I got hit by a car today

I was walking along the crosswalk between the Ronald Mcdonald house and the Sparrow Professional Building on Holmes St. With my laptop in hand I looked up at the street light and it was red. I proceeded to step out onto the crosswalk and noticed a white Buick Regal slowly creeping its way up to me. I didn't think anything of it since I cross this intersection multiple times a week and cars are always waiting in line for the light to turn green.

After speaking to the police officer, #1 I will look at the street signal to see if the light is about to turn green. #2 I will try and make eye contact with the driver first in line at the light. If I would have done #2 I would have noticed the 70+ year old gal looking to her left paying absolutely no attention to me on her right. Jill decided to take a right on red. Later, the police officer told me this type of accident happens all the time. Since there will be no cars coming from the right, there is no reason to pay any attention to what is on the right side.

As I made my way across I noticed the white Buick Regal creeping its way a little too close for comfort. And just as this thought popped into my head, the white Buick Regal accelerated knocking me dead center onto the hood and my laptop flew into the road. I immediately got off the hood and yelled "what the hell were you thinking?". I'm actually surprised I didn't drop the f-bomb. Later on she asked me to call her so she knows I'm ok. I told her my lawyer would let her know.....just kidding.

I visited ER for 3 hours as they did some X-rays on my femur. My hamstring was tingling for 30 minutes, but no bruises. My laptop is working, but a little banged up. I am fine and have learned yet another reason why eye contact is the most important form of non-verbal communication.

Pet Peeves

For the last two months I've been meaning to write about my pet peeves. This website has quite the list: http://www.getannoyed.com/. I found a few of mine on this site like people who don't turn on their turn signals, or take up 2 parking spaces, and those when angry say "Goddamnit" or "Jesus Christ". The scary thing is that I found a couple of things that I do.

Dirt Dessert

Asher ate dirt 3 times today. Each time I attempted to remove it he clenched up trying not to let me empty his mouth. One of those times he bit down on my finger. We are talking pitbull clamp. I yelled in pain as he bit down even harder. How can dirt be so good that you would bite off your papa's finger if you had the strength?

Asher Week 49

The Chitter

How many times have you gone to a movie, or went to listen to someone speak and have behind you that annoying chatter. Seriously, can't it wait? Is it that you won't be able to remember it when the movie or speech is over? Bring a pen and paper. Does it ever occur to these people that others can hear them? I remember once being in a movie theater having to hear this guy in front of me ask his wife a dozen times either what was said, or what just happened because he didn't understand. And she told him and explained it to him each time. Seriously people!

1st Not Annual Maybe Never 2nd Newman Cheap Bourbon Award

The 1st Not Annual Maybe Never 2nd Newman Cheap Bourbon Award has only one classification. A fifth of it must be sold for under $15. The Award this year goes out to Evan Williams. This isn't for those who like to sip their whisky, but for $11 who can complain. Buffalo Trace was disqualified from the competition due to it's $23 tag, but received honorable mention.

Remembering Jorai

When Jorai was born a friend of ours brought over an Orchid. When the last flower died we cut it back. We had thought there would be only a short rest period and then new blooms would appear. After 15 months we finally received a new bloom. 4 of them to be exact, one for all of us. We love you Jorai.

Asher Week 39

Bumper Stickers

I'm not a fan of bumper stickers even though I have them on my car. This one really caught my attention today:

"Africans didn't choose to become slaves.
Jews didn't choose genocide.
Babies didn't choose abortion."

Even though I don't agree with abortion, I do believe that one must make that choice for themselves. This bumper sticker did a good job of expressing how I feel regarding this delicate issue.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Asher is a really good kid. He only cries when he's hungry, bumps his head, or just doesn't want to take a nap/go to bed at night. Normal stuff. But in the last week major changes are starting to take place.

Asher is realizing he has a choice. Sometimes it's a particular toy, or fruit over the veggies. He seems excited and fascinated from pulling every DVD and book off the shelf, or grabbing everything out of a box. Nothing ever goes back to it's original location. His instinct is destruction. When I try and misdirect him he sometimes gives me his frustrated tauntaun impersonation. It's quite good.

I sense something wicked this way comes. Asher's eyes have been opened and so begins the blessing and the curse from the knowledge of good and evil. The freedom of choice.

#2 on the adjective list for the word terrible is what I am preparing for:

2. exceptionally bad or displeasing; "atrocious taste"; "abominable workmanship"; "an awful voice"; "dreadful manners"; "a painful performance"; "terrible handwriting"; "an unspeakable odor came sweeping into the room" [syn: atrocious]

The terrible 2's are 15 months away, but it's never too early to prepare.

“Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.” -Zig Zigler

Everything is Amazing and Nobody is Happy

The Elephant and the Dragon

A friend of mine sent me this email about his dream. I've heard my share of meaningless dreams from friends. I'm not saying this one isn't meaningless, but for some reason this dream strung an unknown note in me....

"I had a very vivid dream last night. An elephant riding a fearsome dragon was flying from house to house. Unconcerned, the occupants would open the door and welcome them in. After the elephant was done totally destroying the home, the dragon would devour the family members one by one. Neighbors would say, "Oh, that won't happen here. Elephants can be tamed, dragons could be nice if we just negotiate with them." When these creatures landed on my porch, I woke up."

College Radio

Only on college radio can you hear The Pixies sing Caribou and Nick Drake sing Pink Moon one right after another during regular rotation. Not even a commercial 80's station would put those two songs back to back.

I find it strange that I'm blogging about something seemingly so meaningless, but college radio makes me realize how controlled the radio waves are today. Your missing all the good stuff. Support your college and public radio.

Reverendfun.com

New Year's Resolution

I actually forgot my New Year's resolution, but remembered it this morning. Pretty sad, but at least I remembered. So, for 2009 my resolution is to not take anything for granted. Here are my top ten things I took for granted in 2008:

1. My beautiful wife taking care of Asher, bills, the laundry, wonderful home cooked meals after a hard day of work.

2. Employment.

3. The most generous parents and in-laws that are always willing to help us out anytime, anywhere and with anything.

4. My 200,000+ car only needing $200 in engine repair. The $400 damage repair that I caused is not included.

5. Only one big house repair. New washer.

6. Forgiveness.

7. Love.

8. Friends.

9. Riverview.

10. Heat.

The Millen Man March

I used to believe the roar could be restored, but when Matt Millen's contract was extended in 2005 I realized profit, not winning was Ford's intentions with the Lions. Since Millen's arrival in 2001, the Lions were 31-84, 26 games below .500, and had lost nine or more games each season. During the early part of Millen's tenure (2001-2003), the Lions failed to win a road game for three years (0-24).

So now my team is faced with becoming the worst team of all time. 0-13 and 3 games to go defeated. For the first time since 1992 do I find myself feeling like they can go all the way. Winning isn't everything.

Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas

Through the years some amazing Christmas albums have been created. John Denver's A Christmas Together with the Muppets and Charlie Brown Christmas are two masterpieces. But back in 2006 Sufjan Stevens put together a box set of 42 tracks (over two hours of song) that he recorded over the last 5 years. You might not even know who Sufjan Stevens is but stop right now and go listen to samples of Songs for Christmas on Amazon. Samples never do a masterpiece justice, but you'll get a good taste of my favorite Christmas album/box set of all time.

Thanksgiving

Asher's first Thanksgiving went well until he started getting cranky and wouldn't go down for a nap. I sometimes wonder what Hell could be like and I think about the worse things in life. How about a screaming crying baby who is overly tired and won't go to sleep? And all you do is try to put him to sleep for eternity. Just got him down listening to his Smashing Pumpkins xylophone music. I almost like the xylophone versions better than the originals and I'm a huge fan of the Smashing Pumpkins so that says a lot.

My beautiful wife made me a wonderful T-day dinner. A couple of the highlights were her amazing cranberries that she cooks with Port.....yum, and the Crunch-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole. The casserole is not just a dish but an experience. It begins with the anticipation from smelling it when it's cooking and then on the first taste at the dinner table letting some of that pound of brown sugar that goes into making it slowly melt all over your taste buds. If you haven't experienced the Crunch-Topped Sweet Potato Casserole, you just haven't experienced one of the pinnacles of the Thanksgiving feast.

200,000 Club

We currently have 214,000 miles on our 1996 Toyota Corolla. I've been a high mileage car owner pretty much all my life. Just recently we bought a 2 year old xB, so that's the newest car I've ever owned. One day I'd like to say that I was a member of the 300,000 club, but the problem is I only put about 15,000 miles on a year. I guess I could just go out and buy a car with 275,000 miles on it, but that's cheating. You have to put in your dues through the 100,000 miles in the 200,000 mile club. So far the casualties on the Corolla in the 200,000+ range is a broken parking brake and new spark plugs and wires. I'm going for it. 6 years to go......

If you would like to join the 200,000 mile club:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2007/09/200000-mile-clu.html

Asher Week 21

FINALLY!!!!! I'm all caught up. Feel like I just went through a marathon of picture blogging.....