New technology is cool

I finally got a new computer! Oh, wait, um .... guess what I got for Christmas?????

Its actually new and modern and everything. It even came with a keyboard that doesnt stick when you press Y and a mouse that doesn't double click even though you only single click.

As a "computer geek", you might think that I would update my technology a little more frequently (the last one was four or five years old) but why upgrade when the old one still works?

Man, I am becoming more like my dad every day (hahaha, now that is funny). Sorry Dad.

Side Note: "If it still works" is a great excuse to not buy things like nails, screws, hammers, planers, knives, shovels, finger nail polish, shoes, clothes and many other products BUT when it comes to electronics newer is generally better. For example, a flat panel TV can pay for itself in less than five years (in energy savings) compared to the old tube TV depending on the size and price you pay for the new flat panel TV and the picture is generally better.

The old computer had seen much better days. To make matters worse, it was my own fault. You should not keep a desktop computer locked in a small desk space with little or no room for airflow. If you have one of those computer desks with the little compartment to store your desktop computer, get it out!! Modern computers can take a LOT of punishment but like us humans, they need airflow.

Near the end of its life, the computer would overheat after an hour of normal usage and if I tried to stream music or video over the Internet it would overheat after about two minutes. Playing a game was not even possible (this is how I judge the quality of a computer), but the final straw for me was when it decided to overheat during the installation of a new software title.

The obvious question: Why would I even try to install new software on a machine with these problems?

Anyway, I got my new one Friday. Now, that I have the new one, I am running Windows 7. Thank goodness I was in Atlanta last week to learn a little something about Windows 7 huh? Maybe I wasn't too bad at scheduling this month after all (see the previous post).

I am having a little trouble moving my data from the old computer to the new one. Apparently, the old computer knows that I have a new one and will no longer run for longer than five minutes. Five minutes might seem like a long time, but when you are trying to make a copy of ALL your Outlook information (calendar, contacts, and email information) it is no time at all. As a result, I don't have anybodies' contact information at my hands.

Mom, I probably should have all this stuff written down in a little "black book", but I threw it away seven years ago when I got married. No, Im just kidding! Well, kidding my mom, who keeps a little book with everyones phone number, address, birthday, anniversary and other information. However, I am not kidding about not having one of those books.

The fact is that I am reliant on Outlook. I wouldn't know my own birthday without Outlook, much less yours!! I know the obvious question here is ... Why didn't you keep a backup? Well, I am lazy. Besides, you know your information and can give it to me again.

Now, I am hoping that I can slave (that is a technical term) the old drive into the girls computer (my new computer has a different drive connection technology) and pull the information from it.

In the meantime, if you happen to read this and want to send me your contact information, please send it to themtgylees@gmail.com, and I will use that address as a holder until I get Outlook back up and running.

With all that said, I also got myself a Webcam with the new computer. I know for you hardcore geeks out there, webcams are so 20th century, but I am slowly easing myself into this whole computer technology stuff. I plan on setting up the webcam this weekend. I am really looking forward to being able to see the nephews in Florida and talk to them over the computer (get ready Heather). If you are a webcam person, drop me a line at the address above and we can try it out.

So, having bored you with this latest post, I am going back to youtube, pandora, hulu, and several other sites to stream music, movies, games, videos, and whatever other stuff I can find just to prove that I can, because I can!!! That is cool and that is how I plan to surf the Internet now.

Green Tip of the Blog: We haven't had one of these in a while!! Get a new computer, they use less power AND you can do cool stuff with it too!!!

Until next time, onward CPU, RAM, and graphics card, we have stuff to see and do!!!!

OK, I Lied ...

For the past several years, I've done a lousy job of planning projects and as a result, I've spent the last couple of months of each year traveling. One year I bought 75% of all Christmas presents in the lovely state of Mississippi. Your welcome Hattiesburg.

I promised I wouldn't do that this year. We even managed to complete our big project the week before Thanksgiving!!! With that project complete, I should have been able to hold up my end of the promise.

Alas, I have failed.

I will be home for more days this Holiday Season than the past several years, but I am still traveling this season which in my book means I have failed. Of course, with every failure comes a good story, so here is my story for the week......

Last Wednesday, I hit the Montgomery Regional Airport promptly at 10:00 AM to insure that I would be on time for an 11:27 AM flight for Atlanta for a short layover resulting in a 2:11 PM arrival in Houston. At 10:01, as I was checking my baggage, Delta announced that my flight had been CANCELED!!!!

Rather than bore you with every twist and turn in the plans, lets skip to 4:00 PM when I finally got on a plane! OK, I will own up to spending a few minutes in the airport bar watching TV with some Canadians trying to understand the concept of bad weather despite crystal clear blue skies outside. Excitedly, we taxi'd out to the runway only to have the pilot announce that we were being delayed AGAIN and just for fun, we were going to sit in the plane on the runway!

Finally, around 9:30 PM I arrived in Atlanta (a 32 minute flight). Now, for those not familiar with our part of the world, Atlanta is only a 2:30 hour drive and Houston can be reached in less than 10 hours driving. So, here I am, nearly 12 hours into my flying experience and I've only made it to Atlanta.

As luck would have it, the flight in Atlanta was only delayed for slightly more than an hour. I finally arrived in Houston at 1:00 AM on Thursday morning. Thankfully, the limo driver was waiting for me (yes, life can be hard sometimes) with a smile and disdain in his heart when he realized I had no cash for a tip. Oh well, thanks for the ride dude.

The next day was a long day of demonstrations and more knowledge transfer than a tired traveler should have to endure in a single day. I know the information will help me especially the awesome book they gave us but I floated through that meeting like a zombie floats through the night. Speaking of the night, I was treated to an AWESOME steak dinner at Perry's Steakhouse that evening. If you are ever in Houston, check out that place (it was like a man's Chuck E Cheese but with Steak).

Anyway, I was up the next morning at 4:30 AM for a quick shower and trip to the airport for a 7:00 AM flight. To my surprise, Delta actually managed to be on-time that morning and thank goodness, since it started to snow that morning at 9:00 AM. It was the earliest snow recorded in modern record keeping for Houston.

Tired and worn out, I managed to stagger into the house Friday afternoon in time for nap, a couple of diet cokes and a kiss from my wife before leaving for the monthly poker game. Now, I will admit that I could have skipped the poker but I think Big E was happy for me to be gone anyway (something about cleaning the house for the big football party). Special thanks go out to the guys for handing over their cash Friday, "momma was happy!" when I got home.

Anyway, Saturday morning, I was at the junkyard at 10:00 AM pulling a motor out of a Volkswagen (long story not to be told today), and Saturday we had big party for the most awesome SEC championship game ever.

A Little Timeout from the Story ... I admit that I LOVED watching Alabama stomp a mud hole in Florida. I also enjoyed watching Tim Tebow cry after the game. I really don't mean to be a Tebow-hater but with all of the LOVE and ADMIRATION that the media heaped on that kid, it was bound to happen.

Anyway, back to the story ... I made it to bed around 3:00 AM Sunday morning. Before your brains go into overdrive, I was asleep long before then but it was 3:00 before Big E checked on me and invited me to bed. I was watching the UFC finals and fell asleep.

Yesterday, I managed to pack and do it all over again. Yeah, thats right, I am back in Atlanta, but I will be back home on Wednesday night. Until next week ...

I manage to hit the road again, but this time its with my beautiful bride!!! I can't wait, we haven't had a night away for just the two of us in a LONG time. I guess I will buy Christmas in Georgia this year, I hear the school system needs the money!

I hope that you are having a great season. Along the way, stop for a minute and thank your loved ones for all they do for you. No matter who you are, the season wouldn't be the same without those you love around you.

I don't say it often enough but I can't imagine what it would be like without the most awesome wife in the world not to mention a wonderful set of understanding kids ....

Big Time Saturday Fun

On Saturday, we got an opportunity to go see big time SEC football for the first time. Big E and I were lucky enough to be given a pair of tickets to the game, and Jessica went to the game with her boyfriend. You have to get up awfully early for a Saturday morning to make the two hour drive to Tuscaloosa for an 11:20 kick off.

As you can see, Rusty was a little jealous and begged his mommy to take him to the game too.

As I mentioned, we left early in the morning to allow us a couple of hours of walking around the campus before the game. Once we finally worked our way to the stadium, we stopped to take another picture of the girls.

Of course, we were playing a smaller school so we didnt expect a nail biter and we were not disappointed. We had a lot of fun going to the game.

After the game, Big E and I went out to lunch with another couple before making our way to the house.

There are so many things and poeple to see before, during and after the game. While I think it is more enjoyable to watch the game on TV, I think going to the game adds a completely different dynamic that is really fun too. If you are a people watching person (we both are), then you can have a blast at the game.

Now that we've done it, I think we will try and do it again next year. One game a year will be enough though. It is a lot of work to make the drive, mingle in the crowds, climb to your seats and try and watch the game with all of the other stuff going on around you (completely different than going to see a baseball game).

Roll Tide!!!

A Rude Awakening

Time: 7:45

Date: Today

Location: The bed

Get your minds out of the gutter, this isnt that kind of a blog ....

If you have pets, you can attest to the fact that they can tell time. At least if you keep them on a fairly strict feeding schedule. For our animals, 6:30 is the time for the AM feeding and 5:00 is the time for the afternoon feeding.

This morning, I decided to sleep in a little. Around 6:45 the animals started to climb into the bed just to remind us of the time. By 7:15, the animals decided to start announcing their presence a little louder and with some authority.

Finally, at 7:45, our oldest cat Boo Boo decided that he had had enough and "popped" me up side my head. No kidding, the cat literally hit me in the head with his little paw. If it was any other animal ... but it was Boo Boo. Once I recovered from the shock I figured that at 17 years of age, he deserves a little break. Of course, if it happens again, he might get a break ...

A Few Random Pictures and Thoughts

There really hasn't been anything too over the top lately in the house, so I thought I would share a few random pictures from 2009 and a word or two about each.

Before I jump into the pictures, let me warn you that I am doing this while listening to a Mexican "surf" music band that plays in full "Lucha Libre" attire. They are called the "Los Kanibales". Think Dick Dale meets mexican wrestling and you get the correct picture.

Not sure of who Dick Dale is? He is the guy that inspired the Beach Boys and many other's "surf" music sound. In fact, the Beach Boys recorded his most famous song, "Miserlou". Anyway, music has a tendency to impact your state of mind and emotions (at least for me) and that is what I am jamming at the moment. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought it would be fun to include a photo from a concert that wasnt country first. Most of you know that Keith Urban is her favorite artist and that I have a wide variety of rock n roll artist that I enjoy. We went to see Alice Cooper a few months ago since he was playing in Montgomery. Alice was schooled by Frank Zappa, turned the show into a "horror" show and spent decades making money as the "shock" master of rock n roll. Alice is famous for "Schools Out" and "Poison" for songs. All in all it was a cool show. Yes, that is a crutch built with bones that he is leaning on. At 60+ Alice is still very active on stage and puts on a fun show.

This is my precious wife at the LPGA event with Katherine Hull and her caddy. They were very kind to everyone and took a few extra minutes to speak and take pictures with Big E. They also were the ones that Little E followed around carying the score card for on Sunday. As you can tell, she is a large (in height) woman and she can stroke a ball deep and straight (not bad looking either). Mostly though, she was cool and both Big and Little E enjoyed her talking about being in the heart of dixie, fried chicken, people dressing funny (check out her shorts?), etc.

This is the most awesome dog in the world hanging out in the back yard. Big E took this picture before we had the fence replaced in along the back of the yard. Of cource, Rusty had no idea that his mother was taking a picture of him (at least he was poo-ing during the picture).

Well, this one should be fairly explanatory, two of Big E's favorite men in action together. Deirks and Keith playing a song togehter at the concert in Huntsville in May. This night is without a doubt a highlight of her year. I dont remember much about this concert, but that is fairly common for me and country concerts!!!!!

From the recent Washington D.C. trip, a double row tobacco planter. Ummmm.....Red Man!!

OK, so its time for the main event of the blog. Halloween 2009 Party. Each year one of the guys at Alfa has a Halloween Party. Dennis is the guy in the middle in the lederhosen outfit. Dennis is a really great party host and this year was no different. What makes the picture so special is my beautiful beer wench pictured on the left.

Big E learned early on that Dennis planned to dress up in the lederhosen, so she decided to dress the part too. Tiffany on the right is actually dressed in a Scottish outfit that matched her husband's traditional Scottish golf outfit to a tee (pun intended). I doubt Big E will be happy with the posting of the picture but its worth it!!!

Anyway, like I said initially, its been a little boring around the house lately. Maybe we will have a little more exictement in the coming weeks.

What have you done this week?

Saturday, Brooke and Big E left for the tenth grade school trip to Washington D.C. Here was the itinerary for their trip ...

Saturday
5:30 Depart for Atlanta airport
1:00 Arrive in Philadelphia
3:30 Independence Hall Tour
4:30 Liberty Bell
8:00 Arrive in Lancaster, PA

Sunday
9:30 Amish Farm and House Tour
1:00 Amish Buggy Rides
4:00 Strasbourg Railroad Rides
9:00 Arrive in Washington D.C.

Monday
9:15 Mt Vernon Tour
11:45 Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
2:15 Arlington National Cemetery Tour
4:45 Observation Tower at the Old Post Office
6:30 Evening monument tour (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Lincoln, Jefferson and Washington)

Tuesday
9:30 US Capitol Tour and Picture with Congressman Bobby Bright
2:45 National Holocaust Museum
5:15 Dinner at the Fashion Center at Pentagon City
7:00 Walking Ghost Tour of downtown Washington D.C.

Wednesday
9:30 Museum of American History
2:00 Fly back to Atlanta
6:15 Back to Montgomery

Now, that is some mileage, some walking and some serious fun all packed into a five day period.

Both report that they had a really great time on the trip. To my surprise, Big E stated that it would be a fun "adult" trip. Get your minds out of the gutter, she meant a fun trip for me and her not that kind of adult. Of course, I think I would throw in a few additional days and stops; maybe a baseball game in Philly or Baltimore for example. But for an educational trip, I would have to say that their trip was first class.

Needless to say, you cant have sixty kids and adults traveling together without a funny story or two. I will share this one while Big E isn't paying attention.

Big E is only afraid of three things; heights, enclosed places and mice. The Observation Tower at the Old Post Office is a few feet tall, probably why they call it an observation tower. Apparently the kids talked her into "sucking it up" and riding the glass enclosed elevator (so you can overlook the mall inside) to the observation.

Apparently the elevator had a minor (major in her mind) problem and only made it to the ninth floor and you had to climb stairs to the twelfth floor. Hahaahaaa, I wish I could have been there to see Big E at this point. Well, Big E could not climb the stairs at this point. Apparently her body has some sort of internal height meter that warns her when she is above the ground floor despite being inside a stair well.

I have seen this little "dance" before though .... it is the back down the stairs (backwards no less) crouched as close to the cold concrete of the stairs in hopes that it will limit how fall she falls when the stairwell collapses (has this ever happened?). Look, I've only seen her survive a climb above three floors once and that was to see Keith Urban. Do you really think she is going to climb a couple of floors to look out across an observation tower??????

Well, she didn't!!!! She did manage to text me from the elevator and the stairs to inform me of her dilemma. Oh, she was calm in the messages, but I know she was cursing inside.

I hope one day we can go to Chicago so I can talk her into riding to the observation deck of the John Hancock Building (look it up, I've been there and saw the clouds below me!).

Time for a new dog food brand

Rusty is our spoiled rotten chocolate lab. When I say spoiled rotten, I mean so spoiled that the girls are actually jealous of him. As much as I think that dog is dumb, he really is rather smart. Occasionally, he will do something that truly boggles my mind. Last night I had one of those moments. Thinking about it this morning, I have to question who the master is in our relationship.

I recently requested a free sample of Rachel Ray's new dog food. Yesterday, the freebie arrived packaged in a nice single serving box with a convenient little coupon tucked inside.

In typical Rusty style, he smelled the mailed as I brought it into the house. This is considered normal behaviour at our house. To his surprise, there was actually a little something in the mail for him. Usually, he takes a big whiff of the mail and moves on (he feels the same way we do when the bills arrive). Yesterday, he took a big whiff and started to beg and plead for the mail.

Since it was time to eat, I opened the package and gave him the sample of food. He really liked the new food and wanted more. Since I didnt have any more to give him, I gave him a few marshmellows (his favorite treat) instead.

After pouring the food in his bowl, I took the included coupon and placed in my stack of need to be filed coupons and went about my business.

Late last night, I heard a rather odd sound coming from the office and figured I better check it out. To my amazement, Rusty was proudly sitting in the middle of the floor with the coupon in his mouth. Thankfully, the coupon was sealed in a plastic wrapper. He was actually licking the plastic wrapper trying to get every last drop of dog food dust off of the wrapper!! In addition to the dog food sample, he had several other coupons (half eating) spread across the floor. I guess the other coupons in the stack had a little food dust on them too.

So, I guess this was his way of telling me that he really likes the food and would enjoy a change of pace. Of course, that means that I will be buying a bag when I go to Publix later today. See what I mean about who is the master?