Life is what happens when you make plans

In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away - shing xiong


Last night DKW, her mom and I watched a good movie (Hachi: A Dog's Tale) which starred Richard Gere.  In the movie his character suddenly passed away at the age of 51 and about half of the movie followed the titled dog and others he left behind.  It was definitely a bit of a tear-jerker and got me thinking a bit about life.  I'm currently 57 and if I was to pass away tonight - I' have to admit I've had a good life.  I have a comfortable home and a loving wife.  I'm not rich - but I'm happy most of the time.  My first wife and I were married nearly 30 years and have 5 children literally all over the country.  It was a shock when she died young (age 48) and to be honest I never expected to marry again.    But we never know what life will bring you. and a tad over 3 years after Sue passed away I met DKW and we were married on Oct. 31st, 2009.  Our 3rd anniversary will be happening soon.  To refer back to the quote above - I hope that I still have hundreds - if not thousands - of moments left to take my breath away.   On a not-so-serious note, last weekend was one of those rare ones where my high school, college and pro teams' all won.   SHS beat Lanier High 48-0, MSU beat South Alabama 30-10 and the Oakland Raiders squeaked by Pittsburg 34-31.  MSU has a bye week this weekend, but my other 2 teams have tough games.  SHS plays Provine (Jackson, MS) High and Oakland plays at Denver. On a personal (football) note,  My grandson's (Trey) 8th grade (Clinton, MS) team is 5-0.  They are socring over 40+ points a game and each victory has been by double digits.  Yeah! Everyone Have a great day!

Kinda Glad this week is over

Tuesday (18th), I had a root canal done on an abscessed tooth that was (I was told) also necrotic.  And yes, it was just as painful as it sounds.  I took off work that day and Wednesday, and if we hadn't been short handed at work, I think I would have taken off yesterday too.  But its better now, and after the first of the year my regular dentist will be putting a new crown on the tooth.  The tooth that was worked on is still sensitive to pressure and may be so for 4 or 5 days following the surgery, but that I can easily deal with.
     SHS opens Region play tonight against Lanier High down in Jackson. SHS is heavily favored since Lanier is 0-4 and has been outscored 156-18 through 4 games.  MSU plays at home tomorrow night against the University of South Alabama (out of Mobile).  State is favored by 34 and I think it should probably be more.  This is only the 4th year that the S. Ala. football team has even existed.  So, about 9:30 tomorrow night state should be 4-0 going into a bye-week.  After the bye, they will be on the road to Lexington (on Oct. 6th) to meet the U.K. Wildcats.
After a loss to Miami and an 0-2 start the Raiders are back home in the "Black Hole" but it doesn't get any easier with Big Ben and the Pittsburg Steelers coming to town.
The weather here has been quite pleasant and the current 10 day forecast (thru the 30th) shows no rain, highs in the middle 80's and lows in the low 60's or high 50's.  Nice!  Starting to use the AC less, especially after sunset, when the temps drop below 75.  Autumn is near! Love it.  Might even be able to contemplate putting my mower up for the year come November.
Everyone have a great day!

Short and Sweet

Monday morning.  Raiders play tonight.  Looking back - SHS was spanked - HARD - by West Point 47-22.  Ouch!  Mississippi State got a dominating victory in beating Auburn 28-10 (and should cruise this coming weekend against Troy). 
The temps have dropped here about 10 degrees on the average (middle 80's during the day and 60's or high 50's at night).  That and some of the new television programming kicking off this week actually make it feel like fall might not be that far away.  That being said - grass still grows and I still have to mow.  Although I have cut back some on the acreage I'm tending to.
If Sue (my first wife) hadn't passed away, today would have been our 36th anniversary.  DKW knows I love her - but she also knows that you can't not miss someone that you spent a large chunk of your life with.  In this respect, I feel like I have a charmed life.
Everyone have a great day!

Doctor Who ROCKS!!!

OK!  How odd - you must be thinking - its football season and he's not going there first!  Well, I'll agree that it is different and I will get there, but if the new season of Doctor Who lives up to the promise presented in this past Saturday's episode - its going to be really special.  "Asylum of the Daleks" not only had every incarnation of the Daleks (from the past 50 years) and some tear-jerky moments with Amy and Rory (and the Doc)  but there was a level of excitement and fun I haven't felt since (dare I say it - could be sacrilege) - here goes - the Tom Baker era.  Woo Hoo!  And the next episode (as you can see) is "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship".  Let the FUN continue. I  know that Amy and Rory will be departing as companions sometime this season, and its been hinted that Matt Smith will be departing after either this season or the 50th anniversary season in 2013.  The BBC website has been asking for suggestions as to who should next play the Doctor and been hinting that it may even be a (gasp!) woman.    Along those lines I had a couple of suggestions to throw in.  One being, Hannah Spearritt, who I loved in the show "Primeval" (and also had a part in "Seed of Chucky") and  - to keep it in the Who family -Georgia Moffett.  Ms. Moffett, in addition to having played the Doctor's daughter (during the David Tennant era), is married (as of 12/31/11) to the same Mr. Tennant.  AND (if that wasn't enough) is the daughter of  fifth Time Lord Peter Davidson.  (WOW!)  So, if the Doctor does go transgender - who would you like to see in the role?
OK - FOOTBALL.  SHS got its first win of the year by beating Tupelo 28-0.  Always tough West Point comes to town next week.
Miss. State kicked off its 2012 season with a 56-9 route of Jackson State.  Tough Auburn comes to town next week and is the featured SEC game of the week.  It kicks off at 11 AM local time.  The line thus far favors MSU by 3.  I hope they have it right.
The Raiders kick off their 2012 NFL season on Monday (10th) as the second game of an ESPN double-header.  They are favored by 1 right now.
That'll wrap it up for now.
Everyone have a great day!

Doctor Who & College Football begins................

But before I get to that.  SHS has played two (non-divisional) games (against very good teams) and lost both by almost identical scores of 29-8 (to Noxubee County) and 24-8 (to Madison Central).   What I find interesting is that Starkville (in both) scored with a safety and touchdown with a missed extra point.  Oh well, I do anticipate a victory this week. Go Jackets!
Now, this is game week for MSU, and they are heavily favored against Jackson State.  So heavily favored that most services that publish point spreads aren't giving odds.  Of the few I found that do, State is favored by 35-plus points. Go Dawgs!
College football actually kicks off Thursday night and on ESPN (6 PM central) South Carolina visits Vandy. I'll probably watch a little of this before switching (@ 6:30) to the Texas A&M at Louisiana Tech game.  Texas A&M is a SEC newcomer this year and MSU plays them on November 3rd (we don't play USC or Vandy this year).  Before the smorgasboard of games to choose from on Saturday (beginning at 8 AM with Navy/NotreDame playing in Dublin, Ireland) there are a couple on Friday night.  I'll probably go with watching the N.C. State at Tennessee game (since we play UT on Oct.13th), flipping over to keep up with the Boise St./Michigan St. game and keeping a radio handy to keep up with SHS.  Now - normally I would be thinking about mowing this weekend, but will a heavy chance of rain Thursday, Friday & Saturday (thanks to Hurricane Isaac in the Gulf) - I don't think so.  And here - I have to also give a tip of the hat to my sweetie - DKW- for indulging my football addiction!  (THANKS BABY!!!)
On the non-football front - the new season of Doctor Who starts Saturday night with "Asylum of the Daleks".  I'm a little aggravated that this is an abbreviated 5 week start - with more episodes around the first of the year.  I'm really looking forward the the September 8th episode though.  I think the title is pretty descriptive - "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship".  I can only imagine what my oldest and her son (in Jackson) will have to say while watching this one.  So Cool!

Everyone have a great day!

August 7th! Wow hard to believe its already one week into August.  The NFL preseason has already started and in 10 days (Aug.17th), Starkville High will start its season and after an unexpected trip to the 5A championship game last season (which unfortunately we lost), SHS goes into this season as the odds-on favorite to take home the title.  Most of our starters are returning and our QB is one of the "Dandy Dozen" (top 12 players in the state), and has already committed to MSU - next year.  SO! - come on Football!  Can't wait.
With that, I'm gonna take a trip back and share my "BIG" football memory.  I was not a big guy in high school, but I love the sport and went out for the team.  My freshman year I was the 3rd-string nose guard on the freshman team.  At that time (1969),none of the freshmen were  allowed to play with the varsity (10th-12th) team until the 9th grade (6 game) schedule was completed.  And then only at the coach's invitation. Going into our last game I think I had been in a total of 10-12 plays.  Our last game was with West Point High and with 6 minutes to go in the game we were up 60-0.  The coach looked at me and said "W*** ! Get in there and finish up!"  I was ecstatic.  I was literally the next-to-last player to enter the game.  Just a few play later, the guys on either side of me (As nose-guard I was over the WP center) went out - one with cramps and one with an injury.  The coach had to put the starters back in and for freshmen, these guys were huge.  Both over 6'3" and 250 pounds.  So now - let me set up the moment. West Point (for the most point) was also playing their subs.  They had the ball on their own 25 yard line and there was now less than two minutes left in the game. The QB takes a slightly bobbled snap and tries to turn, with the intent to hand off to his running back.  As he is turning, the hulks on both sides of me bust through the line and hit the QB at the same time.  The ball squirts into the air just as I finally beat the center and get into the backfield.  I snag the ball and cover the last 15 yards into the end zone before anyone on the West Point team realized what had happened.  I crossed the goal line, ball raised in the year, screaming like crazy before I got mugged and nearly crushed by the rest of our defense.  But I didn't care - I scored a touchdown.  It didn't matter that we missed the extra point and the final was 66-0. I scored!.  And by a strange twist of fate, the only pic in our paper (with the game wrap-up) was me crossing the goal with the ball in the air.  "The headline with the pic was "Rare touchdown for a lineman".  But that was it - my moment of glory!   I'm forever after in my alma mater's record book.  GO JACKETS!
Everyone have a great day!

Smile!!! Its Funny!

Ok - this is not original.  A friend sent this to me and I thought I would copy it here and share.  Eveyone Enjoy!

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life Towards 2013 -- Remember:


1. Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggart have written an impressive new book. It's called .... 'Ministers Do More Than Lay People'

2. Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

3. The difference between the Pope and your boss, the Pope only expects you to kiss his ring.

4. My mind works like lightning, one brilliant Flash and it is gone.  (This really strikes close to home.)

5. The only time the world beats a path toYour door is if you're in the bathroom.

6. I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once. The seat folded up, the drink spilled and that ice, well, it really chilled the mood.

7. It used to be only death and taxes, Now, of course, there's shipping and handling, too.

8. A husband is someone who, after taking the trash out, gives the impression that he just cleaned the whole house.

9. My next house will have no kitchen - just vending machines and a large trash can.

10. Definition of a teenager? God's punishment ... for enjoying sex.

Thought for the day: Be who you are and say what you feel ... because those that matter... don't mind ... and those that mind ...don't matter!

And As You Slide Down that Banister of Life You Should Pray That All The Splinters Are Pointed The Other Way...

Everyone have a great day!