Mark Lowry Talks...

in concert in Erie, PA:

Some Friendly Advice...

courtesy of The Swirling Eddies:

[1]
(la la la la ...)
Bake a cake, swim a lake
Do a jig, slop a pig
Say a prayer, cut your hair
Smell a rose, pick your nose
Take a trip, write a script
Take a course, eat a horse
Take a nap, draw a map
Do your duty, shake your booty

[CHORUS]
Something that you wouldn't ordinarily do
Something just a little bit different for you
Like forgiving a friend and an enemy too
You'll feel better, you'll feel better
When your little day is through

[2]
Smoke a cigar, drive a sports car
Read the good book, try a skyhook
Call your mother, kiss your father
Tell 'em you love 'em, clean your oven
Get up early, do a curly
Feed the hungry, spend some money
Feel the breeze, cut the cheese
Chicken walk, smile at a cop

[CHORUS]

[3]
See a show, dig a hole
Fly a kite, take a hike
Twiddle your thumbs, scratch your buns
Make a face, run in place
Play some pool, go back to school
Drink a beer, pierce your ear
Abstain from sex and cigarettes
go out to eat, soak your feet
Make a mud pie, greet a fat guy
Floss your teeth, keep the peace

[CHORUS]

[BRIDGE]
Write yourself a note that says
"Be of good cheer"
(la la la la ...)
Paint yourself a sign that says
"The beginning is near"

[4]
Wash your dog, burn a log
Visit a widow, fluff your pillow
Paint a picture, clean your dentures
Learn to surf, go to church
Have a picnic, buy a quick-pick
Join a carpool, drink a yahoo
Play monopoly, eat some broccoli
Take a bath, scratch your rash
knit a sweater, write a letter
Roll downhill, make a will
Flick your Bic, call in sick
Keep a vow, milk a cow
Start a business, make a wish list
Beat a drum, suck your thumb
Go to confession, learn a lesson
Visit a zoo, pack a mule
Go to sears, cry some tears
Give stuff away, act in a play
Plant a tree, work for free
Join a club, save your stub
visit a jail, read your mail
T.P. a house, turn-on your spouse
Plant potatoes, pick tomatoes
Sleep in late, lose some weight
Make up a dance, take a chance
Walk around nude, play with your food
Get baptized, go skydive
Cast a vote, sail a boat
Hold your breath, shop for less
Help a neighbor, do a favor
Pick up litter, eat a corn fritter ...

from the album "Zoom Daddy," Words by Terry Taylor ©1994 Broken Songs / Twitchen Vibes (ASCAP)

And I Did It All By Myself!...

My large accomplishment this evening: I replaced the belt on my vacuum cleaner after the old one bit the dust . Never in seven years of ownership had I ever popped the hood on the ol' Eureka World Vac (whose service manual Eureka thoughtfully DIDN'T MAKE AVAILABLE FOR FREE ON THEIR WEB SITE grrrr). After locating a generic replacement at my local Kmart (or is it KMart?) (which, by the way is in the midst of a total blow-up/remodel and nothing is where it used to be) it took about ten minutes.

Sometimes it's the little things...

The Journey...

The P-D's religion writer, Tim Townsend, wrote a nice column on my bro & sis-in-law's church in Saturday's edition.

The Journey, and others like it, aiming to reach younger people

My First Crude Attempt At Moviemaking...

It's not great but, hey, even Ron Howard had to start somewhere.

Tired Doggie...

I'm taking some time off this week, so Chili is getting more exercise than usual. Today we did lots of running and squirrel-hunting in the back yard. Later in the afternoon we hiked at Castlewood State Park. Now, she's all tired out!

Sunday Evening, Late...

It's 10:36 p.m. CDT in St. Louis and this blogger is wishes the midnight hour would come around in the next minute or two. The Sunday night shift for a Tech Services support technician at the P-D is a pretty durn quiet affair, folks.

Not much has been happening lately. I started working my new shift a few weeks back. It's 4:00-12:00 Sunday nights, 10:00 - 6:00 Mondays, 8:00-4:00 Tuesday-Thursday. I'm gradually adjusting my life to the new schedule. The Sunday nights have been quiet, the Monday hours make it harder to get to bible study on time, and the other three days are hard in the mornings but nice in the evenings. The 8:00 start time gets me a good parking space closer to my building but it's a noticeably more crowded commute on I-55.

Chili and I had a private, one-on-one obedience lesson on Friday afternoon. It was very beneficial for her and her owner. Her owner learned what he was doing right and wrong in teaching her the necessary skills to pass the next test. Chili discovered that she likes stuffed animals and will play "fetch" with them. Her owner was suitably overjoyed at this and bought Chili her own stuffed duckie to play with. It it stuffed with a "crinkle" material and squeeker that keeps her busy.

(Aside: did you know that dog obedience trainers have their own association? It's the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and their annual convention is in Portland, Oregon this week. I guess that's the kind of convention that the Portland, Oregons of the world get.)

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

Back in August, you may recall I had a rotting maple tree cut down in my back yard. My dad had the tree service guys save 2 large logs of good wood for his adventures in carpentry. We made a valiant attempt to get those logs home with him that day but they were just too much for the two of us to load. Those 2 large logs subsequently lay in my back yard until just last Friday. Dad and I wrestled the logs into the back of his pickup with the help of two hand trucks and winch straps. Fortunately, neither of us was injured in the process.

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

On Saturday her Chili-ness and I enjoyed a late-afternoon Fall walk at Whitecliff Park in nearby Crestwood and along Grant’s Trail near the Grant’s Farm horse pastures. She warily went nose-to-nose with a giant Clydesdale that was grazing near the fence line.

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

I bought my first Willie Nelson CD last week. It's "The Troublemaker," his mid-70s country gospel album. I've enjoyed bopping down the road chorusing with Willie on "Unclouded Day" at full throat.

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

No matter how many times "Apollo 13" is shown on Bravo, I still enjoy watching it.
............

Idyllic: Devouring the Sunday paper big crossword while sitting in a cushioned patio chair on your deck under a shady oak tree, your dog a few feet away taking in all the smells wafting in on the not-so-gentle breeze under a sunny, cloudless sky.

Jive-talkin' the Alphabet...

YouTube goodness: Richard Pryor reading the alphabet on Sesame Street.

Dad Playing With The Granddog...

My dad got in some quality time with Chili at our family gathering last Sunday. Turn your sound up REALLY high to hear the audio. My first experience with Windows Movie Maker wasn't pretty and I accidentally recorded over the original on tape.

The Tail End...

Chili's tail had recovered nicely last evening when I got home. I was going to call and cancel the vet appointment but then she scooted her bottom across my carpet. That usually means her bottom's "stink" glands are blocked up, so off to the vet we went. She got her bottom squeezed, and her nails trimmed. All is well once again in Chili's world.

I think the tail episode was a result of her simply wagging her tail so much and so furiously that it strained its muscles. A couple of days' rest is all it needed.

I shot some video of my dad playing with Chili on Sunday. As soon as I can get it off the camera I'll post it.

Got Her Tail All Out Of Joint...

Chili's got her tail literally all out of joint over something. I noticed this morning that her tail has gone limp and she won't allow me to get near it to feel around. When I look at her and call her name, her tail usually wags furiously, but not today. It's obviously drooping and she'll be visiting the HSMO vet tomorrow.

***EDIT***

I did some research into limp/drooping tails today. This site suggests that it may be nothing serious. I'll have to wait and see.

Family Ties...

My parents hosted a family gathering at their house in Festus today. My grandpa has doctor appointments in St. Louis tomorrow, and with several upcoming birthdays to celebrate as well, it was a happy time. Chili came with me, of course, and she behaved herself quite well. She met several new family members who were all glad to make her acquaintance!

Speaking of family, it was good to see my bro and sis-in-law again. They are six months into their pregnancy experience and my sis-in-law is visibly pregnant but looks really great. They brought an album of ultrasound images that prove their little alien is developing normally! : )

You Oughta Be In Pictures...

Since I've had Chili, I've been thinking about getting a digital camcorder to shoot videos of her and other fun things. My research intensified while I was off last week and I finally made a purchase yesterday. One of my co-workers recommended the Sony DCR-HC38 model Mini-DV camcorder. He said he was happy with it so that's what I got. It came in really handy when my Dad was playing with Chili this afternoon. Getting the video off the camera and onto my computer will take some extra, costly doing but I think it will be worth it.

New Phone...

I spent most of Saturday running around trying to find the best deal on a new cell phone and looking at digital camcorders. The phone I ended up with was a Samsung "Sync." I have AT&T as my carrier and I visited their retail store near my house first. The price was $159 after rebate with a bundled package of charger, case, and Bluetooth earpiece.

Radio Shack, however, had the EXACT SAME PHONE for $49 BEFORE a $20 rebate and a special deal of 3 accessories for 30% off each accessory. The Sync is more phone than I need right now, but it's a good investment for the future, and besides, the selection of phones wasn't that great.

Watch Out For Round Flying Objects...

I had a close call while playing volleyball on Thursday night. One of my teammates served from behind me, but served too low. Wouldn't you know I turned at just the wrong time and the ball smacked me directly in my left eye. Luckily, my glasses took the brunt of the impact, flying off to the other side of the net. I'm fine and so are my glasses. I think I may be done with volleyball for the year, though!

For reasons known only to Chili the dog, she confused my cell phone for a chew toy after I got home Thursday night. Either the phone fell out of my shorts as I entered my bedroom or she grabbed it off my dresser. After I showered off, I found the phone lying on the floor in front of my bathroom. I'll have pictures in another post. It was rendered almost totally inoperable. I could still make calls and talk to people, but the earpiece was punctured through and I couldn't hear the person on the other end. I was eligible for an upgrade anyway, so it was sort of convenient timing.

A Little Concert Action...

One of the cool things I did was hit the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill to catch Over The Rhine's concert on Wednesday night. Since I didn't have to get up early to go anywhere the next morning, I stayed for the whole show. It was my first time to see them live and they didn't disappoint. They managed to work through almost all the songs from their latest record, played many of their older hits, and closed with a sublime cover of Gillian Welch's "Orphan Girl." I wish I'd brought my camera!!!

Sunday Night; Let's Blow Off The Dust

Yeah, it's been a while.

Let's see, when I last updated, a lot of friendly co-workers had left the building. Well, the world didn't stop turning and the paper still got published. New job assignments, reassignments, blah blah blah, we made it--let's get on with life!

I worked straight through from Friday until the following Tuesday because my new shift started on Sunday night. It still feels weird working on a Sunday night but I'll get used to it in time. I took the rest of the week off after Tuesday. It was one of those times when I could sense that I needed some time away from the office. It also just happened to be the week when those readers who faithfully clipped their "Millionaire" money out of the paper since July brought it all down to our office to be counted. The crowds were tremendous. All the division of the P-D had to volunteer workers to help count. The fact that I took off during that mess is purely coincidental, truly.

Tough Day Today...

Today was one of the toughest days I've had in ten years at the P-D. As I mentioned in a previous post, another early-retirement incentive was offered, this time for 60 people company-wide. Our new fiscal year begins in October, so today was the last day for the majority of the early-retirees. Our newsroom took the biggest hit by far, with over 2/3 of them coming out of there. Many talented writers, reporters, photographers, and editors are now gone. I mean, the guy who answers the phone in the sports department is gone. What stings the most is the loss of 6(!) photographers, all of whom I was well-acquainted with because I support their Macintosh computers. They were more than just users, or "customers" to me.

[A real "sucker-punch" came in the form of a company-wide e-mail that was sent from our CEO this morning. I'm Not Kidding - it was in the form of a press release, detailing exactly how much money this buyout is costing the company but also trumpeting the amount of money that this buyout will save the company. I'm no expert, but I'd have saved this e-mail for next week]

Bill McClellan sized up the situation pretty well in his column today. Basically, the Internet has changed the way people get their news, plain and simple. Less people buy newspapers, thus advertisers spend less on print advertising, thus profit margins are reduced, making newspaper company stockholders very nervous, creating a need to cut costs wherever and however possible. I don't attempt to understand the logic of it all, I just know a lot of good people are leaving their newspaper careers too soon. I don't blame them for taking an offer they couldn't refuse. Moreover, this is not unique to my employer; it's happening to large newspapers all over the country. Here's a link to Bill's column. It's well worth the reading.

The evolution of newspapers can be traced to two meteors

Anybody Know Hoss Cartwright's phone number?

One of the more bizarre headlines ever to appear on Stltoday.com:

Stray Bull Roams Downtown

and I'm off work today, too. I'd like to see the St. Louis Metro Po-lice try to round up that angry lil' steer!

Fantastic News!...

This makes me glad the bottom dropped out of my voice in high school!

Deep-Voiced Men Have More Kids

"Studies conducted by David Feinberg of McMaster University in Canada have shown that women are more attracted to men with deeper voices, judging them to be older, healthier and more masculine than their higher-pitched rivals."

can't argue with science!