Easter 2008

This was what was going on periodically throughout Easter Sunday in these parts. Cloudburst snow showers! On Easter Sunday! We didn't get a white Christmas but we got a (periodically) white Easter. I guess God wanted to remind us that because of Easter our sins are washed white as snow. A good visual aid if you ask me!

I attended church with my parents in Festus. My dad sang with the choir so my mom and I sat together. She's been away from home much of the past two months caring for my grandfather and I've not seen much of her. Much to my surprise, she cooked up a great Easter lunch. Ham, green beans, her FAMOUS (to me) potato salad, and her FAMOUS (again, to me) banana puddin' for dessert. It was totally unexpected but much appreciated. My bro and sis-in-law and Adorable Lydia spent the weekend in Columbia with the in-laws.

For My Aunt M., Who Reads This Blog...

I injected myself with a shot of culture on Saturday night. The St. Louis Symphony performed Joseph Haydn's oratorio "The Creation" (or, "Die Schöpfung", which is more fun to say). The P-D's classical music critic deemed it a "not-miss" in her preview of the performance so I decided to go. I had to pay $48 plus change to sit just below the nosebleed section of cavernous Powell Hall. It was worth the price of admission and more. The symphony, chrous, and guest soloists all performed beautifully.

Here's the P-D's review from Sunday's paper.

Side note: the bass soloist was the Italian opera singer Ildebrando D'Arcangelo. Now there's a name!

You Know, I've Done This Before...

I was doing an online chat with a Hewlett-Packard tech support representative (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) today. I needed assistance troubleshooting one of their deskjet printers that had a couple of front panel lights blinking ominously. After I briefed him on my situation and how I had tried to fix it so far, I kid you not, he asked me this question:

"Did you turn it off and back on again?"

I've been in the tech support business over ten years now, buddy, so, yeah, I tried that.

We went back and forth for almost an hour before he gave up after searching in vain for a record of my printer's serial number. He finally punted, directing me to call the phone support tomorrow.

Unfortunate Reality...

My company announced a round of layoffs today. 31 people got the ax. This was completely unexpected, though not surprising. My company's industry as a whole is struggling, due to the effects of the internet and our struggling economy. Many other companies similar to mine are playing out the same scenarios. Editor and Publisher magazine tells the story well here. My department was not affected (cut back the tech support folks at your own risk, people!) and was never in any danger. A small group of people within our division did lose someone, though.

I've been fortunate in my 10+ years at my company. Never before in the company's history has there been a layoff of this magnitude. I've never been present when someone had to gather their belongings and leave as I was first thing this morning (I was helping someone in that person's department.) The whole affair was a bit mucked up when our website published the news of the layoffs before we were notified internally. I don't know yet exactly who all is leaving but it's likely I knew them. That part hurts.

I was briefly nervous even though I knew I was safe. What if I did have to leave? Am I employable enough?, etc...

Luckily, I had planned ahead and took the afternoon off. I was on call after-hours for the past 7 days and had a half-day coming, as a result. The mood was uniformly somber around the building so I was glad I was leaving. The local NBC affiliate had a news reporter parked outside on the sidewalk. She asked me if I knew anything and I gave her a polite "no comment" as I walked by.

A walk in the woods seemed to be in order so I gathered up Chili and headed out to Castlewood for a few hours. The weather was perfect this afternoon; cool breezes and bluff-top views are just the thing to ease a guy's stress level.

New Musical Goodness...

Thanks to Dusty Groove America I have a couple of new imported CDs coming my way in the next week. Swing Out Sister has a new CD just out in Japan and since an American release isn't guaranteed I am splurging to get the Japanese version. The other CD I bought is what I'm more excited about. Roger Nichols and the Small Circle of Friends' 1968 self-titled album was released on CD by a small British record label a few years back. Swing Out Sister used a sample of one of its songs on their last CD and I've been trying to acquire the entire album since. It's all about California sunshine pop music and if the samples I've heard are any indication, it'll be worth the wait.

The Definition Of "Classic Movie"...

Memo to American Movie Classics - "Death Wish 3" does NOT qualify as a classic movie. Charles Bronson notwithstanding.

Baby Love...

My niece Lydia was 2 months old yesterday!

Snow Angel...

The predicted snowstorm happened today; ALL day it did. I was discouraged greatly when I awoke this morning at 6 a.m. and nothing was happening. By 8:00, however, the snow was falling in earnest. It took a small break in the early afternoon but soon resumed with renewed fervor and didn't stop until after 5:00 p.m. Driving to work was treacherous but the drive home was almost normal. I measured between 5 and 6 inches at my house. This snowstorm formed a narrow band of intense snow that fell mainly in the St. Louis County area. Areas just to the west and east were barely touched. Chili didn't react any differently to this snow than she did with the previous snows. I made the above snow angel in my front yard after I shoveled my driveway this evening.


OK, Mom Nature - you've unleashed your last blast of winter; bring the Spring! : )

Body Worlds 3...

I checked out the Body Worlds 3 exhibition at the St. Louis Science Center last night. It closes tonight after being here for several months. All objections about exploitation, voyeurism, where did the bodies come from aside, I found it to be a fascinating experience. It was fascinating to see how intricately designed our bodies are. How great is our God to create us so perfectly and wonderfully! I especially wanted to see how the human knee is designed because I fractured my kneecap almost 8 years ago and I realized again how foolish I was to injure it in the manner I did.

We'll leave it at that.
......................................

In weather news, the temperature has soared into the 70s today but, guess what! Winter returns! Tomorrow with heavy rain changing to sleet, snow, and other forms of slippery, icy goodness! Tuesday! Chance of heavy snow!

This has to end soon because Chili's doggie body has signaled its winter fur coat to begin shedding and I'm NOT buying her a cute doggie sweater. Non-negotiable.

Name That Tune...

I changed the quote up above just now - can any of my readers name the song from which it is taken?

(EDIT: The song is "Marie LeVeaux" by the man himself, Bobby Bare. It plays regularly on the classic country radio station I listen to but the deejay seemingly never names the song or artist. It's hard to imagine that song making on radio today.)

The Looming Apocalypse...

Better get your Starbucks while you can today. According to published reports, every, yes I said EVERY Starbucks coffee house is closing tonight between 5:30 and 9:00 p.m. local time for a "barista re-education" time.

This calls for worldwide standby of local, regional, state, and national law enforcement officials!

No, this is not the only blog about this story.

That Little Embarassing Detail...

James Brockman "Brock" Olivo was a standout football player at the University of Missouri during the mid-1990s. After college he enjoyed a brief career in the NFL. He's recently declared his intention to run for the Congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Kenny Hulshof. (Hulshof is running for Governor of Missouri after Matt Blunt declined to run for re-election.)

According to a story in today's Post-Dispatch, public records show that Olivo has NEVER voted in any election since he's been eligible to vote. He admits to being a "recovering apathetic."

Would you vote for Olivo, knowing this fact?

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

Also, Ralph Nader - please sit down and shut up. You're an irrelevant nuisance.

That is all.

Ah, Winter!...

Chili was pleased with the ice rink that became my backyard after Thursday's sleet storm.

The ice melted away on Saturday but a new blanket of snow fell overnight.

The view from my kitchen window, looking over my backyard.

Snow always beautifully coats the holly bushes by my front porch.

Slip Slidin' Away...

Chili and I awoke early this morning to a sleet storm. The "significant winter storm" that was predicted arrived much earlier than was forecast. Consequently, the early commute was one big wreck seemingly everywhere. My drive into downtown was thankfully uneventful. I used common sense, believe it or not, and drove slowly with at least one car space between me and other vehicles. Once again I bundled up in my ski pants and heaviest winter coat and hat/gloves ensemble. My house saw about an inch or so of pure sleet. We're in between storms at the moment with another wave of ice on the way. This officially makes this winter the harshest in several years.

I am reminded of a Pat Metheny Group tune from their "Letter From Home" CD - "Spring Ain't Here." Indeed.
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I don't often get personal on this blog, but if you're so inclined, keep my family in your prayers. My grandpa's cancer came back last summer and all attempts at fighting it have failed. He is now in hospice care at home and will be leaving us soon.

The Spoils Of Victory...

I had a rather profitable evening last night. I was part of a trivia team participating in a fundraiser trivia night for the St. Louis Spikes semi-pro baseball team. It was only my third trivia night but the third time was the charm. My team WON by 1 point! We split a $500 prize amongst ourselves, so it was $50 each minus the $20 entry fee so we each saw a $30 profit for a hard night's work. Not bad, I'd say. I think it was the pre-trivia Bandana's BBQ that helped me. : )

Dude...

I believe it was Elton John who said, "sad songs say so much." Sometimes, however, only one word is needed.

Another For The List Of Blogs I Am Reading...

I have added a link to Whipp Adventures on Blogspot. It's authored by my old friend Melissa Whipp. She was among the first people I met when I began attending the church I belong to now, back in the summer of 2001. I quickly grew to appreciate her unique personality. She married an Aussie musician in 2004 and they now live in Colorado. I recently re-connected with her via Facebook (*Yay* social networking) and enjoyed catching up with her.

He Was On The Scene...

Interesting story in the sports section of today's Post-Dispatch. Reporter Tom Timmerman covers the St. Louis U. Billikens men's basketball team for the P-D. He was on the scene when the Billikens set a modern NCAA record for the fewest points scored in a game - 20 against George Washington U. last December. While reporting for the Los Angeles Daily News in 1991, he was also on the scene when Loyola Marymount U. set the record for the most points scored in a game in their 186-140 win over U.S. International U. That game also saw a USIU player score a record-setting 72 points.

Two Historic Games: One Common Denominator

(Edit: SLU avenged the GWU loss and then some tonight by the score of 63-38 at home)

#$%@*!$# Borders Rewards Program!...

why do you keep sending me coupons for 40% off CDs??? Don't you know that's my weakness?

: )

Elegy For Kirkwood...

Sweet madness it must be wrong
What kind of fool imagines love
With all this going on
Stars burning in the empty sky
And the city is aflame
With a million lights

And they come and they go
In the blink of an eye
People are like suns
And they're burning up inside
People are like suns

Science will enable us to hear
To be crystal clear
To make diamonds in the shifting sand
Better take all the love that you got in a single hand

And they come and they go
In the fullness of time
People are like suns
They are burning up inside
People are like suns

Breathing into life
All that's good in us
To saints become
It can't be helped
Doesn't stop me from thinking aloud
I could have done something

And they come and they go
Yeah they come and they go
People are like suns
People are like suns

And we'll go out tonight
Set the town alight
All fade into white

"People Are Like Suns" by Neil Finn © 2007 - Chrysalis Publishing Ltd. from "Time On Earth" by Crowded House

Completely Zonked...

Chili and I met a friend and her dogs at Queeny Park this morning and we all went on a nice long hike together. (The temperature was spring-like today but winter returns with a vengeance tonight!). After lunch, it was time for obedience class at HSMO.

And now Chili is in full recharge mode.

Not For Cat Lovers...

Super (Soaker) Tuesday...

After dropping 6 inches of snow last week, the skies opened up and dispatched copious amounts of liquidity today. I started today installing new computers at one of the P-D's delivery depots and made several mad dashes to my car in the rain. Light snow is forecast for tomorrow after the temperature hit 75 degrees yesterday. Sunday's high temperature will be all of 16 degrees. Such is St. Louis weather in February.

It was pouring down rain as I drove home tonight so I wasn't motivated to stop and vote in the primary. Don't worry, folks, I'll do my civic duty when it matters in November!

There was some thunder and lightning mixed in with the rain today and Chili was pretty keyed up when I got home. Fortunately, she didn't destroy anything.

Whodathunkit, Again, Again....

There's a Manning who won the Super Bowl last night and it ain't Peyton. The P-D's Jeff Gordon correctly stated that every Super Bowl game falls into one of two categories: thriller or blowout. This year it was a thriller of the highest caliber. The big bad Patriots thought they had the Giants down on the canvas with one of their trademark scoring drives. However, Eli and the Giants rallied magnificently to win one for the good guys. Sometimes, they win.

Song Book...

I picked up a great book today at Borders. "Song: The World's Best Songwriters On Creating The Music That Moves Us" is a collection of interviews from American Songwriter magazine. It covers nearly the entire spectrum of song from Bacharach to Beck, from John Denver to John Mellencamp The book reads like a text version of the old VH-1 television series "Behind The Music." and I really like what I've read so far.

Happy 30th...

to my bro J. - his best birthday present came about a month early in the form of an adorable baby girl and I'm proud of the way he's embracing daddy-hood.

Snow Day...

Had about 6 inches of snow at my house this morning. This is the second major snowfall of the winter so far, making it a snowier winter than we've had in several years. Chili and I did walk the neighborhood as usual today; the snow doesn't faze her much. I bundled up in my ski outfit for the ride in to work this morning.

You Think?

[Britney]Spears Has 'Mental Issues,' Friend Says

A Monday in January...

I've only been blogging sporadically lately. It's January, it's cold, blah, etc...no excuses, I know.

Chili's obedience classes have started back up after holiday break. We're going on Saturday afternoons now that I'm back on a 9-5 during the week. There were 9(!) dogs in the first class, which sent Chili into super hyper-ized mode and distracted her terribly. This discouraged me greatly, more so when the instructors introduced new, tougher graduation requirements. I figured she could pass, given a year or two of practice. We had to miss the next class but we went back this past Saturday. There were only 2 other dogs that made it to class and it made for a much better time. Very amusing is the massive Saint Bernard/Great Pyrenees mix that its owner is attempting to train. He appears to be a gentle soul, fortunately. Chili did better, so I re-enlisted us for another 5 weeks.

Chili and I took advantage of the mild weather yesterday. We took a long walk around Jefferson Barracks park in the late afternoon sunshine. I really have to work on her behavior around other dogs. She still goes nuts whenever another dog approaches.

I broke bread (or rather, pizza) with some of the guys from my Monday night bible study on Saturday night. We indulged at Dewey's Pizza in beautiful downtown Kirkwood, MO

I rented the latest entry in the "Bourne" series of fine action thrillers after the pizza party. "Ultimatum" is certainly worthy of the critical praise it received - the stunts and non-stop action were awesome! Chili got a little spooked because I cranked up the volume on the ol' home theater system and she crawled up into my lap a couple of times. Folks, you really need to have the experience of having a 70-pound dog crawling in to your lap. In her attempt to get comfortable, she put her weighty paws near some um, very sensitive areas of my torso. :)

My church is going through a preaching series on the wisdom of Solomon and how it applies to our lives. Yesterday was sex day. Yeah, we talked about it, from Proverbs 5. The "M" word was thrown out by pastors in the main service and my contemporary Quest service.

(Riotous moment: The Quest service has been employing homemade "man on the street" interview films as visual aids during the message each week. The pastor has gone to the Delmar Loop area where a diversity of people can be found. This week's question: "Do you think the world has become overly-sexualized, and if so, is that a good or bad thing?" One of the interviewees was a grandma-type older lady. She replied with an emphatic "YES" and when asked why, replied "because these kids today --BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP--our congregation howled.)

It was odd to see Crowded House playing on Austin City Limits Friday night. I always associated that show with country music but then again my local PBS hasn't shown many episodes in the past several years. I've liked Crowded House since I saw them opening for Bruce Hornsby at the Fox Theatre way back in 1986.

I haven't gotten to see my niece lately but I hear she's still doing great. I have the day off this Wednesday so maybe I can see her then.

I've been in a strange sort of cleaning mode lately. My cubicle at work has been seriously de-cluttered and looks much nicer. Chili got a good bath on Saturday morning and my car got its bath in the afternoon.

Faith...

Re-discovered this definition of faith today while ridding my bible of old bulletins:

"Faith is the willingness to bet your life on the promises and character of God"

Don't know if that's original or not but I liked it enough to write it down.

What Will I Do With My Weekends Now?...

Don't dance on the bar in St. Charles, MO

They actually proposed a ban on cussing, as well.

In Spite Of The January Cold...

I have been walking my doggie twice a day. In the morning just after sunrise and in the evening just after sunset when I get home from work.

Let's Be Blunt For A Moment...

The governor of our fair state announced yesterday that he is not going to attempt a re-election campaign this fall. One term and he's outta there. He apparently managed a rare achievement with this news - without exception, no one saw this coming. Even in a small government town like Jefferson City, word gets around before it's official but not this time. Everyone was shocked.

The guv went YouTube with the smiling wife at his side and claimed he "has accomplished all [he] set out to do when [he] took office."

The cynic in me bellows, "yeah, right!" But let's consider the bigger picture...

The editorial in the P-D this morning said it best, 'curious timing.' Very curious, indeed. The guv just gave his "state of the state" address last week and set his priorities for the coming year. Now he's walking away suddenly? Something just ain't right. My irreverent conspiracy theories:

1) The wife insisted he come home and be a family man.
2) There's bad things a-brewin' and the shame factor is potentially disastrous
3) He has Congressional aspirations and this is part of something bigger.

Seriously, I think his experience in the office of Governor hasn't turned out to be what he had hoped it would be and he just wants to get out. I experienced similar feelings last fall when my community choir re-convened for rehearsal after summer break. I found that I was simply not interested in singing with them any more and resigned quietly.

Now the state Republican party has to scramble to field a viable candidate with very little time to do it. This hurts the de-facto Democratic candidate Jay Nixon because he now he has to re-tool his campaign strategies since he doesn't know who he's running against.

The guv stuck to his previous script at a news conference today, insisting he has no further public service aspirations and just wants to be a family man.

We'll see.

Whodathunkit, again!...

There's a Manning playing in the Super Bowl this year, but it ain't Peyton. I guess it's finally little brother's turn.

Life Without The Internet...

Can you even begin to ponder it?

Dealing with a prolonged Internet outage on a Friday= NOT FUN.

Whodathunkit?

Well there is a Manning still playing in the NFL playoffs but it ain't Peyton...

Got Offense?

If so, send it overnight to the Saint Louis University basketball team. They scored all of 20(!) points in losing to George Washington U. last evening. If you're wondering, yes, it did set a modern record for fewest points scored in a game. SLU's leading scorer scored 5 points. 5 POINTS!

A Different Class Of People...

From today's "Miss Manners" syndicated column:

Dear Miss Manners: I am attending a "White Tie" ball. I was taught by my late father that White Tie included the tails, white pique shirt, vest and tie but should include white kid gloves, a white silk scarf, a top hat and walking stick.

I own all of this apparel, so it is not a problem to locate such items. Is it still proper to dress this way for a very formal event such as I mention above?

Miss Manners' reply:

As long as you don't line up with any gentlemen who are similarly outfitted and all start tipping your hats and twirling your walking sticks in unison, Miss Manners would consider the full outfit to remain appropriate, not to mention dashing.

[I added the bold type]
.........

Who owns all of that apparel? I'd like to live in their world for a few minutes.

The New Mommy And Daddy...

My sis-in-law sent these out today and my mom (proud grandma) suggested blogging them so here they are.

Lydia's Birth Announcement...

is finally online here and here. She's listed twice but be sure to click the "next" link under the picture. There are 4 pictures per listing.

The New Family...

Well, Mommy and Daddy and Lydia made it home around 8:30 last night. Both sets of grandparents and I were waiting anxiously. A nice home-cooked dinner was warming on the stove and we all gratefully partook once the new family got settled. It was satisfying to see my mom and dad finally get to hold and cuddle a grandchild in their arms. I suppose it's a moment all moms and dads look forward to once their children are adults themselves.

My own reaction to having a niece has troubled me a bit. I didn't feel a huge rush of emotion or get teary-eyed or anything. It was like I was just sort of "there," not really emotionally connected to everything. I was almost more concerned with capturing everything on film or video rather than experiencing the moment. Another thing - after the baby was born it seemed everyone but me had had friends and family to call to deliver the good news to. I stood outside the nursery with the grandparents and mentally went through my list of acquaintances and found there was no one I was close enough to to call.

One very sweet part of the homecoming last night was the fact that I was able to be there. My work schedule changed again and I ended up back on my former schedule of M-F 9-5. The new schedule took effect last night with another co-worker working the Sunday night shift. I was SO HAPPY not be working.

More baby pictures here.

FINALLY!!!

Little Lydia was unhooked from her tethers today and is loving life on the outside with mommy and daddy. They'll all be leaving for home in a couple of hours. I FINALLY got my arms around her for a few minutes this afternoon.

Baby Lydia Update...

Click here for more pictures of little Lydia. Picture opportunities have been few and far between, unfortunately. She swallowed a bit of meconium prior to birth so she's been staying in the Special Care Nursery while she does 48 hours of precautionary antibiotics. She will be going home with her mommy and daddy tomorrow evening.

Just Call Me Uncle...

This is Lydia Joy Matlock, born to my brother and sister-in-law this evening at 8:47 p.m. She weighed in at 9 lbs, 9 oz. and is 21.5" long. Yes, she really weighed over 9 lbs at birth. As a result, she didn't look much like a newborn, already fleshed out and chubby-cheeked. She has a full head of dark hair. Of course she's the most beautiful baby we've ever seen!

Both sets of grandparents and I were waiting in the waiting area when my brother suddenly appeared with baby and nurse. He grinned proudly as we oohed and ahhed over little Lydia. Mom and Dad and Lydia are doing just fine. These are my snapshots. Better pictures of her will come soon, I promise!

Ouch...Very Ouch!...

In today's "Tipsheet" blog at Stltoday.com, online sports guy Jeff Gordon weighs in with this gem:

"What sort of endorsement opportunities will arise for plus-sized Jayhawks coach Mark Mangino now that he is famous? Will he get a clothing deal from a tarp manufacturer?"

Organization...

...is a good way to start off a new year. My bedroom closet before:


And after:


My dad installed the organizers on December 28 as part of my Christmas. Santa's Home Depot gift card covered nearly all the expenses.

Almost Famous...

Some of my friends made the evening news yesterday. They were included in a story about Cotton Bowl-watching parties. My friends are the ones at the house party, NOT at the bar.

The video (best viewed in Internet Explorer, sorry):

Catching Up On Recent Events...

Happy New Year, everyone. I spent New Year's Eve at a party with lots of friends, mostly from my Monday-night bible study. My bro and sis-in-law made an appearance but didn't quite make it to midnight before they ducked out. I was surprised they came but glad they did.

I was exceedingly glad to see ol' Mizzou whup up on Arkansas. The Tigers played with the right amount of intensity and passion to put a victorious stamp on their dream season. I always say that the the best way to respond to being ripped off is to try and make the people who ripped you off look foolish, so take that, Orange Bowl. The game featured two(!) Heisman Trophy finalists but the stars were the Tiger defense and a fleet-footed tailback named Tony Temple. Arkansas obviously prepared for a passing attack and Missouri responded by letting TT run HOG WILD (there I said it!). Oklahoma lost in the Fiesta Bowl tonight, so there's a good chance that Mizzou could end up with the best record on the Big 12 conference this year. Wouldn't THAT be nice!

The much-hyped, much-dreaded, overexposed shutdown of I-64/40 happened early this morning. Rush hours this morning and evening were almost problem-free. Road crews and news crews prepared like it was the second coming of D-Day and they ended up with a NON-STORY! Traffic was light, as it always is following the holidays. Either the media over-exposed this and scared off the general public or they just flat-out failed to anticipate the light traffic. By the time I got to work at 8:00 a.m., the party line was "well, just wait until next Monday." Already covering their derrieres, they were.

Hamming It Up...

This was Chili's Christmas gift from her Aunt A. She got it at Target, of all places. I looked and looked for something like this at my local Petsmart and Petco stores and found nothing like it.

All Dressed Up...

...to either rob a bank or walk a dog on a cold day in January. I did the latter on New Year's Day. This is also how I dressed to go skiing last February in Colorado.

Isn't It Ironic!...

From my second hometown of Festus, MO comes this story:

Practical joke leads to cop's shooting

By Christine Byers

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

01/02/2008

FESTUS -- Police believe a practical joke led to the shooting Tuesday of a 23-year-old Ste. Genevieve police officer.

The rookie deputy allegedly faked a break-in around 9:45 p.m. at his brother-in-law’s home in Festus, said Festus Police Chief Tim Lewis. The brother-in-law thought an intruder was about to enter his house and reacted by shooting him.

A short time later, Festus police noticed a car speeding along Veterans Boulevard and realized the vehicle was racing to Jefferson Memorial Hospital. Once there, they recognized the shooter as an on-call minister for the police department.

Festus police have turned the investigation over to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office citing a conflict of interest.

The names of the victim and shooter are not being released because of the ongoing investigation.

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

If the young officer doesn't die from the gunshot wound, he'll surely die of embarrassment. What could possibly be more ironic (or idiotic) than a police officer faking a break-in? I think his career in law enforcement is over, at least in Ste. Genevieve.

So we have a police officer who faked a break-in and a police chaplain who shot him during said break-in. In the NFL, that would be called "offsetting penalties - replay the down from the dead ball spot."

All Dressed Up For Christmas One Last Time...

Chili dressed up in her Christmas finest last night to do Christmas with my parents and bro/sis-in-law/niece still-chilling-on-the-inside. We celebrated my Mom's birthday afterwards with dinner at Terrene and dessert at Bissinger's Chocolate Experience.

Chili opening her Christmas presents...

Santa Claus dropped off a stocking stuffed with goodies for Chili:

Chili in the snow...

Chili playing in my backyard after the snowstorm of December 15-16:

Chili's Christmas...

I failed to mention what Miss Chili-dog got from Santa Claus! She got a new stuffed toy, a shin bone filled with beef filling, a Milk Bone steak chew and a new collar. My parents and bro/sis-in-law will have something for her when we all meet up on Saturday, so Miss Chili will have a good Christmas. Here's a picture of her stocking.

Christmas 2007 Post-Mortem...

Chili and I are relaxing at home following our Christmas trip to the Bootheel. We (the parents and us) had a nice visit with representatives of various sides of our family during the 24 hours we were there. We enjoyed a relaxed lunch of Taco Soup with all the trimmings at Risco. I was the only Matlock cousin present, unfortunately. One Risco cousin couldn't get away from work and the other was under the weather. My dad and his brother regaled us with a few stories from their childhood, much to my amusement. I was surprised to learn (though I probably was told before) that my Matlock great-grandmother was a full-blooded Indian, perhaps Cherokee. Chili had to stay "garaged" during our dinner.

Onto Malden for a late-afternoon gathering at my Papaw's house. Several members of his second wife's family were there visiting. My cousin J. was also there. Of course, I had to eat again, doggone it! : ) Everyone enjoyed meeting Chili and she enjoyed meeting them back! I found a special Christmas collar with bells on it at Petco and she wore it well. It had a set of 4 matching "ankle bracelets" which also had bells on it but also which got chewed off by Chili so they didn't stay on he rlong. Chili enjoyed 2 long walks around the fields surrounding my Papaw's house before we left this morning. She's dozing on her bed near me right now and is apparently re-living the sights and smells she encountered because just emitted a series of moans and yelps.

Santa Claus brought me what I asked for, a gift card to Home Depot I will get my closet organized tomorrow, it looks like. He brought a new Panasonic cordless phone system for my parents from me. They also got a DVD apiece as a bonus stocking stuffer - this for Dad and this for Mom.

Chili shopped for me when I wasn't looking. This book showed up on my desk last week wrapped nicely and tagged "From Chili to Daddy John" I believe I know which co-worker to thank for this. : )

Happy Christmas...Let's Make It A Good One...

Happy day-before-Christmas. I hope my readers have all their shopping done and can relax today. I thought I was done last week but of course Santa Procrastinator waited until the last moment to take care of the dog and the grandparents.

Her Chili-ness will be getting braunschweiger and hot dog along with her usual dry kibble tomorrow. I also got her a new collar (the one she has itches her terribly, for some reason), a beef-filled shin bone and new stuffed animal. I have bought a stocking for her! : )

The grandparents are getting a gift card to Cracker Barrel. I also like to think of Chili as a gift that I share with them. I know my Papaw likes having a dog around again; Chili bears a strong resemblance to his beloved Blackie (aside from the brown-ness) and it makes me feel good to have Chili around him when I'm visiting.

My parents and I and Chili made a quick trip down to Malden on Friday and Saturday. The four of us squeezed into my Dad's truck (yay crew cab!) and headed south. I don't know why they thought it would be a good idea to try and travel with Chili but I gamely played along. Fortunately, she traveled wonderfully once we got going on the interstate. For some strange reason she gets EXTREMELY worried and yippy when traveling city streets with lots of stopping and starting. Again, Chili has been a gift that I've shared with my parents this year. They both love her to death, my dad especially. He is a "dog person" and he really enjoys playing with her and having her around.

Chili behaved herself nicely at my grandparents' house. She's been there enough by now to be familiar with the surroundings. She made a new friend in my grandpa's twin brother when he came to visit on Saturday morning. My Papaw's wife's granddaughter and her husband and toddler also visited before we left. Chili did well with the toddler; she was free with her kisses! : )

Christmas will be down south this year. We were slated to have it at my parents' house as usual but a change in plans is sending us to have a casual lunch in Risco with my aunt and uncle there. The bro and sis-in-law are with her family in Columbia. The grandparents are hosting a drop-in Christmas open-house kind of thing so we'll end up there eventually. Don't know how long we'll stay at this point.

I'm not sure what I'll be getting for Christmas. I suggested a Home Depot gift card, like I got 2 years ago. My bedroom closet needs some major organization and I could take care of that with a nice fat gift card! I just hope my mom didn't leave my dad alone again in the Cracker Barrel gift shop, as she did last year! : )

My Hallmark Christmas e-card...

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

The Christmas Card Picture...

Snowy Night....

First of all, since you're just DYING to know...yeah, we had a pretty large snowstorm here in St. Louis. For once, we were in the bullseye for the highest snowfall amounts. Usually we're above or below it. I got around 4.5 inches at my house. One of my pals up north in St. Charles said he got 7 inches at his. I actually took out my snow shovel and USED IT for the first time in several years this afternoon. Chili the dog didn't make a big deal of it again today. I bundled myself up in my ski pants and jacket to walk her this morning. Afterwards, we engaged in a game of keep-away with my gloves. She isn't naturally playful, but if you engage her and start something, she's happy to play along.

My parents' church is putting on its Christmas shows this weekend. My bro, sis-in-law, baby-to-be, and I were all supposed to travel down to Festus last night to see my dad sing in it. I didn't figure on going since the snowfall was predicted to re-develop during the late afternoon and evening after being in a lull all day. When I heard that the others were still planning on going, I bummed a ride with them. I figured it made sense since we were all going to the same place. Besides, my Mom promised a dinner of hot chili and hot dogs. I hadn't had lunch so I was really looking forward to that part of the evening.

(ASIDE: As I blogged earlier, I am on-call this week . On Saturdays there is a 2-hour gap between the day and evening shift which the on-call tech must cover. The pager went off 5 TIMES in that 2-hour time span yesterday. Once as I was getting dressed for the evening and four more times before we made it to Festus. I met my ride in the parking lot of a shopping center near my house and exploded out of my car with a laptop and carrying case as the snow fell lightly. It was like something out a Russian spy movie. I was actually putting out fires, so to speak, in the back seat of the car as we drove down I-55. Each time the pager goes off, I have to call in and listen to the associated voice mail. then call the person back to help them.)

My parents' church repeated the Living Christmas tree theme this year with different music. It was impressive, a little too showy and gaudy at times but overall not a waste of an evening. We came out of the church and found that the snow was falling quite heavily and had accumulated quite a bit since we went in. Did we go straight home from there? Of course not!

Back to my parents' house for an hour of just "us" time. The five of us sat around the kitchen table and just talked for a while about anything and everything. Preparations for new baby, a bizarre Thanksgiving weekend stop in Ellsinore, MO for firewood (don't ask!), various and sundry memories, etc... The house is all decorated for Christmas and that added to the "warmfuzzy" experience.

Alas, we have to get back to our homes and out into the snowy night we trekked. We encountered an armada of snowplows on I-55 heading north and had to proceed behind them at 20mph all the way up into St. Louis county. Needless to say, we were late in getting home.

Experiences like this remind me of my deep emotional connection to my family and the holidays. I am so blessed!

Bye, Bye, Jimmy Ballgame...

The big headline in today's paper is that the Cardinals have completed a trade of center fielder Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres. In return we'll get a minor-league third base prospect who is a St. Louis native. This is the unfortunate new reality for the Cardinals. They have a lot of older, expensive players and need to get younger. Jim Edmonds was a popular player both in the clubhouse and with the fans. However, he is 37 years old and can no longer make his trademark highlight-reel catches without all the king's men standing by to put him together again.

The Cardinals are going to have a different look next season. Infield regulars David Eckstein left for Toronto, Aaron Miles, So Taguchi, and Gary Bennett have all been let go. It makes me wonder why Tony LaRussa agreed to come back for another year.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow!...

Chili and I woke up to a nice snowfall this morning. She took it in stride, pretty much. It's just a few inches, so far, so not much to play in. I bundled up and took her on a walk around the neighborhood. She didn't seem to mind the cold and snow; I didn't see her shivering or shaking. She did appreciate the rubdown I gave her after we got in

Name Game...

The Chicago Cubs recently took another futile stab at greatness with their signing of Japanese import Kosuke Fukodome. I regret that Harry Caray isn't still with us to try and pronounce that name.

Things That Break In the Middle Of The Night...

I started my latest 7-day turn in the on-call emergency pager rotation at work yesterday. After-hours, our employees can call a special emergency number that pages the tech who's on-call at the time. Last night I got my earliest call since we started the rotation a year ago.

One of our newspaper delivery depots lost their network signal around 2:00 in the morning. That is bad because the overnight hours are prime time for newspaper delivery men. They need to be able to log on and print out their delivery lists for the morning. After an hour of trying to troubleshoot with the depot manager, I woke up my network administrator and he told me to have that depot shut down and move to another depot nearby. It looks like they lost their DSL signal and it didn't come back on until 4:30 a.m.

I think I was almost back to sleep by then. Almost.

Chili the Dog's Photo Session...

The photo session with Chili and me went just as I expected it would. : ) My dad was away at a church choir rehearsal when I arrived at my parents' house so my mom had to make the initial attempts at getting some good shots of me and the dog. Chili was not interested in being cooperative like a good dog would. She is a very smart dog in that she knew exactly what we were trying to do and thwarted almost every attempt to cajole her into smiling or to at least stand still! I think she must have been spooked by a flash camera when she was a puppy. While her lack of cooperation made for some riotous outtakes, it also stressed us out. We decided to take a break while waiting for my dad to come home. After a pizza dinner, he gamely tried a few shots with his camera and it's good that he did because I ended up using one of them for the Christmas cards. They're waiting for me now at a nearby Walgreens so I should get them mailed on Tuesday. I'll post the outtakes next week sometime.

The weather outside has been slightly frightful - cold and rainy with. This has been the rainiest weekend the St. Louis area has had in several months. Freezing rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow. This would be the night I didn't bring ice skates for my car. GRRR..

OK, Borders is officially desparate...

to sell CDs. Their latest Borders Rewards member coupon advertises all, that's right, ALL single-disc CDs are on sale for $10.99 for the next 3 days. Considering that a good portion of their CDs sell for $18.99(!) this is a good deal.

Christmas Cards...

Chili and I are having a picture taken together today for this year's Christmas cards. If you'd like one, please e-mail me your mailing address and I'll be happy to send one out. Of course your address will never be sold or otherwise used for bad things. : )

Family members - you're family so you're already getting one!

Happy (Belated) Birthday To My Blog...

My little blog had its second birthday back on December 2 but I didn't realize it until just now. Thanks to all who read and comment!!!

Christmas Tunes Are Here...

I have made my Christmas music purchase for the year. This year it was Over The Rhine's "Snow Angels" CD and a newly-remastered version of the "Charlie Brown Christmas" soundtrack. Both are worthy additions to my Yule tunes collection.

"Snow Angels" is a typical OTR record, but with Christmas-themed songs. If you're a fan of the band then you'll enjoy this CD.

The new version of "CBC" is a vast sonic improvement over the original analog version and adds alternate takes of several songs as bonus tracks. Purists will prefer the old version but if you think of it as a jazz record then the new version is for you.

The Bubble Bursts...

The BCS balloon popped tonight. It turns out ol' Mizzou isn't quite ready to ascend to BCS Championship heights just yet. They got blown out by their nemesis Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game tonight. The Tigers can console themselves with the knowledge that the Cotton Bowl is the worst they can do for a bowl game destination. That's not too shabby, considering they haven't played on New Year's day in forever.

They've come a long way, baby. Congratulations!

(Aside: MU's loss combined with #2-ranked West Virginia's loss will likely cause the explosion and spontaneous meltdown of the BCS computers. This has been the nuttiest college football season I can remember. No one team stayed atop the polls all season as in years past.)

To Get December Started Off...

It's time for another edition of "Potentially Shamed By The Shuffle!" which first appeared back on May 23 in this space. I've added a ton of my old CDs to my iPod so the shame potential is greater this time around. If you're new to the game, you must have an iPod and then blog on the first 10 songs that come up on your shuffle.


First Song: "Have A Talk With God" - Jon Gibson

Blue-eyed soulster Jon Gibson covered this Stevie Wonder classic on one of his early albums. Jon does a decent job of covering it, and upped the cool-ness factor by having Stevie Wonder himself add some harmonica to the track.

Second Song: "Sweet Dreams" - Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler

These two old pro guitarists collaborated in a labor of love on their 1992 CD "Neck and Neck." Their rendition of this Don Gibson gem floats by on an instrumental cloud of sweetness. A classic.

Third Song: "Flavor Of The Month" - My Friend Stephanie

This was included on a compilation CD of live performances at the old Strand nightclub in Atlanta. The venue hosted numerous Christian rock groups in its heyday. MFS is heard in a decent early performance here.

Fourth Song: "Soul Sauce (Guachi Guara)" - Poncho Sanchez

I have this on Concord's Poncho Sanchez compilation "Ultimate Latin Dance Party." Poncho and his group turn in a wonderful performance of this Cal Tjader hit.

Fifth Song: "Bye Bye Country Boy" - Karrin Allyson

From her "In Blue" CD comes this cover of a Blossom Dearie song. The song tells the tale of a big-city singer wooed by a country hick admirer. This track features great bass and Rhodes solos.

Sixth Song: "Jacob's Ladder" - Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen covers this old folk song on his CD tribute to Pete Seeger. He is in full-on drawl mode on this track and delivers it in classic hootenanny style with his assembled musician friends.

Seventh Song: "Music Box Dancer" - Frank Mills

I broke down and bought this from the iTunes store last month. I've loved it since first hearing it at my cousin's dance recitals as a child. A true one-hit wonder.

Eighth Song: "Mystery Of Mercy" - Caedmon's Call

Nice track from Caedmon's Call here. It's off their "Back Home" CD from a few years back. The song uses biblical characters and parables to convey the theme of Christ's love for us. It's truly a mystery of mercy!

Ninth Song: "When It Comes To You" - Dire Straits

Mark Knopfler had just finished his duet CD with Chet Atkins when he assembled the Straitsmen for what would be their final outing. The Nashville country influence was heard throughout the resulting CD and this track shows it plainly. This track would not have been out of place on country radio in the early '90s. Country star John Anderson covered it during his brief career revival and made it a minor hit.

Tenth Song: "Ain't Even Done With The Night" - John Mellencamp

Oh yeah, this was John Mellencamp during his early "John Cougar" phase. This was one of his early radio hits. A nice timepiece from 1980.

All Dressed Up For...

....leaf raking.

Mmmm...Chili-Cheese Dip...

One of the most delectable foods ever created...I enjoyed some during my department's "food day" in memory of my late boss. This past Monday marked one year since his tragic passing.

A Hot Pockets Sub (meatballs and mozzarella), smothered...

I contributed a batch of Duncan Hines' best "Blueberry Streusel" muffins which were received very well, indeed!

Suburban Fringe: Here's the single most disgusting thing to ever happen, ever...

Bob Rybarczyk's "Suburban Fringe" column this week on Stltoday.com is really disgusting and gross, but such is life with kids, sometimes, right? IT REALLY HAPPENED...parents of children will feel his pain. Read on, if you dare:

Here's the single most disgusting thing to ever happen, ever

I hope I never did this to my folks!

Sweet!

One great bit of news arrived in the mail yesterday. It was my annual escrow statement from my mortgage company. Usually they have to tell me that there was a shortage and would I like to make it up monthly or all at once? Well, this time around there was an overage! There was a nice little refund check attached to the statement. I switched my home insurance carrier last spring which resulted in a substantial savings in annual premiums from my old carrier. As in $200 less per year. That savings, coupled with lower than expected real estate taxes gave me the refund. My monthly payment will lower by $21 next year, as well. (I have a fixed-rate but the it got adjusted for lower taxes and insurance.)

The Roar Is Officially Restored...

Let's hear it for ol' Mizzou! After way, way too many years of bad football, they have played themselves into the Big 12 conference championship. This week's victim was previously undefeated Kansas. The two schools' bitter rivalry is well-documented and it made for a great atmohspere at Arrowhead Stadium in "neutral" Kansas City. In front of over 80,000 fans, MU outplayed KU and held off their furious late-game rally to win the game 36-28. MU's record is now 11-1 and they are officially in uncharted territory.

Next up is Oklahoma, who beat us earlier in the season. Even if we lose, we'll be in a BCS bowl on New Year's Day for sure.

What a season!

Home Again...

Chili and I are back from the Bootheel. I put 373 miles on my car on this trip. We drove down Friday morning to Malden, where I dropped off Chili at my grandparents' house to spend the day. I brought Chili's doggie bed-pillow with us and plopped it down on the sunporch, hoping she'd take the hint. She did just that, as I found her there when I returned several hours later. She behaved herself nicely while I ate dinner with my Dad's family in Risco, MO. My aunt and uncle recently moved to a newer home next door to their old one and it is a very nice house indeed. I enjoyed catching up with my cousins C & T whom I hadn't seen since last Christmas. My cousin T has changed jobs and is advancing in his career in airport management.

The topics of conversation at Matlock holiday dinners can be at once enlightening and entertaining. Yesterday was no exception. Somehow we started talking about the sprinkling of tiny farm towns that dot the landscape of the Bootheel of Missouri. It turns out that the town of Canalou, MO, off U.S. Highway 60 is a town with only an entrance road, no exit road. If you somehow stumble on the town, you have to turn around on the same road you came in in order to leave it. My dad related the story of Penermon, MO which I didn't quite understand so I won't repeat it here. He made us all laugh by telling an allegedly true story about a house in that village that had an old-fashioned floor furnace. Some USDA inspectors had reason to be in that house at some point and during their visit found the occupants roasting a goat on the grate of the floor furnace. Um, OK.

My Aunt E. brought some issues of The Singing News, the official journal of Southern Gospel music. I read through them at length and was surprised at how many SG groups there are traveling the country. I guess I didn't realize that at all. I think someone who read my jazz magazine would react the same way.

Chili had much fun running around outside and getting lots of lovin' from all of us. I know my Papaw's spirits were lifted a bit just having her around. I made myself useful by sweeping off their driveway this morning before I left.

My mom and I had a nice visit with the Cook family on our way out of town. The entire "herd" (as Kmom put it) was present at their house - Cooks In Kansas and their greyhound Marsha (who didn't mind meeting Chili), along with sister Whitney and her baby Sammy.

Chili must have really tired herself out during this trip - she rested with her head on the center console armrest in my car almost the entire trip home. She's been dragging since we got home as well.

I Am Thankful...

For several things that begin with the letter "F" and other things;

Faith, Family, Friends, Food, Famous Amos cookies, my house, my job, my car, and my brown dog named Chili.

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

Thanksgiving Day 2007 was a comfortable, pleasant experience. It was a small gathering at my parents' house in Festus. Just them, me, and the bro/sis-in-law/niece-still-in-the-oven for dinner. MY dad smoked the turkey in my brother's new smoker and it turned out very well. We all stuffed ourselves appropriately then sprawled out on any nearby couch or chair. Chili behaved herself for the most part. She did get some turkey.

As we were all leaving this evening, my dad remarked that he'd had a "perfect day." His turkey was great, he got to play with his grand-dog, he had all of us around, and he even got to see a little football on the big screen TV with the surround-sound hooked up again. It had been down since being moved around during the re-decorating of their basement. My dad and bro and I collaborated to hook up the speakers and get everything in working order.

We waxed nostalgic briefly, as an old Bell & Howell 8mm film projector was hauled out and turned on for a little stroll down memory lane. We managed to see two short films of my brother and me as children before the projector's ancient light bulb gave out. What else to do but hop on the Internet and order up a new one from Amazon.com? Who knew you could still find one?

Now I must go pack for a short trip down to the Bootheel to do Thanksgiving with my Dad's family in the bustling metropolis of Risco, MO. Chili will be traveling with me but she will be spending the day with the grandparents in Malden.

Even Superman Has Baggage...

This photo accompanied a story about Thanksgiving travel on STLtoday.com . Superman's kid flies commercial, who knew?

Actual caption: Peyton Benfield, 7, of Warrenton, flew home (aboard an airplane, of course) from Los Angeles with his mother Dawnetta Benfield Monday at Lambert Airport. Peyton has been living in Los Angeles since September and acting in commercials.
(Robert Cohen/P-D)

A Tale Of Two Sales Reps...

This JUST happened -

I was vacuuming spilled toner from a printer in our advertising sales reps' work area and overheard the following exchange:

Young and Hip Leggy Blonde Sales Rep: Oh, how I wish the holidays were over. The thought of seeing my family makes me cringe!

Young and Hip Brunette Sales Rep: "I don't wish the holidays were over; I'm makin' money!"

I smiled to myself....

Golden Girl...

I raked leaves on Saturday so Chili got to lounge around and watch me work. Thankfully, she's not the type to sneak up from behind and leap into leaf piles. She truly is a pretty dog.

Something got her attention here.

Hike!...

One of the advantages of not working Fridays is that Chili and I can take off for an impromptu hike in the woods:

No, we didn't hike 7 miles, but we did knock out 2 or 3.

we squeezed through this culvert under some railroad tracks to take a shortcut to my favorite part of the trail.

I thought this was an interesting picture. I sat down and leaned back on my backpack, then pointed my camera straight up. It looks like arms reaching to the sky.

Into The Arbor...

More here