10 Most Memorable Moments of the Last Decade...

I took this idea from BT over at trappster.com. This is a look at my life in the two-thousands(?). Which brings me to a different idea... What do you call the last decade? I'm almost glad it's over, because noone in the last 10 years could answer that question. I grew up in the 80's and 90's, but then the millennium/century turned and everyone was confused. I digress...

Here's the list:

2000. This was the year I turned 16 and got my drivers license. This is one of those proverbial coming-of-age events. THis was also the year that I became an Eagle Scout which is one of my proudest moments.


2001. I went on my first mission trip in 2001. My high-school youth group took all of us to Colorado Springs for a week during this summer. It was particularly memorable, because we drove to Colorado, stopping in Oklahoma City to see the bombing memorial.


2002. In February of 2002, I had the worst day of my life. I was involved in a car accident that totaled my mom's car. I walked away thankfully, but it was by far the most traumatic experience I have ever had. I learned a lot from it, and I grew a lot because of it. If anything else happened in '02, I don't remember it, because this trumps it all.


2003. 2003 was a transitional year for me. I graduated high-school, got my first car, went on a trip to Ecuador (which BTW is an amazing country), and started college with strep throat.


2004. This is the year of "The Flood." I was in the Million Dollar Band at Alabama, and I woke up early on the Saturday of the Iron Bowl to find that my dorm room was 'puddled' with water. Needless to say, I was late for practice that morning. Not only did my room flood, my brother's room (which was located below mine) also flooded, and the basement of the dorm flooded. Turns out there was a pinhole leak in a pipe next to my sink inside the wall.


2005. In the spring of 2005, I finished 5th in Mallet Wargames. Wargames is a one-shot-one-kill game played on campus at Alabama starting the Monday after Sprig Break. Everyone in the Mallet dorm plays all over campus 24-7 until one person remains. I killed myself during finals week, because I was too stressed out. In the fall of 2005, I took too many lab classes at the same time. I had 4 tests, a presentation, and 5 finals within the last two weeks of class. Those two weeks I lost 10 lbs. due to stress.


2006. The summer of 2006 my friend Tyler and I played NHL Hitz on X-box every day after work. My nickname was "Skeeter," and I was good. It's an extremely addicting game. Not very difficult, but when you play with someone else, it is impossible to stop playing.


2007. This was another transitional year. I graduated from college, got married, started my first job, quit my first job (a story for a later date), started my second job, and attended 12 weddings. Yeah, it was a busy year


2008. In 2008, my wife and I bought our first house and got a dog. We love both of them


2009. Earlier this year, my wife was involved in a car accident that totaled her car that we both loved. Thankfully she was not injured, but the whole experience was in itself tedious. I dread car shopping, much less being forced against my will to go car shopping. Nevertheless, we found another car that we like.


I'm sure there are many more examples I could use, but these stick out in my mind. I'm looking forward to the next decade because, I have a chance to write it. I have a clean slate. What will I do? I don't know, but I do have a list of things I want to do. Check out my post tomorrow for what I plan to do in 2010. I don't like the use of "New Year's Resolutions," because it is overused and cliche. So, I will call it goals, aspirations, or something like that. At the end of the next decade I will be 35.

What will you do with your next 10 years?

Time Flies

Wow... Where did August, September, October, and November go? I guess school got in the way. Nevertheless, I have lots of good blog information stored in my $1000 butterfly catcher also known as my phone. So keep watching the blog for some cool updates coming by year end.

The Man-Purse or "murse"

So, I have been contemplating this for a while. The question at hand is the following: "Is a briefcase a murse?" I sent this out on Twitter (which forwards to Facebook). I got some interesting responses and discussion some of which I will share here.

=

I think I'm man enough to say at occasion my briefcase can be considered a murse but for good reason. Unlike a colleague of mine who blatantly admits that his attache case is a murse without question. It contains asprin, cleaner for his glasses, etc. So, it brings us to this. What makes a briefcase a murse? I think there are two distinct categories: 1) what it contains 2) how it is used.

Contents:
If your briefcase contains your keys, wallet, lipgloss, etc., then it is a murse. However, if it contains your laptop, calculator, business cards, etc., then it is not. Umbrella... Maybe. Top Secret Files... definitely not. Mirror... purse all the way.

Use:
If you use your briefcase in a certain way, it can be called a murse. Obviously it is a murse if you have more than one and color-coordiate with your outfit. If it has a padded shoulder strap, you may be on the fence. I think this point is moot, but it's up for debate. It may be best to lose the strap all together. If you take it with you to any place other than work or home, it is a murse (as in Walmart).

The bottom line is that you have to be careful not to turn your briefcase into a murse.

Ways to de-feminize your briefcase/murse:
1. Carry a Crocodile Dundee knoife (that's the Austrailian spelling of knife)

2. Put your keys in your pocket
3. Leave your briefcase at work (you don't need to work at home)
4. Lose the shoulder strap (If it's too heavy to carry in one hand, it's a murse.)

Other Suggestions... What are your thoughts.



P.S. I have to give credit to my Facebook friends who added input to this. They supplied some of this debate: Madison P., Steve S., Amber S., and Jessica B. Thanks for the great input.

#moonfruit

This is pure marketing genious at work. Moontweet is giving away a Macbook Pro every day for 10 days (today is day 4) to a random person who Tweets "#moonfruit" that's it no catch.



MoonFruit is a website builder that has been around for 10 years now. To celebrate their existence, they are giving away computers. What could be more perfect than spreading your brand (for free) on Twitter? Think about it, those who are on twitter are most likely to be young adults who are tech savvy and either have a website or have thought about having their own website. This is free advertisement for their company and brand. Furthermore, "#moonfruit" is the number 1 phrase on Twitter currently. That's huge.

Dinner at Pensacola Beach

I had dinner tonight overlooking Pensacola Beach. I thought I would share some photos.



(photos taken from my iPhone)

Kurt Cobain - Smells Like Ecclesiastes

Harm and I awoke this morning just like any other morning, but this wasn't just like any other morning. Harm went to the kitchen and let out a shrieking scream. I'm pretty used to this, because we had lots of strange bugs when we lived in the apartment. I thought she found a bug, but no... Goldilocks had fled the coop. The storm the night before must have been too much for her, and she jumped ship. She jumped out of the fishbowl into the sink where she met her end. Unfortunately, she must have thought all drains lead to the ocean. This one led to the disposal, but she never got that far. She was removed to take the porcelain express.

This event reminded me of a Bible Study I led a few years ago in college that discussed different aspects of suicide. Here are some excerpts and thoughts of mine on this subject. This study was in a series of lessons surrounding the book The Rock Cries Out: Discovering Eternal Truth in Unlikely Music by Steve Stockman. It is a very good book if you are familiar with the artists he writes about. If not, it is still a good read, but you may need some supplemental information to help with what he doesn't explain.

So from this book, I took Chapter 3: Kurt Cobain - Smells Like Ecclesiastes to analyze suicide.

Some Background Information:
Kurt Cobain and Nirvana rocketed to the most popular band on the planet. Less than 31 months after Nevermind was released, Cobain was dead. Several things have been attributed to his demise. At age 7, his parents divorce impacted him big time. “Since the age of 7 I have become hateful of all humans in general.” His music was detrimental to his health. The anger and screaming caused an ulcer to form in his stomach. Furthermore, he suffered from scoliosis. Thus, his guitar weight made his back pain worse. Experts have speculated that four major components attributed to his death. 1) Hopelessness of heroine addiction, 2) stomach pain, 3) emotional pain, and 4) delusion of the drugs that he was on. We must be careful not to associate this demise with Cobain’s lack of religious belief. It is wrong to assume that non-Christians are unhappy. Success is an addictive rush. So what is the point?

Two Questions:
If success can make me happy why do I need God?
If success can make me happy why did Kurt Cobain commit suicide?

Suicide
Here are some interesting demographics from the National Center for Health and Statistics



Some additional thoughts and reading material on this subject.

Is suicide ever acceptable?
10 Commandments - Thou shalt not kill.
Jesus - “Love the Lord your God…”
Numbers 11:12-15 - Moses asks God to kill him.
Judges 16:29-30 - Samson commits suicide
I Samuel 31:4-6 and I Chronicles 10:3-7 - Saul
Matthew 7:25 - Judas
Philippians 1:20-26 - Paul

A permanent solution to a temporary problem.

What should we do?
II Corinthians 4:18 - Fix our eyes on Jesus
Matthew 6:19-20 - Store Treasures in Heaven
Luke 12:19
Hebrews 4:15

Smells Like Ecclesiastes
Ecclesiastes 1:2 - Everything is meaningless
Ecclesiastes 12:13

Everything under the sun is meaningless

Everything without God is meaningless

We need the vertical in order to make sense in the horizontal.

What do we learn from Kurt Cobain?


Let me know your thoughts.

2nd Annual ASME Skeet Shoot

Today was the second ASME Skeet Shoot. We were able to raise enough money to give out three scholarships this year to a student from The University of Alabama, UAB, and UAH. Each student is a Mechanical Engineering Junior or Senior. This year's recipients received their scholarships at the event and all of the donors were able to meet them and congratulate them in person.

Our venue was Selwood Farms near Childersburg, AL. This has been our location both years, and it has gone very well. The course is challenging and the host is very hospitable. We hope to continue our relationship in the future. One interesting thing about Selwood is the restrooms. I have posted pictures that designate the male and female restrooms. See if you can figure out which is which... Some people actually had trouble with this.

Uncle Bryan and Aunt Harmony

Harmony and I arrived to see Miriam and the proud parents around 5:00 pm on Thursday just about 24 hours after she was born. She has no problems so far which is a huge blessing. Mom and Baby came home Friday at noon, and both are recovering well. We are still helping the parents put the changing table together, fix dinner, hold the baby, etc. while they are getting adjusted to their new life. We plan on leaving today (Saturday) after dinner so we can get on the road. It is a long 15 hour drive for Harm and I back to Moody. We'll have to change vehicles in Huntsville tomorrow while also seeing Harm's family for Mother's Day.

Here's a few more pictures for your viewing pleasure.

New Picture of Miriam Elizabeth

I'll get to se her today. We're leaving Knoxville in a few minutes.

On the road again....

B

I'm an Uncle!

Miriam Elizabeth Coley

7 lbs. 10 oz.

20.5" long

Born 4:42pm

May 6, 2009

Run for the Reason: Final Thoughts

1 Pair of Running Shoes: $110
2 Pair of Running Shorts and 5 pair of Socks: $16
2 months of training and 2.5 days of running every twelve hours for a total of 23.8 miles with very little sleep to help fund a cure for cancer: Priceless



This event has been very rewarding for me to honor those who donated to help me reach my fundraising goal. So, to my sponsors, I say thank you for your support. I ran for you and/or your loved ones that you donated for. I hope that I get the chance to do this again in the future. I am thankful I had the opportunity to raise money for such a good cause.

B

Run for the Reason: Final Run

We decided to all run the last four miles into Plant Wansley to make up time, and so we can all run into the plant together. This turned out to be a major blessing to all of the teams. We were able to eat much sooner and get home sooner than expected. Of course to top off the finish, we all got silly stringed at the finish line. This was one of many pranks pulled by each group during the race. Usually, we did something to the baton that we would pass to the next group. Hand cream, maxi pads, faux road kill, water bottles, etc. all were adorned on the baton at one point or another to prank other teams.

All in all, it was a very rewarding event. We all were on edge by the last run and were ready to be done. It would have been easy to get testy and argumentative, but we kept to the schedule and just remembered why we were out there. I can safely say that I will do it again in a heart beat, but I'll need some time to recover first. On that note, I made it home, and I'm about to hit the bed for a nice long nap.

Run for the Reason: Breakfast after 4

Jacks makes a mean biscuit and gravy when you need carbs and protein. Breakfast was much needed before we went to Shocco Springs to take our last power nap before we finish.

Our last leg will be unique. Watch for that post soon.

B

Run for the Reason: Fourth Run

This run was very liberating. After the first three legs, I thought this one would be the hardest. It was the hardest to wake up for. The three hours of sleep the night before was exceptionally glorious; however, the alarm seemed to go off only minutes after I laid down to sleep. Regardless, the worst part was the stiff muscles that I have after sleeping. Stretching was not enough to loosen up. It required the beginning of the run to get the blood flowing and lactic acid out of my legs. I will be very sore after this is over, but it is well worth it. I'm looking forward to sleeping here shortly in the RV. By the way, the RV is having serious transmission issues. There is occasionally a burning smell coming from somewhere, and the transmission definitely is slipping when shifting gears. Sometimes it doesn't even want to go in gear. Nevertheless, we press on.

Sleep Time,

B

Run for the Reason: Dinner after 3

We decided Pizza would be glorious after running past the half way point. We were exactly right. We stopped at the Pizza Hut in Clanton and grabbed a bite to eat. I split a large Meatlovers Pizza with Jennifer. That hit the spot. Then off to the hotel for a few hours sleep.

Run for the Reason: Third Run

This one was harder to get started than the first two. It was mainly due to muscle stiffness and lack of sleep fatigue. I did get chased by a dog on this leg of the trip. A mid to large size yellow lab was booking it across his yard straight at me. I proceeded to turn my 10 minute per mile pace into a sprint up to the lead vehicle. Luckily the dog stopped and barked at the edge of his property, but it did give me that extra boost of energy that kept me going my last mile and a half. Other than that. the most exciting things were the numerous amounts of roadkill. The most challenging part was not the hills or the distance but the heat. The sun wasn't out, but the humidity was around 90-100%. It sprinkled on me a few times during the first mile very briefly, but that told me the humidity was high.

Before this run we stayed at the Best Western in Clanton. I only got 2 hours of sleep this morning, because it was compulsory for me to have breakfast before shower and sleep (in that order). At this point in the race, it is all about priorities. My first priority was to satisfy my calorie deprived body. We ate at the Waffle House and had the most glorious breakfast ever. I had two eggs (scrambled), hash browns (covered and chunked), biscuit and gravy, two sausage patties, two slices of buttered toast with grape jelly, and some bacon. Once my tummy was satisfied I showered and slept.

Run number four is coming up. I think it's going to be the worst one yet. At least it is a night and not during the heat again. We will be finishing near Talladega and Anniston. Those updates will be coming tonight around Midnight.

Until then,

B

Run for the Reason: Midnight Run

Running at night was a new experience. It is very liberating to run under the stars on a cool 72 degree night. The air is fresh and the night noises are pleasant. Our first runner, Kathleen, started around 12:30 just a little behind schedule. She passed the baton to me after 4.5 miles. I ran 4.5 miles in 42 minutes and passed the baton to Holley. Holley was followed by Jennifer, then Waymon, and finally Lee who is running anchor. Between all of us, we are averaging 9-11 minutes per mile. Waymon is probably our strongest runner. He and I are the only two males in the group, but that doesn't really matter. The girls keep the spirit up, and we have a good time.

Each runner had the chance to sleep before or after his run, but it's very hard to do that when you are either anticipating your run or have just run and are pumping with endorphins and adrenaline. I managed to sleep briefly during Lee's time being that I had been done for a few hours and had just pigged out on snacks.

The morale is still high, we haven't had any major injuries. Kathleen has a hurt calf muscle but is able to work out the stiffness and soreness during her run. I had a toenail that was cutting into another toe during the first day run. I fixed that with some toenail clippers and a band-aid.

B

Run for the Reason: Lodging First Night

The Battle House in Mobile was kind enough to let us stay for free on the first night of our journey. This hotel as you can see by the pictures is very nice. I have not seen a nicer lobbey area than in this hotel. Also, the rooms were comparable to the lobbey. Accomodations will not be this nice for the remainder of the trip.

Onward and upward,

B

Run for the Reason: First Run

67 Minutes / 6.1 Miles = 10.98 Minutes per Mile

Not bad for my not running that far in training. I have been averaging 9 minute miles on my 4 mile training runs. Some interesting facts, I passed two dead armadillos, one dead bird, and one unidentifiable dead animal. Spirits are still high, and our remaining runners are rearing to go.

Run for the Reason: Lunch

Lunch at Plant Barry is awesome. Jambalaya, fresh fruit, cake, and all the water we can drink.

We are taking it to go so we don't get sick while running. We should start very soon.

I'm runner number 2, I'll twitter when I start!

B

Run for the Reason: Day One

Today we met at the Southern Company Inverness office at 2pm. We loaded up the RVs and lead vehicles with all of our stuff and headed down to Mobile. We picked up some runners and drivers along the way in Montgomery and Greenville. Arriving in Mobile at 8pm, we ate at the Cracker Barrel for dinner.

To say the excitement is so thick you could cut it with a knife, is somewhat cliche, but it is very true. Some of the more experienced runners (those who have done this before) know what is in store over the next few days. Supposedly, we will be at each other's throats by Saturday afternoon. I'll let you know how true that is on Saturday. Otherwise, spirits are high.

To start with, our team is down a runner from 7 to 6. That makes each run just slightly longer than anticipated. Furthermore, one of our runners will not be joining us for the first leg (the longest leg) thus making our runs even more "fun." So, the good news is that the hardest part will be over at the start.

So far we have begun learning each other's names and association with Alabama Power. I still can't tell you everyone's name on my team, but I will know by tomorrow evening hopefully.

We will begin running tomorrow at noon directly in front of Alabama Power Plant Barry. Then our next run will be Saturday Morning starting at Midnight (yaay!).

Look for another update tomorrow after the first leg.

B

Run for The Reason: Packing List

Here is my list to pack for Run for the Reason.



Packing List:

1     Sunscreen
1     Baby Powder
2     Water Bottles
1     Bug Repellant
2     Flip Flops
1     Hat
5     Running Shirts
1     UnderArmor
2     Running Shoes (old and new)
2     Running Shorts
8     Socks (feet are of primary importance)
5     Underwear
2     Towel(s)
1     Blue Jeans and Belt
1     Jacket
1     Sleep Clothes
1     Running Book (to pass the time)
1     Computer (for updates)
1     Computer Charger
1     Digital Camera
1     iPod
1     iPod Shuffle (amazing... the new shuffle rocks for working out)
1     Phone (for on-the-go updates - Twitter, Facebook)
1     Phone Charger
1     Toiletries
1     Lost and Found Kit
1     Emergency Toilet Paper (you never know what you will need this for)
1     First Aid Kit
1     Ace Bandage
1     Immodium (same comment as TP)
1     Pepto
2     Molefoam (blisters happen)

Run for The Reason

In case you did not know, I am running for the Alabama Power Service Organization (APSO) event Run for the Reason. I am teaming up with 20 other runners to relay from Mobile, AL to Carrolton, GA. We will each run 20 miles total in 4 mile stints over a 2.5 day period. That means we each run 4 miles every 12 hours. I want to thank all of my sponsors who have donated already to the cause. I still need to raise a little more to meet my goal. If you can donate, please do. This is an excellent cause. Otherwise, please check back here regularly over the course of the event. I will be submitting blog entries daily to this site so you can keep up with my progress. Also, I will be using twitter and facebook to update my status on a more regular basis. The event starts Thursday at 2pm and will conclude on Sunday around 5pm. Look for posts to start popping up in the next few days before then too. I will be posting some cool stuff you don't want to miss.

Easter

So I'm sitting in church this past Sunday, and I begin to think. Let me back up... Let me Tarantino you for a moment... Pastor Tim did a dramatic interpretation of Barabbas for Easter Sunday. He is very good at delivering messages on Sunday, and this performance was no different. He accurately portrayed the story of the crucifixion of Jesus through the eyes of Barabbas. During the story he showed a few scenes from the Passion of the Christ. The scenes he showed were the scourging and beating of Jesus before the crucifixion and the crucifixion itself. These are the most graphic scenes from the movie, and therefore, bring about the most emotion from the viewer. This is where I begin to think...

So, I know Jesus died for the forgiveness of the sins of the world. In doing so, he, the perfect sacrifice, took on all of those sins on all sinner's behalf. It is up for debate what happened to him between death and resurrection, but what I want to point out is the pain he suffered through. As a perfect being never knowing sin, Jesus' taking on the world's sins was a new experience for him. For us, we cannot fathom the pain that this inflicted on him. The pain of being separated from his heavenly Father, the pain of sin. We can, however, understand physical pain. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8 We understand the sacrifice, we understand the love, but we do not understand the pain.

God, therefore, in his sovereignty and omnipotence gave us a way to relate. He let Jesus die the most horrible death known to man, beating, scourging, and crucifixion. We understand the physical pain of being beaten with a stick, a whip. We can imagine the pain of the nails and the crown of thorns. We are cognizant of the form of death of crucifixion and the inhumanity of it. This is how God demonstrated the pain that Jesus felt to us. His pain was not in the physical sense, but the spiritual.

His pain from being separated from God through sin was worse than being beaten, scourged, and crucified. What is more, every time a sin is committed it's not that Jesus is re-crucified, but that the sinner is separated from God. That separation is more damaging, more painful than being crucified.

The Foundation... The Beginning

I'm starting to branch out and become more connected online. This is the beginning the foundation of what I will build. The look, feel, everything of this blog will change over time. I look forward to transforming it to look more like me and to reflect what I want to portray. So, come back and see what happens.

B