Like, Love and Don't Like

Julie is still doing well folks - just a little wrapped up in yet another hobby!

This week, I like the fact that Julie is getting more involved with a great hobby that she originally expressed interest in this time last year. Julie started re-upholstering her first chair over the weekend! I'm sure she will be posting photos soon so I won't steal too much of her thunder. I can really tell that she is enjoying it!

This week, I love remembering that I met Julie 3 years ago on October 4th. That's another post for another day! Incidentally, Julie last laughed at one of my jokes 3 years ago on October 4th.

This week, I don't like the fact that Tiger Woods has eclipsed the $1 BILLION mark in career earnings. He's the first professional athlete to do so and this amount is hard for me to grasp. He does very well for himself just on money he wins at tournaments. And don't forget his endorsement deals. The real kicker is that he has now entered the realm of golf course design - an income source that will last far longer than his golf winnings (which aren't going away anytime soon). Side note: Don't feel sorry for Jack, Arnie or any of the older players that paved the way for Tiger. They may have not enjoyed the same riches during their playing days but they do extremely well for themselves each year thanks in large part to Tiger and the attention he brings to golf.

Wow - a BILLION. I tried to find some unseen video clip of Tiger but came across this instead. Don't watch if you are timid about the national deficit!

Like, Love and Don't Like

Just so that everyone will know...Julie is fine. Nothing is wrong. Her creative juices just haven't been flowing lately.

This week, I like the idea of staying home this weekend. Between traveling to Auburn for games (which has been great!) and hosting family members (which has also been great!), Julie and I haven't had a "lazy" weekend in a while. We're both looking forward to being unproductive this weekend.

This week, I love "Cookies 'n' Cream" candy bars from Hershey's. These wonderous treats are the perfect blend of white chocolate and crispy chocolate cookies. Try one for yourself today and thank me tomorrow.

This week, I don't like how the playing conditions for this weekend's PGA Tour playoff finale are looking. The Atlanta area has received rain amounts that would make Noah nervous over the last week. The Tour won't like ending the season with a lackluster winner or under weather conditions that force 36-hole days. For the record, I like Stewart Cink winning it all on (one of) his home course(s).

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like leftovers. My parents came to visit this past weekend and Julie went above and beyond the call of cooking duty. We napped liked college students as the succulent morsels glistened on our lips and digested in our gullets. Julie has not had to cook all week because we had so much food left over. I think she has enjoyed the break.

This week, I love the fact that I recently replaced the burnt-out light bulbs on the dashboard of my truck. I had gotten to the point to where I could not see my speedometer at night. My research on the Internet turned up just enough info to give me courage to try replacing the bulbs myself - but not much in the form of helpful photos or directions. It actually turned out to be an easier-than-expected process and I will be posting my findings soon. Bottom line: I saved some money (in terms of labor) and all of my dash lights work now!


This week, I don't like the current state of our landscaping. Julie and I pay quarterly fees to our neighborhood association. This money help pays for weekly lawn mowings and edging and also occasional hedge trimming. Seems that this year they changed "occasional" to "one-time". I've had to bust out the hedge trimmer to keep the bushes at bay. I don't mind the exercise but you should see some of the bushes around the neighborhood! Out of control!

Labor Day golf

Clay "Bocephus" Branch and I played the Ridge course at Oxmoor Valley on our day off on Monday. I promised some footage of my new irons in action. Unfortantely, I didn't get any video of my irons but here are a few of me and Clay from various holes. The state of Maryland may be best known for crabcakes and football but Clay is famous for making eagles from 120 yards. Unfortunately, I did not have the camera handy when Clay pulled off this incredible shot on the par four #6 but it certainly helped him put together a very nice round.

Here's Clay with his driver. Be sure to turn the volume down as his booms can cause speaker damage.

That's deep! So deep that Clay decided to strut down the fairway rather than ride in the cart with me. Here's a shot of me with a 3 wood from a fairway:

Handsome and sweet-swinging! Julie is so lucky!

Clay and I had fun with the camera and we're definitely going to take it on future outings. I promise to get some quality video of some shots with my irons. (Side note: I've never seen video of my swing before. It's kinda like hearing your voice on tape for the first time.) I do love my new irons and I love my wife for getting them for me (and for many other reasons). They are great in every way possible and occasionally cause me to consider a bold transition. I know exactly how this guy feels in the video below.

Julie always asks what Clay and I talk about during our rounds. This is pretty much exactly like one of our conversations. JULIE, HOWEVER, IS NOT! I love that!

Can 5 years change a man?

Julie and I enjoyed part of our long Labor Day weekend over in Auburn, kicking off the new season with her parents. We had a great time at the game and the team seems to be more unified this year (knock on wood).

One thing I took away from gameday was the notion that Auburn University does not want fans/alumni to tailgate (for free) anymore. That confusing realization kept running through my mind when, out of the blue, cousin Neil called to inform me that our friend Rusty got his picture in the Auburn/Opelika paper (no, not a mugshot for those of you that know Rusty). I followed Neil's directions and soon found Rusty's picture, as seen below. Rusty was caught in action at the first Tiger Walk of the year...ironically improving his position on the same guardrails he created a need for back in 2004.














Cousin Katie's former job gave her access to the photo below, from the 2004 season. In 2005, as the story goes, Auburn officials were concerned that the safety of players participating in Tiger Walk was in jeopardy at the hands of rowdy, unobstructed fans. This photo of Rusty saying "hello" to Carnell Williams was referred to as "Exhibit A". It's no coincidence that guardrails are now part of the tradition that is Tiger Walk.















A lot has changed in the last 5 years. Auburn is rebuilding and Rusty is now a husband and a father. There may be a little more salt in the pepper-colored goatee but that glimmer in Rusty's eye is still accompanied by that sly grin. You have to ask yourself: can 5 years change a man?

Like, Love and Don't Like

This week, I like the arrival of fall-like temperatures. We haven't quite gotten to the point where the humidity level is consistently bearable but we're close. My car does not resemble an oven when I get in it and I don't have to blast the AC on the way to and from work - which saves a little gas.

This week, I love the arrival of college football season. I want to hear the theme music to ESPN's College Gameday and I want to hear it now. I want to watch Lee Corso infuriate Bama Nation by picking Virginia Tech to win (even though it's usually bad news if Corso picks your team). And I want to read all the great signs behind the Gameday set.

This week, I don't like the fact that I cannot fix our busted DVD player. It decided to stop reading DVDs the other day without any warning. I'm no electronics expert but I examined all the "guts" and feel confident that I pinponted the problem. Unfortunately, I don't know what to do about said problem area! In the era of Wal Mart, Best Buy, HH Greg and numerous other stores, it's much easier to just buy a new machine rather than have your machine serviced. (Side note: Julie is ironically now very appreciative of my PlayStation 2 and it's DVD capabilities all of a sudden. When our DVD player went on the blink, she didn't have to interupt her precious Heros viewings. I guess the PS2 isn't so bad to have after all!)

BONUS TIDBIT: Photos (and possibly video) next week from Oxmoor Valley's Ridge Course. You've seen the clubs, now see them in action!

Dinner Time

Nick does a lot around the house which is a huge help and something I do not take for granted. I certainly appreciate all of his help, but I especially love it when he offers to make dinner. I do love to cook, but occasionally it is nice to have a night off and let someone else do the cooking.

Sunday night Nick whipped up one of our favorite e-mealz - Pepperoni Loaf!