Feeling Old

This is sort of weird but I am feeling older today because one of our best friends is turning 40 today. Christy and Mitch have been good friends of ours for 16 or 17 years and Christy is the youngest by three and a half years or so. I guess in my mind, with her still being in her 30s, I did not feel so old now closer to 45 than I am to 40.

I also have picked up my mileage some this week and run 42 miles already with still tomorrow to go. Not only am I feeling old, but really tired as well.

It has been great to have everyone back home this week after our many travels. The other night we were sitting around the dinner table and just laughing and having a good time. Our girls are really a lot of fun to be around. It is amazing how quickly they grow.

I get to mulch and do yard work this weekend. I am excited out of my mind. I did get the yard mowed last night and was thankful for the rain that we got on Weds. Now if we can get the weeds to die and the grass to grow, we will have accomplished something. Looking forward to a good weekend at home.

Should be some good basketball on this weekend too. Between the guys and the girls I need to get my college basketball fix, because after Tuesday, it is gone until November.

Final Four Set

Well, I have three of the four still on my bracket, but the biggest thing is that I have Kansas winning it all and of course, UCLA beat them this weekend. So . . . I am pretty much done. The Georgetown/Carolina game yesterday was a heartbreaker even though I had G'town beating Carolina on my bracket. It was definitely a head pick and not a heart pick.

The weekend went well with a quick trip to Ridgecrest and then back home again late Sat. night. It was great to see the girls. It had been almost two weeks since I had seen them with my travels and their travels going on. They came back from Florida pretty brown which makes me look even whiter than I did.

I have been leading a couple of youth bible studies the last week for a church here in the area and they have some great students. It is always fun to share with students and learn from them. I am always thankful for the opportunity.

Good Ball/ Tough Loss

I was glad that Carolina went on the run that they did against USC. I have to admit that I was not sure they were going to pull it off after watching the first half. USC was much quicker and Carolina just seemed to really not be engaged. It was good to see them pull it off.

Now, the Georgetown win was pretty suspect. While true that Vandy should not have surrendered the big lead they had, when a walk is a walk, step up and call it. One of the reasons I cannot stand the NBA anymore is because everyone walks and it is seldom called. The non-call last night was really bad in my opinion. Granted, I may not be truly objective since Vandy is a Nashville team, but it sure looked like a bad walk that Gordon got away with.

Beautiful weekend in the mountains of western North Carolina where I find myself yesterday and today. If all goes well, I will get home tonight around 10p with a chance to see our daughters and sleep in my own bed.

I am enjoying meeting with about 200 adult leaders at Ridgecrest who brought their students out here to enjoy a short retreat. These adults are real heroes carrying students for 3-10 drive for them to have a retreat experience. I love adults who sacrifice for students and for students who are thankful for adults who care about them.

Springy

Not much better that Spring if you ask me. Now, I realize for allergy sufferers it can be a drag, but the flowers blooming and the trees budding out and the warmer weather are just all good. I have been trying to do some yard work and put down some weed and feed, grub killer, and mole remover anticipating that my yard would like George Toma just worked on it, but alas, with no rain and very little time, it still looks like my crummy yard. The neighbor's cherry trees are magnificent however.

Our girls are spending the day in Busch Gardens in Tampa today and then heading home tomorrow. Unfortunately, I leave in the morning and do not get back until late Sat. night so I will not see them for an extra day. They have had a great time in Florida while my wife and I have continued to work to support their spring break habit. It is all good though.

The running is going well. It looks like I am going to start "official" training next month and run the San Francisco Marathon in late July. We shall see.

Spring Break

I remember when I used to get a spring break. It was many years ago, but now jobs and commitments keep me from the annual spring pilgrimage to the beach or just laying around the house. Our girls are enjoying sunny south Florida while my wife and I toil away at home. Yesterday after work, I headed home to mow the lawn and treat the yard for moles and grubs. We have had a mole or an entire herd of moles making some kind of subway system complete with hubs and feeders from outlying areas in our yard. We will see if we have accomplished defeating the moles within a few days.

We were supposed to get some rain yesterday and this morning too but so far it has only sprinkled and leaves me to think that all the frantic work to get the stuff on the yard yesterday before the rain, may have been panic on my part for no reason.

The MTSU girls went down in flames last night against Marist. Hard to believe that Marist has now knocked off two pretty good teams to make it to another round of the Women's NCAA tournament. Still pulling for Vandy and Tennessee and I think they both play tonight.

We had some friends over for dinner last night and our friend Hannah is facing some pretty serious surgery on April 5. It involves more than I understand but it does include the neck and spinal column, so I know it is serious. They are a great couple and it was fun to eat and laugh with them last night.

I missed 24 last night but it is TiVo'd so I am sure I can find some time to squeeze it in tonight and see if Jack Bauer lives to see another day. When last I saw, he was fighting Russians and Iranians. What a guy, that Jack Bauer.

Tom King

I had a lot of fun today running with a buddy of mine in his first 1/2 marathon. He did a great job. He just started running on Jan. 1 and completed the 1/2 in a little less than 2:15. The weather was sunny but cool and a little windy but overall pretty good running weather.

The NCAA tournament has been fairly fun to watch, just not enough upsets. I thought Xavier was going to knock off Ohio State but Ohio State pulled if off in OT. The teams from Tennessee did good in the first round and time will tell if any or all or just some of them move on. Tennessee and Vandy looked strong in their wins and Memphis survived a scare but prevailed in the end.

Our girls are enjoying good weather in Naples, FL for spring break while my wife and I are enjoying watching basketball and just hanging out. Sort of quiet but glad the girls can have some beach time with friends. Looks like we are headed out to eat tonight and hope to enjoy something really good. We shall see.

Wasn't it great that Duke lost in the first round? Go Heels!

I Think I Am Sick

Here it is the first day of March Madness and I am just not that excited. I have been watching some games and so far all the top seeds have won. No upsets yet. That is a drag actually. I pretty much knew that Belmont was going to get killed by Georgetown but my heart felt for them. Boomer Herndon is a grad of where our girls go to school, so we were pulling for them.

Duke is tied with 3 minutes to go and I would be happy to see them go down in the first round and that would be the first higher seed to fall. Pulling for UNC tonight against Eastern Kentucky which should be an easy win.

Morgan left today for Naples, FL and Shelbi flies from New Orleans to Fort Myers to meet them tomorrow down in Naples. Some friends of mine are showing her around New Orleans tonight and letting her eat beignets. I think her experience working down there restoring homes and churches has been a good one.

Running the Tom King 1/2 Marathon this Sat. with a buddy of mine who started back running the first of the year. Should be a lot of fun just finishing with him. No land speed records, just a finish for his first 1/2 in his life.

Closer to the Big Dance

It all starts tomorrow really. True, there was a play in game last night and Niagara makes the field of 64 only to have to face Kansas. Somehow I think Kansas is going to make it past the first round this year and get rid of that jinx from the past couple of years. I still have to make my picks before 11a tomorrow. I think it is pretty wide open. Georgetown may be a tough one to beat this year.

Saw a good movie last night with my wife. The Ultimate Gift is a movie by FOXFaith about a grandfather who is trying to teach his young grandson about the things that really matter in life. James Garner is the deceased grandfather who has prepared a video for his grandson to view and then perform a series of jobs to learn about the ultimate gift. Predictable in some cases, but a pretty good movie. The little girl from Signs and Little Miss Sunshine is in it and she plays a great part. I would recommend you see it and you can take your family with you.

Our girls are still away with Morgan being in DC and Shelbi in New Orleans. They both are having great trips and head out later in the week for Spring Break in Naples. I am a little jealous, but glad to be home since I have been on the road some.

Home Again

It was a great weekend in Savannah. The Delta Air service was pretty cruddy overall with cancellations and delays with little to no explanation. Sort of confirms why they are still in bankruptcy. They are one of my least favorite airlines to fly. Other than the travel part, the weekend was really pretty awesome.

Saw some good ballgames on tv too. Carolina winning the ACC for the first time since 1998 was good and the Kansas/Texas Big 12 Championship game was really exciting. Looks like out of the field of 65 there are about 10-12 teams that could legitimately win it all. My heart is definitely with Carolina but my head says no. We will see. Georgetown looks pretty good. Kansas is playing really well but will have to get past the second round which they do not do very often as of the last few years. I am not an Ohio State fan at all and Florida is one of my least favorite teams yet they both are playing well right now. Texas A&M is a tough team and has lost some tough ones lately. The Durant kid at Texas is one of the best freshman I have ever seen and I like Brandon Wright at UNC as a freshman as well.

Should be some real fun the next three weeks or so. My favorite time of year without a doubt. Go Heels!

Savannah

I made it to Savannah yesterday morning after a slight delay in the rebooked flight they put me on from Thursday night. It was good to get here. The hotel stay on Thurs. night was a little less than desirable and the bed was pretty rough. My back still hurts today.

The conference I am here for and leading is going really well. I am doing a DiscipleNow for a good friend and really enjoying it. The students that are at this church seem to be a great group of students and I am really impressed with the adult leaders here. Joel is very good at relationships and administration and it is once again playing out well.

I was to meet with a group of youth ministers here yesterday morning but when my flight got cancelled, there went the meeting. I have touched base with all of them and did most of what I was happening to do face-to-face over the phone. Not nearly as good but still better than nothing.

We are about 45 minutes away from Hilton Head which our family loves. Unfortunately, it does not look like I will get to make it over there on this trip. Bummer. It is a great place to visit and run. Golf is good there too.

Carolina looks like they will win today against BC and get in to the ACC final. I will be pulling for them.

Stuck in Atlanta

Well I am supposed to be in Savannah tonight and climbed on a plane late this afternoon and got as far as Atlanta. The Savannah flight was cancelled due to . . . hmm, I heard equipment failure, needed the plane for San Jose, and a couple of other excuses. Regardless, I have no luggage, did get an overnight kit with a SkyTeam t-shirt (yeah! another t-shirt) and a hotel voucher and food vouchers for Guido's and La Cockaroacha. I passed on those two and ate a chicken sandwich in the hotel restaurant.

I will get to Savannah tomorrow, meet with some folks and then do a DiscipleNow for one of my old ministry buddies. It will be a good weekend.

Watching the Duke/NC State game and it just finished regulation tied. Anyone who is playing Duke is my favorite team. Waiting on Carolina to play tomorrow. Love the Tar Heels.

Pretty Nice Weather

Yesterday and today have been great weather wise here in middle Tennessee. The mornings have been pretty good for running, in fact, I did some speed work yesterday and it pretty much wore me out. Sure is sad how quickly it goes away.

I spoke to our middle school and high school students at DCA today and really found them to be pretty fun. The majority of the students are really interested in knowing how to live differently than the rest of culture, but like most others find themselves being pulled in many different directions. I just spent some time trying to help them realize that we settle for way less than we have to and we choose the easy way out too many times.

I went by the funeral home today to visit Kelly Harned (whose wife passed away on Monday) and it was pretty tough. Kelly is one of the kindest, most honest guys I know and it just hurt to see him hurting so much. I visited with Debbie's sister Julie who goes to church with us and was encouraged by her strength and demeanor. Remember the Harned's in your prayers if you would.

My mom got a good report today with all good blood counts and no elevated stuff that should not be elevated. (I am good with medical terms.) Got to speak with my brother and dad too so that was a bonus.

I head to Savannah tomorrow for a conference and training. Looking forward to some continued warm weather and meeting up with a good friend Joel and his family. Our girls head out late in the weekend to New Orleans and DC. One is mudding out some Katrina homes and the other is taking in the history and sites of DC. Sondra and I will have a little time at home by ourselves. Hope we will remember how to act.

Death of a Friend

Debbie Harned passed away today after a long struggle with cancer. I first met Debbie about 17 years ago when my wife and I moved to Nashville. Debbie was the youth minister at Dalewood and I was at FBC, Donelson. We encouraged each other, played in golf tournaments together, ministered to kids and just enjoyed being around one another. She started a ministry called Anchor Ministries which was a way for her to encourage other people who worked with students. Debbie was always encouraging.

The last few years she was a counselor at Hume-Fogg Magnet School, volunteered at her church and continued to love people. She and her husband Kelly and their two boys have done a lot to encourage others in their walk and this whole cancer thing seems really weird to me. I do not understand why cancer gets the good and the bad. Debbie was a great lady and fine woman. I know that Kelly must be relieved in one way that Debbie is not suffering any longer, but I cannot begin to imagine his pain in losing his best friend and his mate.

This has been a sad day for me today. I miss Debbie but I am so thankful for the impact she has had on my life. I ask you to pray for her husband and two sons, her parents and her sister, Julie. Thanks for being such an encourager Debbie. I am priviledged to have known you.

Saturday

It was nice to be in town this weekend and to get to enjoy sleeping in a little bit and then going out for a 12-miler. I ran with one of my good friends who has started running again and is planning to run his first 1/2 marathon in a couple of weeks. It was cool, sunny, and windy today but pretty nice running. My buddy had run 9 miles as his longest run ever before today, so the 12-miler we did eclipsed his record by alot. He did a great job. He should have no real trouble finishing the 1/2 in a couple of weeks.

I really enjoy encouraging folks who are undertaking run feats they have not attempted before and today was no exception. I am thankful for the ability to get out and thankful for friends who want to try something different in their lives.

Winter has returned here with a few snow flurries tonight and a low in the mid-20s. Mid-40s for a high tomorrow and then hopefully we get back to some spring like weather.

The Titans made some moves today. Drew Bennett leaves for St. Louis, Travis Henry just leaves and Erron Kinney departed a day or two ago. Unforturnately Adam (Pacman) Jones, the resident Titan thug, still dominates the headlines around here negatively. Too much money, no sense, and no real values it appears. Another loser in the NFL who thinks they deserve the money they make. Who really deserves to make millions unless they are teachers, nurses, doctors, and others who actually contribute to the betterment of society? We have it mixed up again.

Quite A Week

I left Sunday to go to Texas for a series of meetings that took me to Dallas, Ft. Worth, Austin, and Houston. It was a very good week. The meetings went really well and I met some great folks in my line of work. The weather was warm and I got to run everyday even with the travel so that is always good.

Yesterday, flying back into Nashville was interesting. It was pretty stormy, but flying through the storms and vectoring around the worst ones, was pretty fascinating. As scary as the clouds looked, they were still beautiful and powerful.

I am saddened by the number of people killed in the storms yesterday and the 8 killed in the high school in Alabama hits me the hardest. Having a couple of teenagers in our home and working with the students that I do, it is just hard at times to understand how the young are taken.

I am also thankful that Anna Nicole has finally been laid to rest. I blogged about her earlier and see no over all great value that she brought to America or the world as a whole, but do know that she was a mother, daughter, ex-wife, girlfriend and that those lives have been affected. Hopefully people will actually let that whole story rest. Unfortunately they probably won't because of the money tied to her name. We are a weird, sick society.