September 30, 2008

Sleepy

I don't know what it is about Fall and being sleepy. The shadows get longer, the crispness in the air, and that wistful feeling you get this time of year. Charlene and I were at the gym last night and I was sitting at a weight machine between reps and I could've fallen asleep right there.

Band: Zero 7
Song: "Destiny"

September 28, 2008

A Day In Stanford

Jim and Katy Baughman live on the Baughman homestead in Stanford, Kentucky and we spent the day with them today. It's not often in todays times that children who live in the city have a chance to experience a little taste of farm life. I was fortunate to have grandparents who had a large farm three counties east of Louisville. Hailee and Tristan had a large time running around exploring the farm and both did not want to leave at the end of the day.

I'd almost forgotten how Jim Baughman plays tennis since it's been so long since we've played. It's a combination of trick shots, slop tennis, moon balls and drop shots. It's like playing tennis in slow motion. There's no pace to play off of and I can never get a feel for that kind of play. There's no tempo to get used to and no flow to the game. I hate to admit it but Jim beat me like a drum. Hailee was our ball girl and she did an excellent job. Now I know how the pro's feel, having the balls retrieved for you.

There is a hammock strung between a couple of trees in front of Jim and Katy's and it looks deceptively relaxing. It's a fine art getting into the thing without being thrown to the ground. the hammock seems almost alive, as if it's a horse that hasn't been broken. I stretch out across the hammock on my back and then I turn my body ninety degrees. You do this very slowly as you resist the urge to say soothing words to keep the hammock calm. All the while you can feel it quivering as you're trying to orient yourself into the correct position. I'm finally in the correct position. Jim says "you don't look very relaxed bear." Everyone laughs. I can't laugh and have to stay perfectly still to maintain my enjoyable hammock experience. Hailee comes up and put both her hands on the edge and has a smile on her face. "Hailee, if you dump me off this thing, you'd better start running!" After a while I actually start to doze off. Charlene wakes me saying it's time to go. The process get off the thing is reversed and very slowly I get back off the thing. I don't know if it's worth the effort or not. Give me a good couch and I'll be happy.

Pictures of Wildcats vs Hilltoppers

Kenny Wickerham and his daughter Emily, who attends the Louisville Korean Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Emily graduated from WKU and although Kenny is a UK fan, he wears his daughter's colors. What a guy!

Kenny, Emily, Emily's cousin, Amy and her father Bobby. An awful color scheme of blue, white, and red.

Amy works for Papa John's so we were able to spend time at the corporate tent before the game to tailgate in style. We feasted on ribs, bbq chicken, baked beans, cole slaw, and for dessert DEEP FRIED OREOS WITH ICE CREAM. It was awful but I managed to choke it down.


What could this amber colored liquid be?

The University of Kentucky beat Western Kentucky University 41 to 3. Sorry Emily!

September 25, 2008

Pics Of The UK vs Middle Tennessee Game

September 13th I went to a night football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. I had a big ass time and of course you always have to pay for good times in one way or the other. Ike was our next day's penance. Here are some pics from that evening.











September 23, 2008

Burning Love & Sex On Fire



Matisyahu

He was born Matthew Miller in 1979 and became a Hasidic Jew and changed his name to Matisyahu, the hebrew equivalent of Matthew. He grew up musically inclined and didn't give up performing even when becoming an orthodox Jew. He performs reggae with a Jewish theme. This is his first hit, "King Without A Crown".

September 19, 2008

Ike

I used to think Mayor Jerry Abramson wasn't a bad guy but after Ike blew through Louisville last Sunday and knocked out power to 290,000 LG&E customers, I think he's a heel. Abramson said on a local news conference ON TV "our first focus will be restoring power to Valhalla and Lake Forest." He should have kept that little tidbit of news to himself. I can understand that Louisville wants to put it's best face forward and that the Ryder Cup will generate alot of money for our city, but please Jerry, is it only about money and prestige and not about the citizens of Louisville which you govern? .... there, I feel all better now.

Ike knocked power out at my employer's Louisville office so a lot of the functions which KHESLC must perform were moved to the Frankfort office, where we (the Network Services Branch) set up workstations and provided support for the Louisville people at our office in Frankfort. It's been a very busy week for all of us. This morning we learned that the Louisville office is back on the power grid and there were alot of smiling faces.

My humble abode is still a dark and forboding place since we're still without power but in the larger scheme of things I still feel fortunate that we escaped any major damage to our home and the larger branches that fell are the only thing I have to clean up. It could have been much, much worse. Charlene called me just awhile ago and said that someone had loaned her a battery operated TV with a two inch screen. It's party time at the McClain house this weekend! We can watch the Ryder Cup now.....what a relief!

September 16, 2008

The Great Gig in The Sky

Yesterday Richard Wright, the keyboard player for Pink Floyd, died of cancer. He wasn't the most prolific songwriter in the band but the song's he did write were memorable such as "The Great Gig in The Sky" from "The Dark Side of The Moon" album which sold a bazillion copies.

September 10, 2008

Beirut

There's this tune they've been playing on WFPK. It's by a band called Beirut and the tune is called "Postcards From Italy". I like it. Tell me what you think.