Thursday, October 30

Right now, it is cold in DC. The high today will only get to 47. I can't imagine what Winter will be like. Walking home from the gym this morning as I do everyday, my thoughts drifted back to a few days ago, when I was on the same path.

DC has so many squirrels; brown ones, light grey ones, dark grey ones, and even black ones. I have pondered "Do squirrels wake up and think "Damn its cold out here"? I know I do. Just a thought.

Wednesday, October 22

Change in weather for me equals sinuses. Lo has been battling a cold for a couple of weeks now, while have been taking precautions. Unfortunately, when the weather is hot-cold-hot- now cold, there is pretty much no hope. I do not feel bad; I just have the “cup to the ear” sickness called sinus pressure. We will get through it. Other than that, life is crazy on Capitol Hill. Everyone is running around for whatever reason. The election has gotten EVERYONE in a tizzy. I haven’t written much about politics because most people are not interested in it. I know my wife is not. She hates it. She supports the Queen.

They are calling this presidential election the most historic one in the history of the United States. While I feel your political decision is just that YOUR decision, I can say I am a McCain supporter. One for many reasons. I do not hate Obama or his supporters, I just feel that he has an “air” about him that I just do not understand. I believe many people are intrigued by him because they do not know anything about him and have an urge to learn more. We do not know much about his past or exactly what his views are for the future, yet we yearn to find out. I just hope what we find out about him is good. Currently, I am reading a book call The Audacity of Deceit by Brad O’Leary.

“What lies beneath Barack Obama's well-polished rhetoric will shock you. Obama touts 'change' but his version is nothing less than a frontal assault on American values and traditions. Obama's goal? Bring America to her knees through a policy of 'managed decline.' On his watch, our great nation will become a second-rate country on a downhill slide. In The Audacity of Deceit, Brad O'Leary takes you deep inside Obama's plans to dismantle the Second Amendment and destroy our economy while putting us in thrall to the United Nations and laying waste to all that millions of Americans hold dear. You’ll learn: How Obama's fatherless childhood mirrors that of Bill Clinton's and fuels his obsession with fame and power at any cost. How his tax plan would raise rates to a Hoover-like 60% and eviscerate America's economy. How the U.S. Treasury will become the United Nations' ATM. Why Obama wants to keep fuel prices high and Americans immobilized. The '0 to 5' initiative designed to transfer child-rearing from parents to the state. Here are the facts about Barack Obama. Barack Obama may be desperately tacking towards the middle in order to attract voters, but as The Audacity of Deceit proves, his real beliefs are not those of the majority of Americans.”

I would recommend the book if you are a McCain or Obama supporter. The one thing I hate about politics is how people are bringing their children into it. I recently watched a video of 1st graders singing their praises to Obama. Regardless of whom the candidate is, these children do not understand politics nor should be walking advertisements. Those parents are sad individuals.

I am also adding a video. If you are on my mailing list, then you have already received this. If not, take a look. It is a 22-minute long sermon at an African-American church in New York City. You will be surprised at the content. Be aware, there is some language that may not be suitable for young children. Here is the link:

http://www.atlah.org/broadcast/ndnr10-17-08.html

Thursday, October 16

Wednesday, October 8

21-Day Recap

I have not written in exactly 21 days. I know. I know. Not at my best right now. I will get better. Upon Lo’s arrival from NYC, we set off on another adventure, Knoxville, TN. I rented a car from priceline.com for $12/day. Very cheap. The question would be what we would get for this amount? Well Hertz came through. Lauren and I set off on our journey in a 2008 Hyundai Elantra. Amenities included both driver and passenger air bags, cd player, XM availability, IPOD hookup, keyless entry, sun roof, power windows, and even a built-in navigation system. Who is cool? This couple. After seven hours of couple’s karaoke, we made it to Knoxville.

Saturday is football time in Tennessee. They should have made that known to the Volunteer football team. A poor showing from them, but none-the-less a fun time. We tailgated at Animal House. Should any of you happen to remember one of the places I called home in Oxford, Oak Grove (behind Billiard’s), then you can picture Animal House. However, Animal House made Oak Grove look like the Hilton. Lauren was disgusted, therefore, staying outside as much as possible. All in all, we had a great time and look forward to another trip to UT.

The following weekend was Ole Miss Weekend. We watched the debate on Friday, then l lost my voice watching the Rebels do the impossible (block an extra-point, stop Tebow from gaining 1 yard, and beating Florida). Go Rebels! Then Monday came around and I realized I was still an Ole Miss fan and in some way they would ruin it. They did. A loss to South Carolina.

That, however, would take back seat to the weekend I was having. The University of Virginia and Charlottesville are two of the most amazing sites east of the Mississippi. Bold statement, but if you ever visit there you will see what I am talking about. Our friend Jackson, invited us down for the weekend and I have to give it to him, he knows how to entertain. We started the weekend by eating at a restaurant on the downtown mall. For those of you who have never been to UVA, the downtown mall is similar to the square in Oxford. A place filled with nightlife, unique shops, and eccentric restaurants. Post dinner, we ventured out to some local hot spots and called it a night, well morning.

Saturday morning, actually mid-day came, and we headed out to King Family Vineyards for a wine tasting. No words can describe this setting. You can see from the pictures below, the beauty of the landscape surrounding this vineyard. After being in bliss for quite some time, we headed back to Charlottesville to get ready for the UVA-Maryland game. The drive back consisted of windows down, breeze flowing through the vehicle, eyes closed (except Jackson who was driving) and listening to the happiest music on repeat. We all were smiling. We were happy.

Back in Charlottesville, we headed to campus and re-lived college for a bit. We traveled to Jackson’s beloved home, the Kappa Sig house, where Lauren and I reminisced on being in college. Oh the joy we had, yet we never fully realized it until now. We walked to the rotunda and through the infamous lawn. Jackson’s girlfriend’s parents were gracious enough to allow us to sit in their box for the game. It felt like home with the McFatters in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, yet miles away. Maryland was no contest to UVA, who easily took the victory. Many might not know my obsession with college bands. At one point in time, I wanted to be in the band and actually was..... (6th) grade. Baseball changed that. However, I love it. There is nothing better than a crisp Saturday night on a college campus and the school band pumping up the crowd. Especially when they play “From Dixie With Love”. Now I may have found my match. Jackson and I sat in amazement for most of the second half listening and talking about the band. After the game, approximately 20 minutes, only two young men were left standing, gazing at the UVA band as they finished their post game rituals. Jackson and I. At one point, we were hoping that after each song, one more would be played. Eventually our luck ran out and the band left the stadium. After a long and exhausting day, we called it a night. Sunday, we ate lunch with a goat named Jimmy Rester and made our way back to D.C. It was a great weekend.

Our Hyundai Elantra


Tennessee Football


King Family Vineyard





UVA

Monday, October 6

GO HOOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


As I am still recovering from a fantastically fun weekend, I am not able to do a full post at this time. When I am at full capacity, I will write back with a report. Be watching...