Job Interview

I went on my first job interview in almost eight years today. I interviewed for a position as a public relations specialist with a small marketing firm. I think the interview went well. I fully expected to be nervous (I was always nervous when I interviewed before), but I wasn't. I'm not really sure why. Maybe it was because for the last part of my tenure at my old job I was the one doing the interviewing. Maybe it is because I know there will be other jobs if this one doesn't work out. Maybe it was because I'm not even entirely sure I'd want this job. Whatever the reason, I wasn't nervous - but man, do I hate wearing suits! Well, that's all I've got for now - the lady said they'd call sometime next week and either let me know if they want me to come back in or if they are going another direction - we shall see! In the meantime, I'll be checking Sunday's paper for latest and greatest new listings!

Job Hunt

For those of you that were worried that I might have decided to never go back to any kind of job, you can now rest easy, as I've begun the job search. I sent out four resumes last week (some which most likely are out of my realm of expertise). I got a voicemail yesterday afternoon from one of the places and they want me to give them a call back regarding the open public relations specialist position (it is at a marketing firm). So, on Monday I plan to at least have my first phone screening (in almost 8 years!). Luckily I was performing these phone screenings pretty regularly at my last job, so I should hopefully be pretty comfortable with it. Wish me luck!

It snowed today

When I got up this morning, Oct. 23, imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and there were big white snowflakes falling outside. Nothing stuck to the ground or anything like that, but there were snow flurries hanging around almost all day. It sure was pretty out there. For a guy that left Dallas four months ago, it is kind of shocking to see snow in October, that's for sure!

And a fun week was had by all ...

My former roommate, Jeff, flew up here to Ohio to visit on Friday, Oct. 13. He arrived at about 9:30 p.m. and the fun times began. We got up early on Saturday morning and drove about an hour and a half southeast to Rio Grande, Ohio for the annual Bob Evans Farm Festival. When I was a kid, I would go with my mom and dad to work at the festival each year (although it is quite debatable how much "work" I actually got done). It was nice getting to go back and re-live a little of my childhood for a day. We arrived at the festival at about 10:30 a.m. and proceeded to walk the grounds. Let me tell you, this was a cold, windy October day. It was probably in the lower-40s while we were there. We went to a lumberjack/log rolling show and checked out other old-timey activities.

After leaving the festival, we visited with some of my family that lived nearby and then headed back to Lancaster for the evening. Sunday was basically spent hanging around the house watching football.

On Monday, we got up really early and headed for Cleveland (about a two and a half hour drive) for a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We ended up stopping at an outlet mall along the way. We got to the Hall of Fame at about 11:30 a.m. and spent the next five hours or so there. It is really a neat place if you ever happen to get the chance to visit. If you are really into Rock and Roll history, I would even say it should be a destination trip for you at some point in your life. We left Cleveland after the Hall of Fame and drove about 40 minutes southeast to Akron, Ohio. That's where we stopped for the evening. We had already decided that we wanted to go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio the next day, so we would just stay over somewhere and Akron seemed like as good a place as any.

We got up on Tuesday morning and drove the remaining half hour to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. We spent a couple of hours there and then headed back home to Lancaster (about two hours away).

On Wednesday, we drove to the western part of Columbus and spent the day at the Columbus Zoo, home of Jack Hanna (the dude that is on Letterman with his animals all the time). Very nice zoo. We are both animal lovers, so it was pretty cool to both of us. I really enjoyed the Red Pandas and the Komodo Dragons and of course the Koala Bears.

On Thursday we went to see Employee of the Month since it was a gloomy, rainy day. I enjoyed the movie (not just because I got to look at Jessica Simpson the whole time either!).

Friday was kind of sad because I had to take Jeff to the airport so he could return to Dallas. It was nice having a friend around for a week since I still don't really know anybody here. All in all it was a great week.

Just wanted to check in!

I haven't posted in a while, so I wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive and kicking (barely after a day full of removing a cinderblock wall and moving six trailers full of dirt). Not a lot going on here right now. The county fair is this coming weekend, so I'll probably check that out. My former roomie is coming into town next weekend for a visit, so that'll be fun. Maybe we'll get into some trouble and I'll be able to post about it! Well, hope everyone is doing great and hope to hear from you all soon!

Garage sale

In an attempt to add a little income to my life, I helped my mom, grandma and grandpa with a garage sale this past Friday and Saturday. We headed to my grandparents' house on Wednesday night with a truckload of stuff to sell (in addition to the car full of stuff I had taken down two weeks earlier).

We spent Thursday getting ready for the sale and opened up shop at about 8 a.m. on Friday. We had customers non-stop. It was pretty impressive. We closed up shop on Friday at about 5:30 and went out for some dinner. I went over to a cousin's house and watched Poseidon (decent movie) and got back to the grandparents' house at about 12:30 and then got up at 7 a.m. the following morning for more garage sale.

We opened at about 8:30 and it was a bit different than the previous day in that we have very few customers from 8:30 - 11. Things picked up in the afternoon and when we finally closed the sale down at about 4 p.m., we had as a group made about $450. It was a lot of work, but my grandparents were able to clean out their garage a bit and make a little money and I was able to make a bit of spending money for myself. Good times!

My mom and I got home at about 9:30 last night and I was pretty quick to hit the sack.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot - I sprained my ankle as we were cleaning up the garage sale, so that's always loads of fun! That's all for now!

It was bound to happen ...

Yesterday my uncle had a big Labor Day get together at his house. There were probably nearly 100 people there at various times of the day. There were five four wheelers at the party, including my dad's and my mom's. My two cousins and I were out riding (I was riding my dad's and one cousin was riding my mom's and the other cousin was riding a dirt bike) and one of them said we should race. So, we raced. There was a big open field that made a good race track. Unfortunately, we didn't designate a finish line, so by the time I started breaking, I realized that in front of me was a treeline and then a creek. Well, being the quick thinker that I am, I decided that hitting trees or flying into a creek 12 feet down were not good options, so I continued to break as hard as I could (the grass was wet, so I wasn't getting much traction) and once I knew for sure I couldn't stop, I turned the handlebars to the right. I was thrown from the four wheeler and it turned over on its side and nearly flipped over on me. Luckily it stopped and just ended up on its side rather than squashing me. I stayed on the ground for a minute, making sure I wasn't hurt badly and then got up to see what kind of damage I did. As far as I went, the only thing that hurt was the shoulder I landed on. My cousin and I flipped the four wheeler back over and it seemed to be okay. I just stood there for a few minutes, calming down and then got on the four wheeler to take it back to the house. It wouldn't start. I tried again - still wouldn't start. Finally I gave it some gas while I hit the ignition switch and it started right up. I drove it back to the house and that was the end of my four wheeling for the day. I did learn some valuable lessons from this experience. First, always have a finish line with enough braking room. Second, it is better to flip the four wheeler on its side rather than crashing into very large trees. Third, victory is sweet - that's right, I won the race!

An update - for Adrianne

This blog update is brought to you by Adrianne and her request for me to update my blog so she and her co-workers at my former place of employment will have something to do this evening.

Ohio has been pretty calm this week (all the weeks since I've been here actually). Let's see - on Monday I once again cut down trees and burned wood all day long. We're having a contractor come in to put in some new parking areas at my folks' house, so we needed to get these darn trees out of the way. There are only about 2 million trees left on the property now. My uncle, aunt and two cousins as well as my grandparents came down on Monday as well. We put them to work also, so it is doubtful that they'll want to come back any time soon.

Tuesday was much of the same, but we actually quit the yard work at about 5 so we could all go to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (a little bit of that Texas flavor I was missing). We had a nice dinner and called it a night.

On Wednesday, my mom and I signed the lease on the antique/collectible mall spot where we're going to try to sell some stuff. We've been going to a bunch of garage sales trying to find some more inventory for the store. We'll probably start going to some auctions as well. We've got my grandpa making some shelves for us and we start on Sept. 1.

Didn't do a lot today - just went to town to run some errands. Another aunt and cousin are here now (out shopping with mom) and they're staying over tonight. Sometimes this place feels more like a bed and breakfast than a house, but it's pretty cool getting to hang out with so many relatives that I haven't seen much of over the past 15 years or so.

Tomorrow night, my mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and three cousins are all going to an outdoor drama about a bunch of indians. Didn't sound like too much excitement to me, so I declined the invite. Not sure what I'll do instead, but I'll figure something out. Two of the cousins are coming back here after the show and they'll be spending the weekend with us - again - just like a bed and breakfast.

Next week I'm thinking about going down to the town where all of my extended family lives (about an hour and a half away) and spending a few days. That's about all that's going on here.

Great News!

My mom went to the doctor on Monday to get her two month CT scan (it's been a little over two months since she went off chemotherapy). She went in today to get the results and there is still no sign of the cancer that was in her liver. Basically this means she doesn't have to do anything else until the end of October, when she goes in for another CT scan. This is awesome news! She said that since Monday she's felt like she had to put all of her plans on hold until she knew for sure she'd be able to do what she wanted and now the hold has been lifted! That's all for now. Still not working (and barely looking at this point). Until next time!

Animals I've Seen

Today I feel like blogging about all of the animals I've seen in the wild since I returned to Ohio. I don't really have anything specific to say about them, so I'm just going to put them in list form. Here goes:

1) squirrel
2) chipmunk
3) mouse
4) deer
5) rabbit
6) groundhog
7) turkey vultures
8) wild turkey (the bird, not the drink)
9) raccoon
10) hawks
11) finches
12) hummingbirds
13) woodpeckers
14) opossum

That's all I can think of right now, but there could be some more I've forgotten.

On a different note, today was a fun day of cutting down trees and brush and burning it all in three different piles. It was loads of fun. I think I'm working harder (physically, not mentally) now that I'm unemployed. That's it for tonight!

My first steer show

So, the county fair is taking place this week in the town where my parents grew up and the rest of my family still lives. My cousin had a steer in the steer show, so my parents and I decided to drive down this morning to watch. This was my first steer show. They had ten groups of exhibitors with ten people in each group (they were divided by weight). My cousin was in the second class and ended up placing first! It was pretty cool. She is this tiny 16-year-old girl and she was trying to make an 1,100-pound cow do what she wanted. I was really impressed. I probably wouldn't go to another steer show (unless another relative is in one), but it was an interesting, new experience. Well, that's it for tonight. See ya!

DVD Review - Failure to Launch

Watched Failure to Launch with the parents tonight (ironic considering my current situation huh?). I had kind of wanted to see this flick at the theater, but never got around to it. At least it was a movie that translates well to the smaller screen (not a lot of explosions or fighting). I thought this was a pretty good movie and I don't even really like Matthew McConaughey that well. I could have done without seeing Terry Bradshaw's butt, but I guess you sometimes have to go through traumatic experiences in order to see a good movie. I give Failure to Launch three out of four stars.

Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires ...

Today was another first for me. My dad was cutting down a bunch of brush and small trees (something tells me that will be the order of the day for some time to come with all of the brush and trees around this place) and I was in charge of watching the fire. I've been around fires before and I was in the scouts, so I know a few things about them, but you've got to understand, our fire ring is about 7 feet from a forest, an honest to goodness forest. Luckily there were no issues and I had the rake and the water hose, just in case, but it is kind of intimidating knowing that all that stands between the fire and a raging forest fire is you and your rake and water hose. So, that's about all for now, but who knows what tomorrow may bring. I think we're going to go to see my cousin show her cow at the county fair on Thursday and we may be going to a real-life auction (not ebay!) on Saturday (another first for me). Until then, adios!

Pics from trip

Here are some pictures from my recent trip to South Carolina. Enjoy!

Another trip

Went to visit my grandparents and various other relatives Tuesday and Wednesday. It is about an hour and a half to get to their town, much better than the 17 hours it used to take by car to go visit them. I got all of my pictures from the trip to SC developed, but unfortunately left the picture CDs at my aunt's house, so I don't have them in digital form to place on here. Hopefully someone will come up and visit soon and they can bring those darn CDs to me, or I might have to break down and scan them in the old way. Well, raining here again today, so I guess I'll be hanging around inside mostly. Might try to go see Superman Returns tomorrow. Adios muchachos!

Procrastination

So, I think I've figured out that I can sometimes be a procrastinator. I bought a really nice 35mm film camera late last year, thinking I would make it my hobby and I'd get really into it and become this great photographer or something. Well, to do that, it seems you have to actually get the film developed. I shot five rolls of film from last November through June and I never got any of them developed. I took my camera with me to South Carolina and actually shot another four rolls there. I took the nine rolls of film to CVS yesterday and I get to pick them up later today (did you know that 1-hour developing is now actually cheaper than the two-day type?). I fully expect to pay at least $100 dollars for this (If I had been getting them developed all along, this vacation film would have only cost me around $40). Oh well, I guess you live and learn. I hope I get some good pics. I plan on posting some of the better ones on here once I go through them all. That's all for now. See ya when I see ya!

I have returned!

Well, the family and I made it back from South Carolina at about 3:30 or so yesterday afternoon. We had a blast and it was great getting to spend a week with my brother (who for those of you that don't know, still lives in Texas for now). We left on Sat., July 15 at about 5:30 a.m.

We stopped in Gallipolis, Ohio to meet up with my aunt, uncle and three cousins. We were in a caravan with them until we stopped again at Statesville, North Carolina (the trip consisted of the following states: Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina). We had what I consider one of the worst meals of my life at a Burger King in Statesville. We also met up with my grandma and grandpa at the Burger King and they joined the caravan the rest of the way.

We arrived at Brosnan Forest in North Carolina at about 5:30 p.m. After checking out the cabin and unloading the car, we went over to one of the other cabins to see my aunt, uncle and cousins. Come to find out, my aunt had broken her foot on one of the bikes provided for the cabins. She had managed to break her foot in the first hour we were there. During the course of the week, she had a cane, crutches and a wheelchair at various times. After the visit, everyone got to their vehicles and we all set out to buy groceries. The closest store was about 15 minutes away from the forest. While we were out, my immediate family went to Pizza Inn so we wouldn't have to cook the first evening.

On day two, we got up and cooked bacon and eggs over an open charcoal grill. Good stuff. Day two basically consisted of getting to know the forest and figuring out a schedule for the rest of the week (which come to find out would not be followed at all!). It was about 97 degrees and I swear the humidity had to be 95%. Every time you walked out of the cabin, you would immediately be wringing with sweat. I did manage to play a little basketball with three cousins and my brother on day two, which was fun. We got a free dinner for watching a safety video in the evening. It was a nice BBQ dinner with a lot of great deserts!

Day three was a lot of fun. We went to Isle of Palms beach and enjoyed a nice day at the ocean. I hadn't been to the beach in about 15 years, so it was pretty cool to get to go. I stayed in the water for about 2 and a half hours and managed to get a really nice sunburn (my face is peeling as I write this).

Day four was another trip into Charleston. We headed into town in the evening and had dinner at Bubba Gump's Shrimp restaurant. We then wandered around town a bit and then went on a haunted Charleston ghost tour. There were several options and I decided on the Haunted Jail tour, which was touted as being the most scary of the tours. Come to find out, the "haunted" jail is now home to the American College of Architecture, so how "haunted" can it really be?

Day five was a day to recoup at camp. I didn't get out much due to the sunburn. The sun had become my enemy and I didn't want to allow it the satisfaction of seeing what it had accomplished. During the evening, they were having a hamburger/hot dog/chicken buffet, so the group did all get out to do that. We also went for a nice swim at about 10 p.m., which was nice (although the pool water was about the same temperature as bath water).

Day six was to be our last day in Charleston. We went to the South Carolina Aquarium and spent a couple of hours there. We were going to go to Fort Sumter, but realized that it was going to take more time than we wanted to spend, so we skipped that. I took a lot of cool pictures at the aquarium. I hope some of them turn out! After the aquarium, we went to Folly Beach (which is on an island) and checked out their big fishing pier. There was a nice patio seafood restaurant there, so we went ahead and ate. After lunch, we went to their gift shop and then walked down the pier. After Folly Beach, we went back into Charleston and went by the big outdoor marketplace. My brother had seen something he wanted there, but that particular vendor wasn't there when we went back. We were supposed to be back to camp for "Italian Night" dinner, but we didn't make it, so it was another trip to Pizza Inn for us (not many restaurants in the area). We also went back to the pool for another late night swim.

Day seven was a hang out at camp and clean the cabin day. We did have a big dinner with all of the family and we celebrated my dad's 53rd birthday as well. Lots of food and lots of picture taking were the way of the day.

On the last day, we had to check out by 8 a.m., so we decided to just get up really early and get on the road so Dusty could come back to the house and shoot guns and ride four wheelers (his flight back to Dallas was at 8:30 the next morning). We ended up leaving at about 5:15 a.m. and arrived home at 3:30 p.m. All in all, it was a fantastic trip and I really enjoyed getting to visit with a lot of my family I hadn't seen in some time. I plan on visiting with them all a lot more in the near future now that I'm back in Ohio.

Unemployment: Day 18

Another day, another rain storm, another day of shopping. Didn't get much accomplished today. Managed to get my dad's b-day gift taken care of, so that's good. Maybe tomorrow will be a bit more interesting. Only two more days until vacation. My brother flies in on Friday - it will be good to have him in town and riding down to South Carolina with us. I'm really looking forward to the haunted Charleston tour during my vacation. I plan to take lots of pictures - maybe I'll capture a ghost on film! Hasta la vista!

Unemployment: Day 17

Today was another rainy one here in Ohio. We headed over to Columbus for some shopping this afternoon and met up with my aunt, uncle, three cousins, grandma and grandpa at PF Chang's this evening for my cousin's birthday dinner. It was my first time at Chang's - good stuff. After dinner, we went to my cousin's apartment in Columbus and had cake and ice cream. Good times were had by all. That was about the extent of the day. I did manage to find some sandles and hiking boots in Columbus. Tomorrow is tennis shoe hunting day and haircut day. Gotta get the hair short for vacation this weekend! That is all.

Unemployment: Day 16

Here we are with another day on the old homestead. Went four-wheeling through the woods again today. We've created a pretty nifty trail back there. It is a lot of fun and I've started trying to go a little faster to amp up the excitement a bit. Besides that, my mom and I worked on the media room some more. We're done with the riser platform for the theatre chairs and we added lights to that yesterday. Today we hung some big movie poster/board things to add some entertainment flair to the room. The picture on the HDTV looks great. Well, I'd better be going now. I've got lots of country-type stuff I should be doing. Keep looking up - unless there are birds flying overhead!

Weekend Stuff

So, last night I helped my dad build a platform to put raise two theatre-style chairs in our basement media room. That's right. I did some carpentry. Tonight I tried my hand at laying carpet as we carpeted said stand. So, in the last two days, I have learned two new trades. Good stuff. That's about all we got done today as the DirecTV guy was here installing HDTV for the better part of four hours. Tomorrow may include a trip to the outlet mall about 45 minutes away. That's all, that's all, that's all folks!

Unemployment: Day 15

Another day of country living. Today started out with some garage sale action. Didn't buy anything (probably not unexpected, since I don't have a job currently). We then went to Roots Restaurant in Lancaster. This is a pretty funny place. It is a country cooking restaurant in an old converted house. Lots of old people like to eat there (my grandparents suggested it today). We then went to some more garage sales and followed that up with a visit to the local ice cream parlor. It was good, but not great. I prefer Cold Stone Creamery myself.

When we got home from the long day of garage sales, my grandpa and I got on the four wheelers and worked on the trail through the woods behind my parents' house. He had and ax and I had a machete. We cut down small trees and other weeds and bushes. We also moved a few logs off the trail and removed a post that was in our way. We've got a trail that goes all through the woods and back out to the main road to the house now. Good stuff. Well, that's it for now. To you and yours - goodnight!

Unemployment: Day 14

This is some country living! Today I spent an hour and a half doing the following:

1) stringing fresh green beans on the front porch
2) picking wild raspberries in the front yard
3) reading the paper on the front porch

Did you know that wild raspberries are black and not red? Well, that's about it for today. Maybe tomorrow I'll burn some brush or something. Until then, over and out!

Unemployment: Day 13

Not much to report today. We've got some crazy red-tailed hawk that likes to chill in the tree next to the house and scream at us when we come outside. He thinks he's pretty cool with his big claws and beak. Well, actually, he is pretty cool, and pretty endangered. It is amazing seeing all of the wildlife around here. Haven't seen anything dead lately, so that's good. Still trying to get the room in order, but who am I kidding? I was still trying to get my room in order at my apartment and I lived there for almost three years. Until tomorrow, adios muchachos.

Unemployment: Days 11 and 12

I've been away for the Fourth of July holiday (visiting relatives), so I wasn't able to update yesterday. Nothing too exciting going on. I got to visit with about 40 or so relatives over the past few days, so that was cool. Today I don't really have too much going on, so I think I'll be working in the garage, trying to get everything sorted out. I need to figure out what all goes needs to stay out there. I've also got a bunch of boxes to break down. Should be fun - it is raining like crazy here today. We got over two inches of rain last night.

Accomplishments

Finally got some stuff done today. Got my address changed with the bank and ordered some new checks. I also got my cell phone changed to a local number and picked up a new phone while I was at it. I got a nifty little Samsung camera phone. It's my first camera phone. Not sure what I'll do with it, but I'll figure something out. My folks got their big TV delivered today so I had to hook that up for them. Next step is ordering some DirecTV HD service. This TV is too sweet! Off to visit the grandparents tomorrow and Monday for the holiday and my grandma's birthday. Should be fun visiting with the grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Until we meet again. Hasta la vista.

Unemployment: Day 10

Today was once again spent helping my mom with some shopping. She needed to find a stand for her new TV and some theatre chairs. We knew the chairs were at Best Buy, but we weren't sure where we were going to find the stand. We ended up getting one at a place called Value City Furniture. Nice place - they are delivering next Thursday. We also went to Best Buy and got the chairs. We pick them up tomorrow morning. When we came home, there were eight buzzards going at the remains of the groundhog I threw into the field a couple of days ago. They seemed to be enjoying it immensely.

Unemployment: Days 8 and 9

Sorry for the lack of posting yesterday. Got a little busy. Big day of shopping with my mom yesterday. We found a really nice TV that they'll be delivering on Saturday. I rode my dad's four-wheeler yesterday and today. Yesterday, when we got home from shopping, there was a dead groundhog in front of the mailbox (somebody hit it with a car). I had to take a shovel and go throw him into the field. As I approached him, I realized that I wasn't 100% sure that he was actually dead. I threw a couple of rocks at him and he didn't move. I then tapped him with the shovel and he still didn't move, so that confirmed my thought that he was a goner. I picked him up with the shovel and threw him into the field across the road. The buzzards will get him now. Gross huh?

Unemployment: Day 7

Today I managed to get my clothes into my closet, so that is always a good thing. I also got my bookcases moved up to my room, so I actually have somewhere to sit all of this stuff now. My grandma, grandpa and aunt are coming up to visit this evening. I've already learned that there are many visitors here at my parents' house. I consider that a good thing though. I haven't seen most of my family much over the past 16 years or so, so I enjoy catching up. I'm planning on getting my car registration, insurance and drivers license all switched over to Ohio sometime this week.

Unemployment: Day 6

Yes, this is day six because I'm not counting weekends as unemployed days (I wouldn't be working them anyway). So, on day six of unemployment, I managed to get my computer set up and then find out that it wouldn't come one. I printed out all the troubleshooting options and discovered that it was probably a bad power supply. I took it to a local computer repair shop and they confirmed my diagnosis (yes!). About a half hour and $75 later, my computer was as good as new. I also discovered that my television appears to be on the verge of destruction. The picture rolls for about the first 10 minutes after turning it on. Not a good sign. I guess I shouldn't have taken that corner so hard on the way here from Texas.

I managed to get my home network up and running this evening. It was actually easier than I expected, so that was a pleasant surprise. That was really the first thing that worked out correctly since I started on this trek. Oh well, what can you do?

That's it for day six. See you on the flip side.

Weekend fun

Today I spent the first half of my day shopping for a computer desk, a TV wall mount and a shower caddy. I spent the second half putting together the wall mount and computer desk. Good times. The good news is both are now sitting in my room in good repair and I don't have to worry about them any more. The bad news is I now have to actually hook up the TV, DVD, VCR and DirecTV receiver and the computer system. Tomorrow I get to install the wireless network.

Weekend stuff

Lots to do this weekend. I need to buy a new desk and I went to Sam's today to buy a wireless network router so I can get my desktop and laptop computers on-line. I'm also going to have to go to Home Depot to get a wall mount for the TV in my bedroom. I might go to Bed, Bath and Beyond to get a shower caddy, but I don't know - I don't know if I'll have time. Rock me! (If you don't get the reference, ask me and I'll let you know.)

Unemployment: Day 5

Didn't want to get out of bed this morning. My alarm was set for 7 a.m. but I ended up actually getting up at about 8:30. I went to the grocery store and Steak 'N Shake and then came back and unloaded my trailer. We got the trailer back to the U-Haul place, so that's good. Don't have to worry about that any more. Tomorrow I'm hoping to go buy a wireless network router, so I can get my laptop up and going. I still have tons of work to do to get my new room to my liking. So far so good. This evening we were sitting on the front porch and got to see two big deer walk through the soybean field across the road. That was pretty awesome. Now it is dark and the lightning bugs are everywhere. It is quite amazing to see. Until tomorrow - peace!

Unemployment: Day 4

Today was a long day. We left Memphis, Tenn. at about 8:30 a.m. central time this morning and arrived at my new home at about 8:15 p.m. eastern time. Lots of hours on the road, but at least I don't have to make the return trip. We're going to unload the trailer in the morning, so at least I don't have to worry about that this evening. So, I guess this means I'm officially home now.

Unemployment: Day 3

Well, I'm a little later than usual on this, but here is the low-down on day three of unemployment. I met up for breakfast with my mom, dad and brother on Wednesday morning. We went to IHOP at 8 a.m. and we were scheduled to pick up the U-Haul trailer at 9:15 a.m.

We got to the place on time and we went out to hook up the trailer. Basically every time I've moved, something has gone wrong. It's not always something huge, but it is always something. Anyway, we hooked up the trailer and the lighting system didn't work. The lady at the place where we were picking it up gave us directions to a real U-Haul place where they could help us figure out what was wrong. Turns out my dad's SUV had a blown fuse. We had to go to AutoZone and get a new fuse. We returned to the original place to pick up the trailer and the lady hooked it up again and it still wasn't working. At this point, I was freaking out, but after a few adjustments, everything started working okay.

So, after finally getting the trailer (about two hours after the planned time), we got started on loading it at about 11:30. After lots of heavy lifting and strained backs, we finished up everything at about 2:30 and were on the road. We stopped for lunch in Greenville for lunch (at about 4 or so) at Cracker Barrell. We finally stopped for the night just north of Memphis, Tenn. at a Ramada Inn. We found a Wendy's and got some burgers and went to bed.

So, I'm no longer in Texas and am currently feeling like quite the nomad, since all my stuff is moving cross-country with us.

Unemployment: Day 3/The End of an Era

Well, today is the third day of my unemployment and also the day of my big move. Not looking forward to today. Lots of heavy lifting and then lots of driving. I've got everything packed, so now I've just got to wait until we can pick up the trailer after 9 this morning. As far as the end of the era thing, it is the end of my time in Texas. It's been a great sixteen years, but the time has come to move on (or actually back to Ohio in this case). I just want to tell my friends how much I'll miss them and I'll be sure to keep in touch. See ya on the flip side!

Unemployment: Day 2

Day two of unemployment is just about over and I've actually managed to get a bit accomplished today. I went to lunch at Saltgrass Steakhouse with my mom, dad and brother. Besides that, I have basically finished packing (no thanks to Saved By the Bell reruns and the horrible movie - Career Opportunities on TV). This evening, my roommate and I are going to my parents' hotel room to watch the Mavericks game with them. I sure hope they win!

Why is it ...

Why is it that every time I move I am struggling to finish packing right when I'm supposed to be leaving? I know better. Like I said, it happens EVERY time (which has been pretty frequent since I got out of college). And if things aren't bad enough, instead of doing some packing right now, I'm watching Saved By the Bell reruns.

Unemployment: Day 1

So, today was the first day that I would have gone to work if I hadn't resigned. What did I do you ask? Well, here's a list:

1. got up at about 9 a.m.
2. messed around on MySpace
3. shredded lots of old papers
4. got ready to leave the house
5. took a coffee table to the thrift store
6. went to Chili's for lunch and watched some FIFA in the bar
7. went to Home Depot and got a key made
8. got my car washed and detailed
9. got my oil changed and tires rotated
10. went to get my hair cut, but there were too many people waiting, so I skipped it
11. packed some boxes
12. took my bed apart
13. loaded bed in truck and took it to the Salvation Army (but when I got there, some guy asked me if he could just buy it from me, so I sold it to him for $20)
14. went to dinner at Krystal's Pizza in Irving
15. went to Cold Stone Creamery for some desert
16. came home and did some more packing

So, you can see, day one of unemployment was pretty productive! I'll try to update tomorrow with Unemployment: Day 2. Until then, keep on keepin on.

Josh blew it

Unbelievable. Josh managed to miss two free throws and made a bonehead timeout call. Guess we shouldn't have been making parade plans huh?

Acckkk!

This is so stressful. Tie game with 2:02 left in OT. Dirk just knocked the ball out of bounds and the HEAT have four seconds on the shot clock. Need a big defensive stand here and then some points on the other end to put the pressure on Miami. Haslem has now fouled out for the HEAT.

OT

Mavs can't close out the game. We're going to OT with lots of guys in foul trouble? What's going to happen? I don't know, but I don't like it.

Missed free throw by Dirk

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse. Dirk one of two from the line and then Wade hits for two to go up two. Dirk follows up with a tought two of his own. This should be his time.

Wade = new Jordan?

If he's not, then the Mavs are certainly making him look like he is. Less than two minutes to go and the Mavs are now down by one. If they lose this game, then I hate to say it, but the HEAT could win the series in six.

Nope

So much for Dirk stepping up. Mavs with a 24-second violation and now the HEAT goes up by one.

Terry

If the Mavericks win this game, it is thanks mostly to Jason Terry and partly to Josh Howard. I am so disappointed in how Dirk has played the last two games. It would be nice to see him step it up for the last three minutes tonight and going into game six.

Wade is alive!

Mavs did a good job controling him in the first 2 and a half quarters, but he's been lighting them up since then. If the HEAT win this game, it'll be because of Wade.

Big rebound by Howard, big shot by Terry

Mavs by three. Looks like another nail-biter.

Not good

Mavs lead down to one after three.

7 point game with five minutes left in the half

The Mavs seem to be hanging on, but we need to end this quarter with more than a 10 point lead.

Focus

The Mavs need to focus and eliminate these dumb turnovers. Every posession counts and they also can't allow Jason Williams to continue to shoot uncontested threes. Four fouls on Haslem, which is a good thing (except that means Posey comes in now).

Focus

The Mavs need to focus and eliminate these dumb turnovers. Every posession counts and they also can't allow Jason Williams to continue to shoot uncontested threes. Four fouls on Haslem, which is a good thing (except that means Posey comes in now).

Mavs lead by 8 at the half

This is much better than the last two games.

Strong finish?

We need to finish the last minute and a half strong. Terry just helped with a big three.

THE JET IS ON THE RUNWAY!

Jason Terry is on fire. With Dirk and Howard still seemingly looking for their shot, we must continue to get Terry open looks.

Mavs lead

Mavs actually took the lead for a moment. Nice to see for a change.

KVH sucks

Keith Van Horn should be eliminated from the NBA as soon as possible. Whatever team decides to pick him up after the Mavs decline to offer him a new contract in the off-season should also be eliminated from the league.

Mavs down three at the end of one

Dirk missed a three at the buzzer and Mavs are down by three points at the end of the first quarter. They have looked better so far this game. On a completely different note - the movie Little Man looks like total crap. Who makes this stuff?

At least Dirk and Howard are playing better

They both have more made baskets in the first half of the first quarter than they did in the entire game 4.

Not looking good

HEAT are on a 10-0 run. Mavs aren't getting out on their three-point shooters and they are making them pay for it. Gonna have to start playing some perimeter defense or this game is going to end up like game 4.

Josh starting out hot

Josh is two for his first three. A couple of nice moves.

The HEAT are on the runway and the traffic controler is waving them in!

That guy with the crazy glasses and pseudo-Japanese HEAT flags scares me a little. I think maybe the Mavs are intimidated by him or something. Also, I really don't need to see the name and face of their PA guy ever again. He gets more face time during the intros than any of the players or coaches do.

Lame National Anthems

This series has had the worse National Anthem singers I remember in a finals. I think Michael MacDonald might have actually been the best one.

Fearless Prediction

Dirk will score 32 or more. Josh will score 18 or more. Terry will score 22 or more. Mavs will win by at least nine. Write it down!

These two guys have to step it up tonight!

I'm back!

After spending the last two games at the Studio Movie Grill in Addison, Texas, I'm back on my couch in front of my laptop where I should be. The Mavs won games one and two while I did this, so I"ll be blogging throughout the game in hopes that the Mavs take game five and go up three games to two with the final two games at the AAC in Dallas.

MySpace

I declined invitations to join MySpace for a long time, but with my new-found spare time, I figured why not? So, I have officially joined the MySpace world. I've made contact with several people that I haven't talked to in years, so that's fun! It's still very new, but feel free to check it out - http://www.myspace.com/coryj98

I'm free!!

Yesterday was my last day at work. I was scheduled to work until 7 p.m. central, but they decided to take away my access to the systems I need at about 4:30. I stayed and helped out until 6:30, but once we forwarded to our after-hours bureau, I was out the door one last time. It was an emotional day at work. We brought in lunch for the office to celebrate my last day. It was good food and I think everyone enjoyed it.

I had a nice card, signed by everyone in the office, waiting on my desk when I arrived. I'll be honest, I had to choke back some tears when I was reading it. A lot of these people are more like family than co-workers to me after over seven years of working with them. As the day went on, people would leave for the day and we'd have to say our goodbyes, which was hard. As I walked out the door one last time, I couldn't help but to look back and take one last look at the place where I'd spent most of my time since I graduated from college.

Mavs up two games to zero!

Mavs win 99-85. They have a nice position going into these next three games in Miami. Shaq ended up taking just 5 shots and scoring 5 points. Who'da thunk it?

Nice effort

Mavs up by 14 with 2 minutes left to play. Shaq has five points - who is this guy?

Posey joins Shaq and Haslem on bench

Six fouls for James Posey - who's gonna guard Dirk now?

Keeping them at bay

The Mavs are managing to keep the HEAT down by 16 - 20 points, so they are basically keeping Wade and Shaq off the court. Hopefully we won't see either of them again tonight.

Mavs had a nice third period

Mavs up by 24 at the end of the third quarter. HEAT have only managed to score 58 points in three quarters.

I'm liking this game now

Mavs big guys are getting it going and Stack is providing a huge lift from the bench. If Dirk and Josh keep outpacing Shaq and Dwyane Wade, we're in excellent shape. And please, please let them keep passing it to Antoine Walker!

Stack is the MAN!

Stackhouse just killed the HEAT at the end of the half. Mavs up by sixteen thanks to Stack scoring the last 10 points for the Mavs!

Mavs on a run

Dirk and Josh have started hitting some shots and the Mavs are now up seven. Gotta keep big mo on our side.

Not a good finish

Mavs end up the quarter up by one, but it was an ugly end to the quarter. They're going to have to play better than this if they want to go up two games to one.

Need to finish first strong

There is a minute and a half left in the first quarter. They need to finish this strong. The last two minutes haven't been good.

Shaq looks tired

I was expecting an energized Shaq tonight, but he's looking really tired so far. Dirk just sat with two fouls and Van Horn is on for him. Uh oh.

Good Start

Mavs up by six and Riley has to take a time out. I'm not getting too excited yet, but things are looking good so far.

Prediction!

Give me the Mavs in tonight's game. I know a lot of people are picking the heat, but I'm thinking Mavs by seven!

Here we go!

Almost time to start game 2 of the NBA Finals. I hope Shaq isn't too upset by his performance on Thursday night or we could be in for a great deal of Diesel power tonight.

Haunted Cemetery near my new home

Here is a picture and a brief description of the Stonewall Cemetery that is located about half a mile from my parents house (where I'll be living for a while).

Stonewall Cemetery is located on Stonewall Cemetery Road, about ½ mile from US-22, outside Lancaster, Ohio (Hocking Township, Fairfield County). The coordinates are 39° 41' 28.55" N, 82° 38' 22.9" W. Stonewall Cemetery a small family cemetery that is no longer active. The cemetery is kept locked to prevent vandalism. The inscription above the gate gives some history about the cemetery. It reads:
THIS WALL which encloses the family burying ground of NATHANIAL WILSON (one of the early Pioneers of the West who emigrated from Cumberland County, Pa. and settled near this place A.D. 1798 when all around was one continued & uninhabited wilderness) was commenced by him A.D. 1838 & finished in the following year by his son GUSTIN the former having suddenly died May 12 1839.

The technique used to construct Stonewall Cemetery is amazing. The angles in the wall were cut into each individual stone. This is a one of a kind cemetery, there is not another one like it anywhere. The Fairfield County parks ordered the Lebanon cedar that is planted inside. These trees are very difficult to find, and this one replaced the original one. I was told that the entrance faces the Polaris. The North star is exactly over the arch. The cemetery is also known to be haunted. Legend has it that if you walk around the top of the cemetery's wall thirteen times at night flames will shoot up and you'll be pulled into hell! Dala, a website visitor and Vice President of the Pisgah Cemetery Association in Perry County, Ohio e-mailed me another legend about the cemetery. When Dala was a teenager she and three or four of her friends drove out to the cemetery one night from New Lexington, Ohio. Her friend's boyfriend told them that if you sat on the wall and lit 3 matches a ghost would knock you off the wall. Dala's friends hoisted her and her friend Kim up on the wall and they lit three matches. However, they were disappointed because nothing knocked them off the wall...I think I would have been happy about that! :) A big thanks to Dala for sharing her story with me!!

Information courtesy of http://www.graveaddiction.com/stonewall.html

I'm starting to feel it a bit ...

I think all of the changes coming up for me are finally starting to sink in. The last couple of days, I think I've really started to realize how different my life is about to become. Everything I know is about to change. In less than two weeks, I'll be living in a new state with no job to speak of. I haven't been without a job since 1992. The more I think about it, the weirder it sounds. I'm not doubting my decision at all - I still believe it to be the right one, just grasping the realities of it. I've got five days left at work and then it'll be time to get a move on to Ohio. There are a few people I would have liked to see before time to move, but I know everyone has their own things going on, so maybe I'll be able to catch up with them the next time I come down to Texas to visit. That's all for now!

Can I get a sidebar here?

Channel 8 is doing their after-game newscast from outside the AAC. While this might seem like a good idea, I believe it is not. They audio is awful and they look like idiots reading news stories in their casual clothes in front of a crowd of thousands.

Nice win!

Mavs with a 10-point victory. Only three wins to go for an NBA Championship!

Mavs with a decent lead with one minute left!

Damp just sent Shaq to the line - nice move. Shaq is o for the game for free throw makes.

Terry hot and cold in the fourth

Big threes and free throws, but some silly plays too. Hopefully they don't come back to haunt us. Damp going to the line after being fouled on the three-point line (what?).

This is not good

Mavs only up by three now and Devin Harris can't make a free-throw. The rest of the team can't make anything.

Scary!

Mavs had a nice, big 10-point lead, but it is now down to 6. Gotta get back to making good decisions and we can't blow any more open layups.

End three - Mavs lead, but not by much

Mavs by two at the end of the third quarter. Heat keeps sticking around. I don't like it.

Could be trouble for the Heat

Haslem with four fouls is good news for the Mavs, bad news for the Heat. Nice to see Dirk knocking Wade on his butt too.

Mavs lead at the half!

Dirk ends his drought with a big shot at the buzzer. Mavs lead 46-44 at the half! I love this game!

Tie Game!

Mavs tie it at 44 with 27.7 left. Heat are 12-0 when leading at the half. We cannot let them lead.

What an effort

Mavs have done a great job getting back into this game. Let's see how they finish this quarter.

Terry the hero so far

Dirk's been pretty bad so far, but Terry is lighting it up.

Wade is good

Can't let him have 13 points each quarter or this won't be much of a series. On another note, Dirk cannot throw a bad inbounds pass again in this series. This isn't game number 28 of the regular season -- this is the NBA Finals!

Gotta get J-Ho shooting better

Josh's shot isn't looking so good right now. Gotta get him to the rim and get his confidence going. We've got to get him to 20 points afterall.

Shaq travels

Can it be? A traveling call on big Diesel?

This is intense

Heat lead by 2 now. This is very nerve-racking, even in the first quarter.

Finals are on!

Mavs/Heat going down right now. This is amazing. I can't believe I'm actually watching this. Mavs up by one early on.

I finally saw it ... (X-Men spoiler alert)

... X-Men - The Last Stand that is. I can't believe it took me almost two weeks from the opening to see this movie. If you haven't seen the movie yet and are planning on it, you probably don't want to read this post.

I really enjoyed this movie. There were some really cool mutants that haven't been in the other two movies in this one and some of the ones that have been in the other films were really able to shine in this one.

I enjoyed getting to see Kitty Pryde play a big role in this movie - her battle with Juggernaut was great! Bobby Drake (Iceman) also got to be "iced up" in this one, which was cool. I thought Rogue was pretty useless in this film however. I also thought that having Psylocke in the movie was stupid. They never even got her into the action before she was turned into dust by Dark Phoenix.

Wolverine got to cut people up real good and Storm finally gets to fly and put her powers to good use.

I've got to say I was somewhat shocked by the demise of both Cyclops and Professor Xavier. I really didn't mind that they killed off Cyclops because I think he is a big whiner (like Tim Duncan), but I didn't like the killing of Charles.

All in all, I thought this was a fun action, comic book movie, but not nearly as good as the second X-Men film. They are planning a Wolverine movie, but I would also like to see them do something with all the younger X-Men. I think a good movie could be made using just Iceman, Shadowcat, Colossus and Rogue (maybe adding in some others we haven't seen much of, like Jubilee).

I give X-Men - The Last Stand 4 out of 5 stars.

Big Changes Upcoming ...

Well, I might as well get this out in public. On June 21, I'm moving from Texas to Ohio. My folks moved up there in April and I feel like I should be closer to them and that it is time for a change in my life. I'm turning in my two-week notice at work tomorrow and my last day there will be Friday, June 16. I'm renting a U-Haul trailer and my parents are driving down with their Lincoln Aviator to tow the trailer back up there. This was the right time for me to make this move, as my lease on the apartment ends at the end of June and I'm doing okay financially right now, so I can afford to be without a job for a little while. I'm planning on taking a couple of months off once I get up to Ohio so I can get my bearings in a new town/situation and so I can enjoy a little time off before getting started in a new career path. I'm both scared and excited about this. I'm going to miss all of my friends and co-workers, but this is the right choice for me to make at this time.

That's it then!

Mavs win! Mavs in six! Mavs face off against the Heat, starting on Thursday. What a season!

Git er done!

Mavs take this one. They played some defense tonight. Mavs with by seven and they hold Phoenix under 100.

Missed free throws

Stack one of two from the line, Mavs up five with 36+ seconds left. They're going to have to keep fouling, so we're going to need to start making these consistenly. We've left too many points on the line tonight. Devin has got to improve his free throw shooting.

Defense ... defense ... defense

Mavs up four with 38 seconds to play. They just gaveup a huge three pointer to Tim Thomas. Stack to the line.

Terry out of bounds

That could be a huge turnover. Mavs up seven with 48 seconds left.

Mavs up six - time out Suns!

Blow me up dog!

Mavs picking up the pace defensively

Mavs have been playing stronger defense the last few minutes. Hopefully that'll play out the rest of this game. Mavs lead by 4 points on a Terry jumper.

Mavs tie it up!

Dirk with the fade shot - good! Mavs tie it up!

Playing Mavs pace, but not getting the job done

The Mavs should be winning this game if you think that pace wins games. Mavs down two with 9:45 to play.

After three quarters - Mavs down by two

Mavs can just not finish a quarter with any mometum. We need another big quarter by Dirk to get us out of this game with a win. If we don't take this one, things are not looking good for the Mavs in this series.

Second half adjustments

The Mavs need to knock Steve Nash's butt to the floor hard at the beginning of the second half. They need to show him that they're not playing around and they are willing to knock him around. How Nash goes, so go the Suns. They held Marion to 8 in the first half, so they need to keep the clamps on him. They also need to keep the pace closer to what they did in the first part of the first half as opposed to game one and the last couple of minutes of the second quarter.

Not good

Mavs did not effectively end the quarter. A blown possesion and a three-pointer by Tim Freaking Thomas and then a quick layup by Nash. Mavs down by five at the half.

One minute left in the half and the Mavs have lost the lead

Mavs were holding the Suns down by five to seven points, but they went on a run and now lead by two with a little over a minute left to play in the first half. Mavs need to finish strong on both sides of the court to end the half. This can be the place in the game that makes or breaks a Mavs victory.

David Hasselhoff

Good to see the Knight Rider at the Mavs game tonight. He's in the house rooting on his biggest (7-foot) fan, Dirk.

Howard is looking great

You can't even tell that Josh Howard has a bone bruise on his ankle. He's already got 10 points and he is looking nimble on the court. That is a good sign for the Mavs. Mavs by 8 with seven minutes left in the second quarter.

Mavs Up Five After One

The Mavs lead 22 - 17 after one quarter. This is a good sign as the Mavs managed to hold Phoenix to under 20 points in the quarter. The pace seems to be working to the Mavs' advantage as well. Diop, Dirk and Howard have been strong in the quarter.

Another Nail Biter

Mavs up one with a little over four seconds left. Defense on this last Suns chance will tell if the Mavs win or lose the one. I'm scared!

Western Conference Finals begin tonight!

After spending the last two days trying to get the excitement from the Mavs win over SA out of my system, it is now time to get into round 3 of the Western Conference playoffs. Tonight begins the Mavs series with the Suns and former Mav, Steve Nash. I'm a huge Nash fan, but I really hope he scores like 8 points tonight and has 12 turnovers (not gonna happen, but hey, I can wish). This should be another great series, but I doubt anything can top the Mavs/Spurs series as far as excitement goes. Anyway, go Mavs!

Game 1 - Wednesday

Game one of the conference finals for the Mavs starts on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. central. It'll be an interesting match-up with either the Suns or the Clippers (I'm hoping for the Clippers).

That's it - Mavs in Seven

Now we wait to see if we face the Suns or the Clippers. Nice job by the Mavs. Dirk, Terry, Diop, Stackhouse - all huge.

Halftime - Mavs Up By 14

I'm liking it - but the Spurs did get a little run there at the end. The Mavs will have to tighten the defense in the second half.

Dirk's a man!

He just took it to the rim and got an and one. Excellent move. Mavs up by 20 with three minutes left.

Mavs are into it tonight

Mavs up by 16 well into the second quarter. I love this game!

So I was wrong!

My prediction proves false. Mavs can't recover from their mistakes and lose game six. The series moves back to San Antonio on Monday night and that favors the Spurs for sure. This might have been the end of the best shot for the Mavs to move on to a conference finals.

Not good ...

Mavs have the ball, down three, with 26 seconds left to play. It's not looking good here folks. Mavs have screwed up too many posessions in the fourth quarter.

Devin's jumper gives the Mavs the one point lead ...

Mavs up by one with a little over 3 minutes left to play. It's win or go home for the Spurs and I say it is time for the Spurs to go fishing!

Tight!

Mavs down two with just a little over nine minutes left. This is going to be another close one!

Mavs/Spurs all even through three quarters

Well, it is like a whole new ballgame now with the Mavs and Spurs tied at 67 at the end of three quarters. They've got one quarter to make my prediction come to fruition. Go Mavs!

My Prediction Stands

Jason Terry or no Jason Terry, my prediction - Mavs in six - stands. I think the suspension of Jason Terry can actually work as an advantage for the Mavs. What's the staring lineup going to be now? Will Stackhouse start, will Daniels start, will Van Horn start? Will it be small-ball or big-ball? Nobody will know until just before tipoff tomorrow night and that can be an advantage for Avery's team. My opinion is that Daniels should start and Stack and Van Horn still come off the bench to provide some offensive pop off the bench. Whatever happens, I believe it will still be a great game and the Mavs end up taking this series in six!

Mavs win ... almost

Game 5 is over and the Mavs had a chance to win it at the end, but came up just a few inches short. Another amazing game, down to the wire. Game six on Friday in Dallas is sure to be another crowd-pleaser. My prediction of Mavs in 6 is still a distinct possibility. It is certainly amazing how close all of these games (except game 2) have been. It's really too bad somebody (the Spurs) has to lose.

Mavs Win, Mavs Win!!

Dallas wins over San Antonio in OT. I guess the Mavs could win it in five now, but I'm sticking with six. I hope I'm wrong and it goes five, but I like the Spurs at home on Wednesday night. Big games from Stack, Dirk, Devin and Terry tonight. Go Mavs!

Tonight's Mavs Game

Here it is - my bold prediction. Dallas bests San Antonio by at least 12 points tonight. Mark it down. Big nights from Josh Howard and Jason Terry and decent nights by Dirk and Devin. My prediction of Mavs in 6 stands.

Write it down - Mavs in 6 over the Spurs

Mavs win over the Spurs tonight, so the series is 2-1 Dallas. Before the game, I predicted Mavs in six, so I think that'll stand after tonight's big win. It was a tough one, but they pulled it out in the end. They missed too many free throws again and still managed to win. If they make their free throws, they should win games with a little less drama. On another note, I believe Tim Duncan has become the biggest whiner in the NBA. If you believe him, then he has never commited a foul in his life.

I'm still here

Just wanted to post that I'm still alive and kicking. Just haven't had much to talk about on here lately. My parents have moved away from Texas and are settling in to Ohio life. My mom went and saw her new doctor in Ohio and they are cutting her chemo treatments from 12 to 8, so she's only got 1 or 2 to go (they did some tests and they didn't detect any cancer at this point). My brother, roommate and I are driving up there in late May to visit for a week. Should be interesting - my brother's dog is going with us!

A Good Day!

Today is a good day. My mom went to get a CT Scan done last Thursday to check to see how her cancer tumor in her liver was reacting to the chemo. She went to see the oncologist today and her told her that there is now no sign of the tumor. The chemo is working. She's gone through five of the 12 treatments so far. This is a good sign, and although she will still have to do the last seven treatments, she can be happy that it is actually working and it isn't being done for nothing. So, today is a good day!