have a pathology test tomorrow morning. I'm cramming my little brain full of random pathology facts as fast as I can, but some of it really leaves me baffled.

I do wonder...
Why is this dental student memorizing random facts about the glomeruler appearance of "Focal segmental glomerulonephritis" viewed with an electron microscope?

I can imagine the conversation now...
A patient walks in and says, "Hey doc, my tooth is killing me. But while you're taking a look at it, would you mind giving me some advice on the PAS staining characteristics of my membranous glomerulonephritis? I've been dying to know...

Instead of committing this stuff to long term memory, this dentist-to-be might have to refer patients asking about this to a nephrology specialist.

The weekend is almost here.

..like a lily among thorns, is my darling among maidens

2007-04-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since my last post. I was distracted.

The weekend report

2007-03-06T20:14:00.000-05:00

Mom, Dad, and the Round 2 kids came down to Charleston to buy me dinner and go for a sail. I had a blast, and it was cool to all go sailing together. Dad helped me fix the main halyard. Diana lounged on the deck underneath the jib, Austin (despite a few interesting moments) never jumped off the boat, and Mom (as usual) took care of the mundane stuff like driving.

Amber even came along for the ride and appeared as if she was actually having fun on the boat. The last time I saw that was... well--let's just say we got most of our yelling out of our systems last summer. I think she was really scheming and making a list of things to do in order to "offload" my mistress. No--I'm sure that's what she was doing. I distinctly remember hearing, "I'm writing down the stuff we need to do so you can sell the boat."

I know Amber's right, but I also know I'm going to miss that sorry [floosey] of a boat when it's gone. At least my girlfriend is the reliable one, and it's just my boat that seems to run around when I'm not watching. Yup, I think I'll keep the girl and sell the mistress,but not until I've had a chance to go for another spin or two on the latter.

Finally, we topped off the night with dinner at JB's Barbecue. It was as good as usual. I was sad to see that somebody picked all of the gummy worms off the pudding before we got there, but they brought some extra gummy worms out of the kitchen for me.

This weekend was great thanks to the many well-wishers, cookie senders, and bloggers who thought about me. I especially want to thank some very kind cookie suppliers as I've been on a sugar high ever since Saturday.

real or fake?

2007-03-01T21:35:00.000-05:00

It's another night before another test, so the crazy emails are at it again.

Boot Camp

2007-02-28T23:17:00.000-05:00

John, Amber, and I were sitting around watching TV the other night. I said, "boot camp looks like it would be tons of fun if you didn't have to join the army afterwards."

John said I was nuts. He could be right. Then he started jawing about how it's awful to wake up at 5am only to get yelled at and run.

I said, that I might enjoy it.

He said I wouldn't.

I said I thought it'd make a great resort idea. Just imagine. 7 day/6night adventure on Paris Island. "You may not feel relaxed afterwards, but you're guaranteed to look better, run faster, and wake up earlier than when you arrived."

He said I was nuts.

I said it'd be worth a try.

He said he'd pay $20 if I'd wake up at 5am every day for a week and run 2 miles.

I said "deal." After all, $20 is enough for two buffets with sweet tea at JB's.

On second thought, maybe that whole bet can wait an extra day or two because it's late, and I'm gonna be too tired in the morning.

Cleared for landing on runway 24

2007-02-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

After shunning us for Phoenix, AZ a few months ago, Air Tran has decided to bring their airplanes to Charleston beginning in May.

I'm not totally sure what this means for me right now, but there's a chance flying out of Charleston could become reasonable.

smokestacks

2007-02-21T14:20:00.000-05:00

About the only tax increase I can think of that I would support: Cigs taxed $1.

This is about the only time I get excited about politics.