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I just remembered that I came up with a “great” idea for a post tonight while Laura and I were eating supper. Ok, so maybe not really a great idea, but something to keep me in the blogging mode.

With technology like it is, there are not many people today without cellphones, save for the elderly, most infants, and just a select few individuals, nearly everyone, at least in America, has one. Or there is at least one in the immediate family. The fact that there are 1st graders with cellphones is best left for another blog, but in the meantime, the popularity of cellphones has lead to something that really annoys me: the bluetooth headset. (Before you get upset with me because you own one, please keep reading.)

There is definitely a place for headsets. Maybe a place and a circumstance. The place being while driving in a car, and the circumstance being a mother with young children. In both of these situations, attention must be given to other things that require the use of both hands, one being driving a car, and the other herding children while multitasking.

That being said, there are no other places, circumstances, exceptions, whatever to using a bluetooth headset. No exceptions.

We were having supper tonight at Henry’s, and I look over at a table of people, and a man has on a headset. Is this really the place to have one on? Are you really expecting a phone call so important that you must wear an unsightly beast of a contraption on your ear? Do you think that other patrons will automatically view you as more important because you have something sticking onto your ear that flashes a blue light every five seconds? Seriously people. Where has etiquette gone?

Maybe I am old fashioned, or slow to adopt, but surely I am not the only one that feels this way. Please tell me that these headsets grate on the nerves of someone out there. Surely someone gets the urge to rip them off of an ear and smash them under foot.

Leave it to me to make a mountain out of an ant hill….

Its been almost two years since the guys from college have all been together at the same time. The last time this happened was at Michael’s wedding back in September 2006. We finally got back together this weekend for Travis’ wedding:

I was hoping to have an older picture of the group of guys that I could post for comparison, but I cannot find one right now, and the computer(s) that could have one on it are in storage. Hopefully I can pull them out and find one. If anyone has one, let me know, and I will put it up.

Thanks to BK for this post:

Head on over to the Fail Blog for some workday humor.

Note: I am not responsible if you don’t find the images humorous.

So Laura was clever enough to plan out how to tell me that we were going to be blessed with a child, and she took pictures of the surprise. Last night, after she went to bed, I made the following video…

I love small towns, and anyone that knows me can probably attest to the fact that if I live in one for the rest of my life, I will be content. There is something about them that just draws me to them. Laura and I attended a couple of events this weekend that reminded me of why that is so.

On Friday night, we made the short trip to Robert Lee to watch the Steers take on the Highland Hornets. While this may seem like a normal Friday night activity in most towns, even larger cities, you start to notice the little things that make small towns so great. Start with the chicken spaghetti supper that takes place before the game, where it seems that most of the town comes out to support whatever class or organization may be selling plates that evening. Then, as you move over to the football field, you see all sorts of people coming to the games. The whole town comes out to support the team, whether or not they have someone playing on the field. Young and old alike arrive wearing the orange and black, just as they have for years. And, add to all of this, probably the most breathtaking sunsets that you can imagine, with the lights of the football field acting as the foreground, and you can (hopefully) already see why small towns are so great.

But the best was to take place at halftime. For most small schools, bands are just an afterthought, if they have one at all. Especially when it comes to six man schools. As afterthoughts, many times the bands are left neglected, with directors that just don’t care, or worse yet, adolescents that have no discipline, respect, or any training when it comes to music. I will admit that the past couple of years, as I have gone to a few Robert Lee games, the band has been lacking, to put it nicely. But this year is the exception. This year it is different.

New band director. New direction. New band. While to the casual spectator who has never seen the Robert Lee band perform may consider them to be downright awful, to the fans of Robert Lee, they are the pride and joy of the school. I do not believe that there was a soul left sitting as the band marched out onto the field to perform “The Eye of the Tiger”. And if there was one person left sitting, they rose quickly to their feet as the band started in on “I Saw the Light”. Hands were clapping. Smiles covered the faces of everyone there. Moms were snapping photographs. As I glanced over the standing fans, I don’t believe that I have ever seen a happier or prouder town showing their appreciation to the band as they marched across the field. My words do not do it justice.

Secondly, Laura and I were invited to attend a polka. Thats right. We went to the quarterly meeting of the polka club out at Wall, Texas. We had been invited before by Laura’s Aunt Ginnie and Uncle Chico, but were unable to attend until Saturday night, when we were invited by Trey and Heather Holik.

For those of you that might scoff at the idea of going to a polka, don’t knock it until you try it. It doesn’t matter if you can’t dance a lick or if you have been dancing for years, no one is going to make fun of you. In fact, more pride is had in having an empty table because all of the patrons are dancing than having embarrassed beginners scared to take the floor. Polka isn’t just for old people. Nor are waltzes.

Sweaty hands. Shuffling feet. Trey and his dad yipping. Typical polka band in the corner. (Think John Candy in Home Alone) Not your ordinary Saturday night.

It is a sad fact that small towns are dying out. The urbanization of America is drawing people out of small towns to the promises of greener pastures in the cities, leaving behind remnants of yesteryears. But the remnant is there. It still draws me. I want my children to know what its like off the beaten path. I want them to know what it means for the school band to still be able to play gospel music. I want them to be able to interact with people three times their age. I want them to know that there is a simpler life.

So it has been a while since I have blogged, and I am not going to apologize for it. Who really wants to read pointless updates or be told of impending updates if nothing ever comes of them?

I have been struggling as of late to come up with some idea for this site. As I look back on my previous posts, I am disappointed by the content that was presented. Disappointed by the lack of structure in posts, the consistency, the lack of thought-provoking questions. All of it seems so bland, and yet I continued to post. How bleak can a blog be when the author’s favorite post is a stream of his own random thoughts?

Surely my time could be better spent writing about things with a tad bit more importance, like say global warming or something. (Hey, it got Gore a Nobel. Maybe I can get something out of it.)

Anyways, this is just another random post. One of these days maybe something worthwhile will be found here. No promises.

Oh. I started a new job at ASU. Sorry Val, no more spy-work.

Seems like the last couple of posts, besides the wonderful picture of Coach Dawson, have been annoyances. Well, yet again, I was confronted by one this afternoon.

After forgetting to upgrade my wife’s phone of two years, I finally called Sprint this afternoon to take care of that. Sounds pretty simple right? Wrong.

I call in, and go through about 7 different phone menus, only to get a customer service representative who is barely audible, or to me at least. Maybe I am just going deaf, but as soon as I get put on hold, the music almost makes me deaf, so I don’t think that was the case.

Anyways, after asking for the upgrade, I am then asked if I want to add a phone line to my account. I am pretty sure that we are not going to have anyone else that needs a phone in our family anytime soon, so I had to reluctantly decline. Then, after asking if I own any computers, I am given the option to purchase an a wireless internet plan. While tempting, I had to decline.

Thinking the sales pitch was complete, I exhaled, only to be asked again if I wanted to add an extra line! No. I do not need another phone number. Laura does not need another phone number. Our unborn children do not need a cell phone, and won’t until they are old enough to pay for it. Just please upgrade the phone like I requested and let me on my way.

I think I am getting impatient/grumpy in my old age…

As I am sure many of you know, last weekend was the opening week for NCAA football, and it was full of upsets, blowouts, and a few lackluster games, just like usual.

But the most exciting football last weekend was taking place in the small town of Hico, TX. Each year, for the past 5 years (I think), Hico has been the host of the Six-man Super Saturday.

This year was the first year for me to attend, but instead of me sitting and enjoying all the games, instead I was sweating a few pounds off with Caleb taking photographs for his new venture End Zone Photo. It is definitely a different perspective, just taking pictures of the game instead of getting to watch it, but it was a great day for some football, and ended up with some awesome lighting, especially in the 4th game.

While most people pick action photographs that show someone getting creamed for their favorite picture, the one below keeps drawing my eye to it. Something about the perfect light from the setting sun that just makes it one of my favorites.

Check out End Zone Photo’s website for some more pictures. And remember, any picture that you think is good, I took.

You know those news websites that are free, but still require you to register? Yeah, they are annoying. Sure you can do things to get around it, such as install Firefox and the BugMeNot plugin, but seriously, if you are going to make it free, why require the registration?

Just a quick post to point you to a couple of articles that have recently popped up regarding NBA ref Tim Donaghy betting on NBA games over the past two seasons, including games that he officiated. (More info here)

I didn’t realize it, but this same ref was an official in Game 3 of the Suns - Spurs playoff series. Game sound familiar? Bill Simmons had some interesting thoughts about it in his article written after the game. Bill also has some more interesting thoughts about this ref and his potential impact on the 2007 playoffs here.

Also, check out this link for an interesting video.

Kinda makes you wonder…