Christmas Day 2009...

...is just about over. It was a good day. At left is a sampling of what I consumed today. Prime rib, twice-caked potatoes, and home-canned green beans courtesy of my Aunt E. McArthur's Bakery outdid themselves yet again, coming through for me with this double-layer yellow cake with strawberries and whipped cream. It looked like something my late Mamaw might have made for Christmas dessert, so I chose it from among several worthy dessert candidates. Dinner was pretty much restaurant-quality. My dad cooked an 11-pound prime rib roast that came out perfect! I had a great time visiting with my Matlock relatives. Chili-dog got to meet my aunt and uncle's little beagle; they got along just fine. Later in the evening my parents and I sat near a warm fire and cracked up at "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and "Home Alone" on TV.

Oh, and we got a little wind and snow on Christmas Day. It looked and felt like Christmas Day today. I was satisfied.

Niece Lydia spent Christmas with her mommy and daddy with her mommy's family in mid-Missouri. We celebrated Christmas with her and them on Wednesday night. I gave her a couple of Melissa and Doug puzzles, plus a Just Like Home pretend housecleaning set for her Christmas. She was pleased.

Now I'm listening to Johnny Rabbitt (aka Ron Elz) spin Christmas tunes on KMOX radio while I sort through Christmas pictures and write this post. To paraphrase the song, it's the perfect ending to a perfect day...

Hope Has A Name...

This was my church's theme for our Christmastime sermon series. It was based on Isaiah 9:1-7.

¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan-

² The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.

³ You have enlarged the nation
and increased their joy;
they rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest,
as men rejoice
when dividing the plunder.

⁴ For as in the day of Midian's defeat,
you have shattered
the yoke that burdens them,
the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor.

⁵ Every warrior's boot used in battle
and every garment rolled in blood
will be destined for burning,
will be fuel for the fire.

⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.

Hope truly has a name, folks.

'Twas the Sunday Before Christmas...

and all through my house, well, not much is happening. I can't figure out where the month of December went. Christmas comes this Friday!!

- I started my Christmas shopping yesterday. This was possible because I don't have a long list of people to buy for. Just my mom and niece Lydia needed to be shopped for. (My dad shopped for himself, God bless him.) I finally got a list of ideas for the little tyke last week from her mommy, so off I went. I am the world's worst shopper, so at the end of day yesterday, I had nothing to show for my efforts. I should be awarded a medal of valor or something for my unsuccessful attempt to park at West County Mall. Every available parking space was filled, it seemed, and before long I wanted to scream more than I wanted to shop so I hit the "ABORT!" button and headed home.

- Covered a Saturday night shift at work last night. I think everyone should have the privilege of moving computers and phones after 10:00 p.m., at least once. There were no problems getting the Sunday editions of the P-D to press, thankfully.

- Finished my Christmas shopping today after lunch. My first stop, at a far-flung Toys 'R Us, yielded gold in my quest for the perfect toddler gift. My second attempt at parking at West County Mall afterward landed me on the roof of a parking garage. I got to use an escalator that I never noticed before. Maybe because I'd never had need to park on the roof before.

- Hurried home to walk the dog in the fading twilight of the day. Dog's first order of business was to sniff me, my pockets, and my purchases. She loves to use that sniffer of hers to try and figure out where I've been and who I've been with.

- God bless my friend R. for bringing a variety tray of home-baked cookies to share after our lunch with a couple other friends at Five Guys Burgers and Fries after church today. They were really delicious. Friends that can bake are really nice to have. Especially at Christmas time.

A Good Attitude...

is what St. Louis Rams rookie quarterback Keith Null has. Most definitely. He was drafted in the 6th round out of a Division-II school and relegated to third-QB status thus far. Injuries to both the Rams' QBs forced him into action against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville last Sunday. Null didn't have the best of days, throwing 5 interceptions but he did notch his first career touchdown pass. In a story on the Rams website, he explains:

“I am going to go out and play with confidence no matter what happens each week, Null said. “You can see watching the game I threw a pick, threw another pick, threw another one, I was still coming out and slinging it around. I didn’t let that stop me. I am going to go out with the confidence in the ability God has given me and that’s what my confidence is in anyway so I am not going to doubt that...I would love to get out and play again. The more experience I can get, the better.”

what a great perspective! I'm going to keep an eye on this kid...

A Rare Trifecta...

just completed a rare trifecta of seeing live performances three nights in a row -

Started off Thursday night at my church with a friend to catch opening night of a Christmas dessert theatre. Our new worship pastor and his wife have a background in the dramatic arts and decided to put on a weekend of shows as a means of outreach. The show went off without a hitch and my friend and I enjoyed it.

Friday night I caught opening night of the Ambassadors of Harmony's Christmas show. AOH is still basking in the glow of their international championship win back in July. This weekend of Christmas shows is surely their most ambitious yet. Friday night's performance was professionally filmed for DVD and Saturday night's would be webcast over the internet for a worldwide audience. Their singing was up to their usual high standards but this year they added theatrical elements that added up to a fair amount of bloat. The show ran until 10:45 pm, which was about 45 minutes too long, in this blogger's opinion.

Tonight I drove down to Festus to see my dad's church choir perform their Christmas program. The choir sang well and their message was powerful. Of course, my parents just happened to be keeping niece Lydia this weekend so I arrived at their house a bit early to see her. She was in a persnickety mood this time, but still as cute as ever. Did not like having to drive back in a rain storm, but in every life a little rain must fall, I hear.

.............

On an urelated note, I was sad to learn of the untimely death of Rev. Terry Eades on Tuesday at the age of 56. His health had declined in recent years but I had no idea how much. Bro. Terry was on staff at my church in Festus (where I was tonight) when my family started attending there in the mid-80s. He served as worship minister, youth minister, and associate pastor while he was there. I was in junior high while he was youth minister and I remember he logged many miles in a decrepit brown van ferrying our youth group to fellowships and other places. By 1990 he'd completed seminary and was called to Scott City, MO to pastor the Baptist church there. He was a man of great faith and an excellent preacher. "When they arrive at the gates of death, God welcomes those who love him." (Psalm 116:15, The Message)...I'm pretty sure Bro. Terry got a really warm welcome.

Ever Try To Make A Dog Smile On Command?...

it's akin to herding cats - some of Chili's outtakes from a Christmas card photo session last Saturday:

Ticket Tracker: The Swell Season @The Pageant, 12/4/09

What to do when it's cold outside and there are leaves to be raked? Oh yeah, delay by writing a concert review.

Last evening I caught a show by The Swell Season at The Pageant concert club in the Delmar Loop area of St. Louis. The Swell Season is a band led by gregarious Irishman Glenn Hansard. He also has fronted a band called The Frames in his native land for almost 20 years. In 2007, Hansard starred in a movie called "Once" with a young singer/songwriter from the Czech Republic named Markéta Irglová. The duo collaborated on a beautiful song in the film called "Falling Slowly" that won the 2008 Academy Award for best song. Hansard and Irglová formed The Swell Season with members of The Frames soon after that win. I missed them when they came to town last year and didn't want to miss them this time around. This was the penultimate show on a tour in support of their new album, "Strict Joy."

Hansard and Irglova entered the stage alone to perform two songs from the "Once" soundtrack, then the rest of the band joined them. What followed was over two hours of great playing and singing. Hansard is a friendly, engaging singer who stopped often to talk about his songs and how they were written. Irglová also took a couple of solo turns to show off her songs. Hansard's band The Frames was more than capable in backing the singers, showing off incredible musicianship in their playing. I particularly enjoyed the many moments when the crowd became impromptu backup vocalists at Hansard's urging.

Singer/songwriter Rachael Yamagata warmed up the crowd with a 45-minute set of her songs. She and her guitarist friend did a great job and were invited back to the stage during The Swell Season's set to play a couple more songs.

It was a really enjoyable night. I only wish Highway 40 could have opened a few days early so I would have had an easier ride home. Monday, Monday!

And if you've never seen "Once," you really need to. Seriously.

Turkey Day 2009

Here's a short recap of Matlock Thanksgiving Day 2009!



could not do a narration due to a defective microphone, so here's some captioning:

1) Niece Lydia helping Grandma set the table
2) Me, my brother, sis-in-law, and niece Lydia at the dinner table
3) The acorn squash with a gourmet cheese sauce that my sis-in-law made that I didn't try.
4) A girl and her pearls! (borrowed from grandma!)
5) Niece Lydia was nice enough to bring us some drinks - quite a strong kid she is!
6) The family (thanks, Aunt E for taking the picture!)
7) Chili-dog on constant alert for any dropped food particles
8) The AWESOME devils food bundt cake with buttercream icing that my mom made
9) My cousin Stephen celebrating his birthday with a sweet DQ ice cream cake!
10) Niece Lydia feeding Chili-dog some applesauce from her little spoon
11) BYE!!

Thankfulness...

On this Thanksgiving, I am thankful for so many things, I could go on for days. Couldn't we all, if we really tried? Beyond the obvious faith, family, and friends, I am especially thankful for:

my niece Lydia
my dog Chili
my job, which pays me enough to keep a roof over our heads
my car, which a mechanic recently complimented on its running condition
health insurance, which is there even though I'm pretty healthy
music
the beauty of the earth
the glory of the skies

-- AND --

that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8) and for the Rev. Mike Goodwin, who seared that verse forever in my consciousness in a powerful sermon way back in 1994.

Today, I will celebrate the holiday with a small gathering at my parents' house.

Guess I'd better figure out what I'm wearing.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

OH, OH, OH. I almost forgot -

Thanks also to all of you who take the time to read my blog. I truly appreciate your interest.

Seriously.

Well, It's Sunday Night...

- attended my first-ever "baby brunch" yesterday....some dear old friends from my old Monday-night bible study became parents a couple of months ago. The brunch was held to show off their son to some of us who'd not had the chance to see him yet. I gifted the little tyke with a "board book" copy of "Go Dog Go" by the illustrious P.D. Eastman. That was a favorite book of mine when I was small. I was one of the few men in attendance, though.

- Raked another 14 bags o' leaves yesterday. The Mizzou Tigers kept me company on the radio as they defeated the Cyclones of Iowa State, 34-24. At 7-4 Mizzou HAS to go to a bowl game. The only question is where they will end up. It will help immensely if they can take out KU next Saturday. KU coach El Blimpo Mark Mangino is in a really bad place lately, career-wise and it hasn't helped that his football team is on a 5 or 6-game losing streak. All bets are off when it comes to MU-KU, though. I still remember all those Todd Reesing - Kerry Meyer connections that were made in last year's game to beat Mizzou.

- decided at the last minute last evening to drive up to the TouPAC to catch George Jones in concert. The Possum, or "No Show", as he has been sometimes been called during his 50-year career, is one of those artists that everyone should see live before they die. Alas, he was not in the greatest of voice last night. He was fighting a cold, or allergies, and sang like he had a mouthful of cotton balls all night. I enjoyed hearing his hits, regardless. The songs are all pure country gold and his crack band provided expert backup for them. He brought someone named Brittany Allyn along to sing the part of Tammy Wynette for some of their famous duets.

- Christmastime's a bloomin' everywhere today, from my church to my local Dierbergs market. Can't we at least wait until after Thanksgiving, folks? Just sayin'...

- Random observation: I really like Camera Obscura's cover of Springsteen's "Tougher Than The Rest." The girl singer delivers the lyrics in a delicious Scottish brogue and it just works.

Rainy and Gloomy...YAY!!!!!!

YAY for rainy day Mondays! it was such a pleasure to start a week off with rain, clouds and gloom! YAY!

...........

Okay, now that that's out of the way.

- had a peaceful weekend. I have no place to put any more leaf bags since my garage is filled, at the moment. SOOOO, I just wrangled them into submission with my evil Leaf Blower O' Doom®. I have a nice large pile of leaves that vaguely resembles a dog bone.

- took a couple of late-afternoon hours on Saturday to ride Grant's Trail one last time. did 14 miles, roughly. my legs really felt it, too.

-on the subject of football, ol' Mizzou really asserted itself against K-State on Saturday. They won the psychological battle early, stuffing K-State's run and refusing to let them impose their will on them. The Tiger offense came alive in a big way and put the game out of reach by the third quarter. Would like them to beat Iowa State on Saturday to get to 7-4, and thus a higher quality lower-tier bowl. The KU game will be a toss-up, I think. Since Mizzou beat K-State, which earlier beat KU, then it follows we should beat KU, but after last year's game/debacle, anything's possible.

- Those plucky Rams durn near knocked off the mighty Saints yesterday. The Saints were playing giveaway with the football and were soft on their run defense all day. The Rams were in it until the very end, but they reverted to form at the end, missing a last-second "hail mary" pass that wouldn't have counted anyway due to a yet another holding penalty called on Alex Barron that would have ended the game. Oh, and yeah, the Rams lost yet another player to a catastrophic knee injury. Oh, and yeah, they totally mis-managed the two-minute drill at the end, but it's not like they've had much practice using it this year. They play hard and don't give in. They just don't have enough playmakers to win consistently yet.

- Is it me or are those "Jimmy Football" Budweiser commercials REALLY REALLY ANNOYING? I see the obvious reference to the late Billy Mays, but it's still annoying. And don't get me started on those Progressive Insurance commercials... : )

- yet another reason why I gladly support FM88.1 KDHX community radio - heard a great song on Cat Pick's program today by a British group called The Clientele. Had never heard of them and now I'm totally checking them out.

Weekend Update...

- yeah, I've probably used that title before once or twice, or three or four times. I couldn't think of anything catchy, though, so there it is.

- Wow, was I a week off on my vacation, or what? It was cloudy, goopy, and raining the week before last, when I was off and last week was gorgeous and sunny the WHOLE WEEK. Can't predict these things, though. I'm over it.

- Indian summer was in full effect this weekend. Sunny skies and temperatures approaching 80 degrees were the rule yesterday and today. I took advantage by raking 20 bags of leaves yesterday. And that was just from my back and side yards. This will occupy my Saturdays for the rest of the month.

- After a one-year hiatus the big BSF square dance returned last night. Over sixty young adults made the trek down winding Little Antire Road in the darkness to Rocking J Ranch. I had a great time seeing old friends and square dancing up a storm.

- The Verizon Wireless How Sweet The Sound national choir competition finals were last night. My dad's choir competed but alas, did not win. A Pentecostal church choir from Atlanta, GA took home the honors. I did not see their performance, but apparently they broke out in tongues, the Pentecostal secret weapon. My dad's church choir did their thing just as well as they did in St. Louis and my mom said the Detroit crowd reacted just as wildly as the St. Louis crowd did. (She attended a Verizon-sponsored watch party at their church.) My poor dad was a real trouper, performing despite being very much under the weather. Still, he said the choir had a generally good experience, all things considered. The P-D's religion writer Tim Townsend wrote about the choir's experience before, during, and after the national finals. Read his story here.

- My cousin J. and her husband welcomed their first child, a boy, into the world last night. He was born at Barnes-Jewish Hospital late last evening. I visited them this afternoon and I must say he is a handsome little guy.

Bang The Drum Slowly...

By now most Americans are inured to the almost-daily casualty reports that come in from the ongoing wars/conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. I admit, I let them flow in one ear and out the other, since they've been going on for so many years now. I don't have any friends or family serving over there so it's sometimes hard to feel a personal involvement.

Until now, that is. My third(?) cousin Spc. Robert Charlton died last week at a hospital in Germany of injuries suffered in a "non-combat-related accident" in Afghanistan. His body is arriving on Thursday in my hometown of Malden, MO. I was surprised to hear this news when talking to my mom Tuesday night. Surprised because I didn't even know he had joined the Army in 2007 and had deployed to Afghanistan in January after being initially stationed in Ft. Drum, NY. He was the grandson of my late grandfather's older brother and I can't remember the last time I saw him face to face or talked to him.

He was just 22 years old.

Man, I gotta keep in better touch with my extended family.

Little Miss Can't Be Wrong...

Ummm, can't you see I'm BUSY??

Okay, ONE picture!

...that's what her expressions seem to be saying. Her, of course is niece Lydia--22 months old in a few days. She was staying with grandma and grandpa for a couple days last week and I spent most of Friday afternoon and evening with her and them. She's wearing headphones and a pink bow in her hair while holding her 'blankie' in her arms with a half-eaten apple and a black ink pen in her hands. She's nothing if not busy (and cute!)

I was able to be there because I took my annual week of October vacation last week. I've started doing that in recent years because I love Fall weather and being out in it. This year the weather did NOT cooperate, with clouds and/or rain making for mostly dreary days. However, I did take it easy, raked leaves in the back yard, did a little shopping, took longer walks with the dog, etc...

(oh, and I picked out some spiffy new eyeglasses, too. After 6 years, I figured it was time. My eye guy gave me a new prescription at my recent annual exam. He swears I'll like it a lot!)

The sky cleared out nicely this weekend, though. Both days this weekend were picture-perfect. I got out and explored a couple of trails at Rockwoods Reservation yesterday. The air was crisp and the sun was bright. So. Nice. Today, the dog and I walked the length of the trail at Jefferson Barracks Park late in the afternoon. We stopped off at Cliff Cave Park on the way home so I could see how high the Mississippi River has gotten since the recent soaking rains have pushed it up over flood stage. It is indeed high.

MU vs. Texas, 'Horns Hooked 'Em!...

Ol' Mizzou had the misfortune of playing the Texas Longhorns for homecoming on Saturday night...the Tigers submitted to a predictable beatdown, losing 41-6. P-D sports writer Vahe Gregorian had a particularly amusing quote in his story for today's paper:

"You've got to give Missouri credit," Texas quarterback Colt McCoy said, though it was unclear why.

Didn't You Just Know That...

- the Rams would somehow find a way to lose to a team that was as bad as they were?

- that the Balloon Boy saga would eventually end up being a hoax?

- that the sun would eventually re-appear, after a week of gloomy clouds?

Fall In Full Bloom...

Hope you'll enjoy these fall-ing trees from today's walk around Sylvan Springs Park....I'm so blessed to live so close to such great parks!

Hey, It (was) The Sun!!!...

- That big and blinding orange circle in the sky finally re-appeared this morning after taking the week off. It played peek-a-boo with the clouds most of the day, but I was happy to see it nonetheless.

- I took another hike this afternoon. This time the dog and I hiked the Al Foster trail (PDF) from the Glencoe trailhead. It's close enough to be easily accessible but far enough out that you feel unplugged from civilization--very quiet and serene, never crowded. Didn't make it all the way to Sherman Beach, though. Discovered a new asphalt feeder trail under construction. It branches off north from the main trail and heads through a quiet stretch of woods. The leaves on the trees were ablaze with fiery yellows and oranges. If there'd been any sun shining through it would have made for a spectacular light show. I checked it out for a while then headed back to the main trail. After I got home, I discovered that I was hiking on the Rock Hollow Trail--it's part of the larger Meramec Greenway, which itself is part of the Great Rivers Greenway District. I'll likely be back there soon.

(interesting fact about Rock Hollow - it's being built over an abandoned stretch of road once known as Lawler Ford, aka "Zombie Road." Some folks claim it's been the site of paranormal activity during particularly dark evenings. It's been the stuff of local legend for years.)

- Heard from the parents--they returned from their Maine vacation early this evening. My mom said they had a good week and had only one minor flight delay.

- Stuck on the Saturday night shift again....hate it when I have to cover two in a row, but that's the way the world goes 'round sometimes...sure hope I don't feel eyestrained tomorrow like I did last week.

- The falling leaves drift by my window....and remind me that I will soon be raking leaves every Saturday.

- Ol' Mizzou is getting schooled by Oklahoma State as I write this. They kept it close during the first half but the Cowboys look to be pulling away. Whither Furman and Illinois, Blaine Gabbert?

Nothin' But Gray Skies Do I See...

- Four days and counting since we've seen the sun 'round these parts. Weatherman says no sun until at least Sunday...blah.

- Folks have been Maine-ing all week. I'm told my dad was sailing on his 60th birthday Monday. That really warms the ol' heart to think he was doing something he really loves on such a significant date in his life. And he was with my mom while doing it, so I think it was a good day for him.

- It's tremendously disappointing to watch the DODGERS take on the Phillies in the NLCS. The Cardinals laid a giant egg and got swept out their division series with the boys in blue last week. They never won again after clinching the Central division in Denver and carried a 6-game losing streak into the offseason. I saw it coming a mile away and was not surprised at their postseason failure I felt especially bad for my good friend R. who is a die-hard Cardinals fan.

- Chili-dog suffered her first real health issue since I've owned her, recently. Her right ear got infected with ear mites (or at least, their eggs), The HSMO vet knew just what to do and now doggie's ear is almost healed.

- I could be blogging daily, as my pal Jim B. is doing but I find that I just don't have that much to say. Much of my life is made up of routine, mundane stuff.

- Will be babysitting niece Lydia most Wednesday nights for a while. Her mom and dad are doing a small-group bible study so they've asked me to step in while they step out. I enjoy our time together...she's a neat little girl.

- This time last week, I was: watching the Cardinals lose to the Dodgers, the Mizzou Tigers (eventually!) lose to Nebraska, and the Blues lose to the Thrashers in hockey. When the Rams lost on Sunday, it completed a horrific week for St. Louis sports. None of our local pro teams won a game during the week.

- I've been discovering lots of good music courtesy of my local library branch. It's not just about the books and magazines, folks. They have lots of great CDs of all genres available for loan...it's the ultimate try-before-you-buy experience if you're a music lover like me.

Great Perspective!...

Last night, I caught the tail-end of Jeffery Brown's interview of LA Dodgers baseball broadcaster Vin Scully for the Newshour with Jim Lehrer on PBS. Scully is a sports broadcasting legend and Dodgers institution, having broadcast their games since their Brooklyn days of the 1950's. He could retire any time he wants to but will be in the broadcast booth calling the upcoming playoff series between the Dodgers and Cardinals.

I started watching just as Brown asked Scully about possible retirement plans, as he is 81 years old. Here's that bit of the conversation:

VIN SCULLY: I've told several writers this, and, again, I get back to it, but if you want to make God smile, tell him your plans. And I've always been very, very respectful of that sentence. All I know is, I'm working this year, and God willing, I plan to work next year. Somewhere over that year, my next step will come about. And that's about as all I can determine right now.

JEFFREY BROWN: But you're still enjoying what you're doing?

VIN SCULLY: I love it. And you know how I know I love it? Because when there's a great play on the field and the crowd roars, I still get goose bumps. I'm just like that little kid under the radio.

Read the entire interview here.

Love that perspective! He's one of the all-time greats.

Early Fall....

Wow, what a gorgeous fall weekend we just had! The outside air temperature was just about perfect both Saturday and Sunday. The Dog and I took the opportunity to re-explore the back side of Castlewood State Park via Sherman Beach County Park near the Meramec River. It's a rather remote, isolated area of bottomland forest that is popular with mountain bikers and hikers alike. I'd last been out there in 2004, I think. It was an enjoyable few hours for me and I think The Dog liked it too. I gave her a good scrubbing after we got back home, to get rid of excess mud and any bugs that hung on for the ride home.

Speaking of The Dog, her right ear is suddenly having issues. Constantly dirty and causing her to shake her head at random. She'll see an HSMO vet on Wednesday...

I've been limping along with my spare pair of glasses for the past couple of weeks. My usual pair suffered a broken right temple and had to go in for repair. This has happened twice before (over six years) and usually it's a week's worth of inconvenience but this time they went missing for a few days so I've had to endure a while longer. Thankfully, they arrived at the repair lab today and will get fixed quickly, I hope.

The way the Cardinals limped to the finish line the past couple of weeks, I don't like their chances against the Dodgers. They either got bored and went into cruise control after running away with the division or are just plain tired...I hope they've just been waiting for the postseason to roll around to turn it up again.

Niece Lydia has started calling me 'ya-ya' or -yuh-yuh' lately. At least she knows who I am...I've been fortunate to have had the past couple of Tuesdays off so i could accompany her on her outings with my mom and dad when they kept her on those days so I think that has helped.

I finally was able to pick up a copy of "In The President's Secret Service," by Ronald Kessler. (At Borders yesterday, 20% off PLUS $5 in Borders Bucks, thank you very much!) Its first printing sold out quickly so it's been unavailable until recently. The book is basically a behind-the-scenes look at the Secret Service as told by former agents who have protected former Presidents. I just started it last night and it looks to be a very fascinating read.

Happy Birthday!!!!!!!....

...to my pal Jim Barnard (pictured above, in front of his lovely wife Alisha)!!! He was surprised with a birthday bash at a local Chick-Fil-A tonight. I was in attendance along with other family and friends. He's a pretty swell guy, for a Packers fan! : )

Jim produced an awesome movie to recap the events of the evening. View it via his blog here: good o'72 (something very cool happens at the 3:45 mark!)

Some Pictures My Phone's Camera Took...

Peggy wants to make something VERY clear!
taken at Record Exchange....

doggie in the doorway!
taken at home...

must hide doggie on this day!
taken at work...

pasta sauce, anyone?
taken at work...

the road ahead
taken during Chili-dog's Friday evening walk...

Who Knew?...

...that you can use a Q-Tip to clean doggie ears, too??? Chili-dog got to shaking her head and pawing at her ears last night so I knew it was time to clean them. I bought a jar of ear-cleaning pads (which smell suspiciously like those Oxy-Clean pads teens use to obliterate their acne) from Petsmart this afternoon and they did a great job. I got the idea to try a Q-Tip or two to hit the crannies and crevices of her ears and they worked like a charm!

Further Proof...

The OFFICIAL video:

How Sweet The Sound St. Louis Regional Winner

Proof....

of what went down last night:



just a short clip, but you get the picture....

if you're on Facebook, I can provide you a complete performance video that someone posted there.

and it should be noted for the record that this style of performing is not the norm for that church. They worked up this number for competition purposes.

Speechless...

did the emcee at the How Sweet The Sound event at Scottrade Center tonight really announce that Faith Baptist Church's Celebration Choir won the large church choir division? And did that same choir really win the award for best overall choir of the entire competition? And did that same choir really win the people's choice award, voted via text message? This is my parents' church choir, a conservative Southern Baptist church choir from Festus, MO. Competing in a field of mostly black gospel choirs, no less.

Yeah, it really happened that way. The roof at Scottrade Center was raised a few feet tonight due to the massive amount of praise lifted to God tonight. The atmosphere was positively electric all night long. Black gospel music was in full, full effect and it was beyond uplifting.

I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my four eyes. My dad's (all-Caucasian) church choir really took home the gold tonight. God did a miracle right before my very shocked eyes. Just speechless am I tonight. They were the very last choir to perform and when they launched slowly into Andrae Crouch's classic anthem, "Soon And Very Soon," something came over the crowd. That song is practically the black gospel music national anthem, after all! As the song developed into a faster rhythmic tempo, something akin to a moving of the Spirit took over. Director Michael Nickelson ripped off his tailed-tuxedo jacket and the crowd went wild. The choir fed off the crowd and just went for broke. The arrangement of the song included the rarely-performed verses of the song, which moved one of the judges to his feet in appreciation. The audience ate it up and just went wild when the song was done.

I knew they'd done well and would have been pleased if their night ended right there. But then the awards were handed out at the end of the show. When the emcee announced their win of the people's choice award, I really wasn't too surprised. The audience really loved them. But then they were announced as the best large church choir winner for the St. Louis region. And then they were announced as the overall winner of the competition.

And I stood there next to my mom, with my mouth hanging open. I couldn't believe what I had just witnessed. Every choir there was outstanding. I've always had a great appreciation for the African-American style of praise singing. My hat is off to the choir for turning in a grand whopper of a performance tonight. Mom and I made our way over the dasher boards to hug my dad afterward And by the way, I'm really, really proud of him right now.

The best part is, God was praised. Loudly and continually throughout the evening. The performing choirs did nothing of their own volition, but all were Spirit-inspired and their praises were directed upwards.

They now will head to Detroit's Joe Louis Arena for the national competition in November.

And I can't believe I just wrote that.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that each choir director was brought, American Idol-style before the 3 judges to have their performance critiqued. This made me very nervous at first, until I saw that the judges only said positive things about each choir.

To The Couple...

...who found my cell phone somewhere in the grassy expanse of Forest Park yesterday, you have my most extreme gratitude and thanks for finding it and calling to inform me that you had it.

Chili and I drove up to Forest Park for the annual Great Forest Park Balloon Race yesterday afternoon. The sky was cloudy and generally overcast so my pictures weren't that great, but I enjoyed seeing the balloons nonetheless. Chili's behavior was disappointing, sadly. The lingering scents of the 1,000,000 dogs that have ever visited Forest Park really did a number on her. She was a jumpy and leash-pulling dog the whole time we were there. Several dogs caused her to lunge and bark, which was embarrassing to her owner.

(side note: I am participating in an owner-only "Dogs With Issues" class at HSMO as a prelude to a Reactive Dog class for Chili. She often reacts violently to other dogs that we encounter on our walks and it's getting to be too much.) I also hope we can address the awful noise she makes when we ride in the car together. It's anxiety-related, I think. Weims can have anxiety issues.)

When I packed up my bag and camping chair to leave, somehow my cell phone left my person and hit the ground somewhere. Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until I had already started the hike back to my car. I frantically returned to the area where I had been but had no luck finding it in the grass or in my backpack. I resignedly resumed the mile-plus hike back to my car. The periodic sprinkles of rain didn't do much to help my mood. When Chili and I finally made it back to my car, she was hot and tired and thirsty and I was hot, tired, thirsty, and really bummed out. I drove home in a steady rain, hoping and praying that the message light on my home phone would be blinking when I got home. (blinking with a message from someone who found my phone, that is.) To my great relief, it was. Some nice folks had found my phone and had it in their possession. They didn't live too far from me so I drove over and picked it up.

Never in 12 years of cell-phoning have I had that happen to me. I've heard horror stories from other people who've lost phones but didn't think about ever having that problem. You don't realize how much you miss it until you suddenly don't have it (much like Cardinals closer Ryan Franklin's recent control issues.) I was just sick when I realized the gravity of the situation and just as relieved when all's well that ended well. I will back up my contacts ASAP and keep a much better grip on my phone in the future.

............

before that happened, I had contemplated a trip up to the Touhill to catch jazz legend Sonny Rollins in concert. Rollins was on the scene during the golden age of jazz music in the 1950s and 1960s. He is still, at age 79, 'essential,' as Post-Dispatch jazz aficionado Calvin Wilson put it. Alas, I was mentally and physically spent from my afternoon ordeal so I just crashed for the rest of the evening.

Labor(ious) Day 2009...

Happy Labor Day, folks....hope yours was whatever you wanted it to be!

I labored a bit on Labor Day. It started with me cutting the grass and just ended with a bit of home repair. The metal door guide that the sliding closet doors slide in in my office room came out of the doorframe and I had to re-anchor it into the plaster. Thank goodness Home Depot is nearby and open on Labor Day. I dare say I broke a sweat trying to wrangle the doors back into the guide.

In between those jobs, I spent the day in Festus. My parents cooked up lunch for my me, my bro/sis-in-law/adorable 20-month old niece Lydia, and my visiting cousin J from Malden. Of course, Chili had a happy day just being her doggie self with all of us. The above picture shows her happily en route to Festus in the back seat of my car.

On a side note, I picked up a great new book on Saturday. Grant Wahl's The Beckham Experiment tells the fascinating behind-the-scenes story of soccer player David Beckham's grand entrance into the American soccer scene back in 2007. Oh, my, an obscene amount of money changed hands to get him here. Oh, my.

A Bit Of Fall...

Since the weather has been decidedly fall-like lately, I picked up this "fall flower hanging planter" at my local Home Depot yesterday. It hangs from the lamp post in my front yard.

New Necklace....

Chili's Christmas-gift collar from Earthdog finally wore out so I ordered another and it came in the mail today! This is the "Kody II" design, made of 100% natural hemp fiber. I think it looks pretty fancy on her. She seems to approve.

I ordered it on Wednesday night and it still arrived quicker than the replacement shoe laces I ordered from Clarks two weeks ago! Bleh...

beautiful August weather we're having, eh? I took the afternoon to wash windows. I'm going out now to walk Chili.

Bruised Orange...

love these lyrics...

Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow)
(John Prine) ©1978 Big Ears Music, Inc/Bruised Orange

My heart's in the ice house come hill or come valley
Like a long ago Sunday when I walked through the alley
On a cold winter's morning to a church house
just to shovel some snow.

I heard sirens on the train track howl naked gettin' nuder,
An altar boy's been hit by a local commuter
just from walking with his back turned
to the train that was coming so slow.

You can gaze out the window get mad and get madder,
throw your hands in the air, say "What does it matter?"
but it don't do no good to get angry,
so help me I know

For a heart stained in anger grows weak and grows bitter.
You become your own prisoner as you watch yourself sit there
wrapped up in a trap of your very own
chain of sorrow.

I been brought down to zero, pulled out and put back there.
I sat on a park bench, kissed the girl with the black hair
and my head shouted down to my heart
"You better look out below!"

Hey, it ain't such a long drop don't stammer don't stutter
from the diamonds in the sidewalk to the dirt in the gutter
and you carry those bruises
to remind you wherever you go.

Best Part Of...

...a quick trip to the parents' house for some tech support--they pay you in warm peanut butter cookies and milk.

Yum.

That D.D.S. guy...

Confession: I don't like going to the dentist.

Now, I know that hardly anyone ENJOYS visiting the dentist, but I REALLY don't like it. Never have. Probably started after a tooth-extraction experience when I was just a lad. I literally have to pray a silly little prayer for calm and courage before I get out of my car to go in, even just to get my teeth cleaned.

Today, however, something was different. I had a definite confidence that I didn't usually have. Perhaps it was due to my renewed focus on flossing, these past 6 months. My teeth cleaning was about as routine as it could be. A little gratuitous scraping with a sharp object, a little polish, a little floss. No cavities, see you in six months!

Wait, that was too easy. Something's up.

Well, maybe not. But I made my next cleaning appointment and hit the interstate quick before they could call me back.

I do think that it is great that my dental insurance covers these cleanings 100% No charge to me. That's awesome.

Really, What Could Be Cuter...

....than a toddler ecstatically hugging a stuffed polar bear?

I had previously scheduled a vacation day for today so I decided to accompany my mom and dad on their usual Tuesday babysitting gig with Lydia. Today's adventure was a trip to the St. Louis Science Center. This photo was taken in the SLSC Discovery Room. Most of the stuff there was over her little head but she had a grand time, nonetheless.

Two Years Ago Today...

I sprung this dog from her holding cage at HSMO. I ask her often if she knows how good she has it. Something tells me she understands.

All I Want Is...

a couple days off. Just like Huey Lewis and the News sang back in 1991 or so.

...taking a little breather from work action to end the week. I covered a vacationing co-worker's Sunday - Thursday shift this week and I had a scheduled vacation day today so that plus tomorrow off equals a four-day weekend. (yeah, that means I only worked Sunday-Wednesday.)

I managed to pull a muscle behind my right leg while I was asleep Monday night. It really, really ached all day Tuesday, less on Wednesday, and is almost back to normal tonight. Must have fallen asleep with my leg crooked or something. Could barely walk and had to do stairs really, really slowly. It really gave me a fresh awareness of how intricately and perfectly God designed our bodies. Every little muscle has its job to do to keep the hitch out of our get-along and when one's hurting, it kinda throws everything else off-kilter!

I drove up to our local Cabela's mega-jumbo-outdoor-sports superstore today. Yeah, I know it's been open for a few years but I've never bothered to check it out. I was impressed by their aquarium and wild-game displays. Did manage to find a Chili-cover for the back seat of my car. I've had the worst time finding something to fit over it and the cheap bedsheets I was using were beginning to wear out. The one I bought today fits perfectly. It does have the word "CABELA'S prominently stitched across the top, but that's no big deal. : )

Speaking of my big dog, we visited the HSMO vet clinic for her annual exam and shots today. Overall, she's healthy, but a bit heavy at 72 lbs. She needs to lose a few pounds to get down into the high 60s. That's my fault for getting a little careless with her feeding. The vet schooled me on how to do a better job. Chili was a very happy dog during her visit and the staff was impressed!

Spent this evening at Q worship rehearsal at church prepping graphics for Sunday. My pal Ben (aka 636benjamin) was running sound so we had good conversation while the band played.

I am reading a personal finance book called All Your Worth . The author of the book was recently featured in an MSN article so I decided to buy her book. It's all about keeping your money in balance to keep your finances on track. I like what I've read so far.

A No-Brainer...

So today a friend mentioned (on Facebook) that he'd bought the Esperanza Spalding CD. I assumed he meant her newest CD, "Esperanza" and then, after some iTunes and Rhapsody research/listening, decided to do the same. Borders and Barnes & Noble had the CD in question for $19.99(!!!!), and Best Buy doesn't have it in their stores. So I clicked over to the Concord Records webstore, since they own Spalding's record label. Lo and behold, they had it available for $11.98 plust $2 shipping.

Guess where I purchased it from?

Yeah.

I don't pretend to understand the economics of offering CDs for sale within bookstores or the state of the music business in general. I don't know if they have to offer certain CDs for $19.99, but one thing I do know; for $19.99 there'd better be at least 2 or 3 CDs in the package. (OK, if it's a single CD of remastered songs or additional unreleased tracks, I can see it. Case in point: the "Deluxe Version" of Tears for Fears' seminal 1984 album "Songs From the Big Chair," but I digress!) I thought $18.99 was bad enough but if Borders is at the point of needing to offer single CDs for $20 then they're going to lose me as a customer. They've whacked the music and DVD section at the store nearest my house and with them, my main motivation to purchase anything there.

I'll gladly wait 3-7 days to get new CDs in the mail if it means I get them for a better price. Instant gratification be damned--I'm NOT paying $20 for single CDs. Sure, I could get CDs electronically via iTunes or other digital download stores for $9 or $10, but I'm old school. I believe something just gets sonically lost in the conversion to MPx format. The sound's just better on CD and besides, I like to read the liner notes.

I mean, you really have to draw the line somewhere.

Thought-Provoking,,,

My friend Katie just posted a fine --guest-written-- essay in her blog - check it out:

An Elegant Sufficiency, Pt. 1

On Independence Day...

Who Are The Brave?

Who are the brave?
Those who go to war?
Who are the brave?
Those who fight no more?
Those who gave their lives
protecting freedom's shore.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve in war.

Who are the brave?
Those who live with pain?
Who are the brave?
Those whose lives are plain?
Those with healthy bodies,
Those protecting the unsure.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve the poor.

Who are the brave?
Those whose speech is free?
Who are the brave?
Those loving liberty?
All those with heart and mind,
Protecting all they find.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve mankind.
These are the brave.

J. Paul Williams

©1992 Studio 224
All Rights Assigned To and Controlled By Alfred Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.

Saturday Afternoon With The Family....

I spent an enjoyable afternoon with the family today at the ol' homeplace in Festus. Here are some pictures:

Dad dressed up the house for Independence Day!

Granddad trying to get Lydia interested in photography, as he is!

Gram loves her some Lydia!

Lydia, one week shy of 18 months old!

coming home, this awesome cloud formation appeared..I see a hand...do you?

A Choir Geek's Indulgence...

Okay, I admit it. I'm a choir geek. I got hooked on choral singing in high school. My choir director Mr. Nall helped me discover that I really liked singing and was better than average at it. I sang in choirs throughout my 5(!) years of college and in a community choir after college. I've had wonderfully rich and memorable singing experiences at the annual state music educator's convention held at Tan-Tar-A Resort near the Lake Of The Ozarks and even did two in-state tours while in college.

Today my inner choir geek was mightily indulged. The local barbershop chorus Ambassadors of Harmony and the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir both performed in St. Louis on the same day! I took in the AOH's matinee performance and the MTC's evening concert.

This time of year is always international competition season for AOH and they appeared ready to take on all comers. They performed many old favorites and the two numbers they've prepared for competition. AOH's show must really be seen (and heard) to be believed. Costumes, choreography, sight gags, I could go on... Their special guests this year were Vocal FX, a male barbershop chorus from New Zealand who will be competing along with AOH. The group is all young males but directed by a female and they were fantastic. They performed 4 traditional barbershop numbers and should do well in competition. The audience was treated to a tasty dose of New Zealand culture, as the group also performed 3 numbers in the native Maori dialect and 4 members dressed in traditional Maori warrior garb (i.e. nothing but skirts made of dried (something which I can't remember!)). It was fascinating.

The evening Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert was immensely satisfying, as I expected it would be. Their 175 recordings and appearances all over the world testify to their legacy. The only real bummer was that they had to perform in cavernous Scottrade Center, normally a hockey arena. True, it was probably the only venue in the area large enough to hold them but I'd have preferred a more intimate venue. They'd not been to St. Louis since 1958 and who knows when they'll be back, so I am glad I attended. The concert was a muscal smorgasbord of classical masterworks and traditional American folk music and hymns.

Oh, and did I mention that The Man Himself John Ashcroft guest-conducted the encore? He did. Ashcroft--the former U.S. Attorney General, senator and governor of Missouri--led the choir and orchestra through a rousing "This Land Is Your Land," to the delight of the audience.

It was an interesting end to a great night of singing.

Headliner!!...

The Cardinals had a bit of trouble scoring runs against the Giants' starting pitcher Matt Cain last evening. The headline for the game story in today's paper summed it up thusly:

"Cards bats are unable against Cain"

: )

Memorializing Memorial Day 2009...

I've decided that I'm decidedly in favor of Monday holidays. Let's recap...

- I checked out the annual Gypsy Caravan event up at UMSL. It's a Memorial Day tradition in St. Louis, a benefit for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. I'd never been before, so just to satisfy my curiosity, I drove up there. It was basically a giant flea market. You pay $5 to get in and shop around to your heart's content. I found a couple of people selling old carpenters' tools and other shop items; my dad might have found something he liked. Unfortunately, a torrential rainstorm descended and I got caught without raincoat or umbrella. I tried to wait it out but eventually gave up and walked back to my car, soaked almost to the skin.

- came home to eat lunch and watch the ballgame between the Cardinals and Brewers. It was a classic pitchers' duel between the Cardinals' ace Carpenter and the Brewers' young hurler Gallardo. The game went to extra innings tied 0-0, with the Brew Crew finally breaking through in their half of the 10th to win 1-0. Truly disappointing for the Birds.

- packed up Chili-dog and headed to Festus for dinner with the parents. We dined on pork steaks and all the trimmings, with oatmeal cookies, and strawberries à la mode for dessert. We watched old war movies on television after dinner. My bro and sis-in-law sent pictures of Lydia enjoying herself at the Lake of the Ozarks with her mama's family. She enjoyed being out on the water but wasn't thrilled about not being able to go wherever she wanted! : ) Such is life at 16 months old. I'm sitting for her Thursday night...

Kids vs. Cookies...

My church is fortunate to have a video-savvy guy on its worship staff to produce videos such as this one, which we used in today's services.



We used it as part of our stewardship series, "The Buck Stops Here: The Heart Of The Matter."

Weekender, 3 days late...

Had an enjoyable last weekend....Chili and I embarked to Bark In The Park, on a lark, no shot in the dark, Hark! We mingled with dogs (and people) of all shapes and sizes. We left at mid-day so I could get over to Castlewood State Park in time for my bible class's annual year-end picnic. I threw the frisbee around with friends and partook of some great food. I led a small band of adventurous folks on a hike up the hill and onto the bluffs overlooking the Meramec River. Later in the evening, some of us met up to see the new Star Trek movie and we enjoyed an ice cream nightcap at Oberweis afterwards. Here are some pictures: