Virtual Nostalgia

Marie gave me permission to share this story with you.

The other day she was using Google Earth to check out her old stomping grounds, East Haven, Connecticut. She showed me the road she lived on, she showed me the beach. She showed me the park and she showed me the marina. She couldn't find the light house, but her cousin assures her it is still there.

Then it dawned on her. She was giving me the same tour her father would take her on of the old neighborhood. Of course, he did the tour from the road. "This is where so-and-so lived. This is where we would do such-and-such." The only difference is that we did it from the comfort of our own home.

So to speak, it was virtually the same tour.

As Jim Stafford sang in the song Wildwood Flower, "Take a trip and never leave the farm."

Marketing?

About a month ago, I went to Wal-Mart (no booing) to look for Ice Melt for the driveway. When I got there, I couldn't find any. It was February! Shouldn't there be Ice Melt at WallyWorld?

I finally found and asked a sales guy where to find the Ice Melt and he said, "Don't stock it anymore. The season's over." Since then we have had ice once and are supposed to get some ice tomorrow too.

Whoops! This is the problem with large multi-national corporations: There is no flexibility in stock. You get what's due for the season based on statistical and business models. Who cares if it snows?

Oh yeah, I do-my street sucks when its icy.

In Memorium--Dan Seals

Marie told me this morning that Dan Seals died, I think she said lymphoma. Seals was a pop singers in the late 70's in the duo "England Dan and John Ford Coley." In the 80's and beyond he was a solo country artist as Dan Seals.

About fifteen years ago or so, Seals played a rodeo in Las Animas, Colorado; about 30 miles from where I lived in Lamar. One of my best friends, Cory Alan Lopez, was wording for the radio station and went out to interview him for the news.

Cory asked: "So, which is better? England Dan or Dan Seals?"

Seals just looked at Cory first in amazement and then with a smile. Dan Seals said, "I have been asked that question a million times, and that's the best way anyone has ever asked."

Sorry, I don't remember the answer.

RIP Dan Seals.
Lopes, give me a shout.

T.O.- Give Him Credit, not a Hard Time

Terrell Owens, the football player commonly known as T.O., is not going to Buffalo for voluntary workouts. (Follow this link for details.) Folks everywhere are complaining that he it's "Just T.O. being T.O" "T.O. not being a team player." Well, I'm comfortable on the T.O. Bashing Bandwagon, but just a minute here. There's a detail in the story that has been underemphasized:

Owens, who was in Washington on Wednesday night to receive an award from the Alzheimer's Association, said he has reached out to Bills quarterback Trent Edwards and that he's anxious to build a good relationship. "We talked shortly after I signed and we exchanged text messages," Owens said. "We're looking forward to the upcoming season."

and later in the same article from ESPN.com

The Alzheimer's Association honored Owens for raising awareness about the fight against the disease, which affects his grandmother, Alice Black, who raised him. On Wednesday, Owens credited his grandmother for the way he plays the game.

"My grandmother has been very, very instrumental in where I am as a person and my determination on the football field," Owens said.

People get on Mr. Owens (yeah, for once I will call him "Mister") for being selfish and a distraction, and this is often true. But this time he should be recognized for his charity work, not his fiery persona. If one of the NFL's golden boys had missed voluntary workouts for a charity function, nothing would be made of it. It's a shame Mr. Owens can't get the credit he deserves when he deserves it.

Our New Used Car

Well, we did it, we got a new car, or a new used car. It's a 2004 Nissan Xterra.




It's nothing fancy, but it has heat, A/C, and no oil leak so we're quite happy with it. And the next time we have to take all four cats to the vet--we can do it in one trip! Marie loves it because it's high enough that she can now see oncoming traffic over the neighbor's fence. Yeah!

Nostalgia and Sadness

In Clarksville, Arkansas, there was a flea market. It was right off of the highway and I remember it well...

Just before starting seminary, my Committee on Preparation for Ministry liason wanted to finally meet my wife. We arranged to meet in Clarksville since it was close to halfway between Fayetteville (where we lived) and North Little Rock (where he lived). We decided to meet in the flea market parking lot and find a restaurant once we got to town.

The place was huge, there was a ton of stuff. Marie even found a couple of Nancy Drew books to take send to her younger neice in Michigan. The chain link fence separating the store from the interstate was used by the local high school kids to put up messages with styrofoam cups in the mesh of the fence.

As I said there was a flea market. All that remains of the flea market is the faded sign that points down the road by a gas station on the main street. It's almost hidden in the mess of signs on that corner.

Now it's Clarksville's biggest Porn Emporium. Nostalgia and sadness--and no, we didn't go in this time.

There's No Crying in Plagerism

The Bravo Cable Network's show "Make Me A Supermodel" has begun another season. This week's episode features the models wearing what appears to be gold body make-up and the weirdest hair styles devised by chimps, or that's what the ad looked like to me. Evidently one of the models begins to weep. Maybe she had a brief fit of self-esteem?

Anyway, one of the judges cries out "There's no crying in modeling." Theft is so unbecoming on a supermodel judges panel.

Friends, let me show you how the line should be delivered as it was in the movie "A League of Their Own." Please, enjoy.