Live Out Life

Taking a Break

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:21:47 -0500

Its been fun, but I am taking a break from VOX. Don't know when, or if, I will be back.

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Holiday Greetings to Liberals and Conservatives Alike

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 06:16:15 -0500

I wish I could take credit for coming up with this, but it came in my e-mail.

To My Liberal Friends:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or explicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2010, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.

To My Conservative Friends:

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

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Why Do They Have To Grow Up?

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:02:31 -0500

Two things happened this past week the left me kind of sad. First, my oldest son, who is seventeen, swam in his last swim meet. He made the regionals which were held in Tallahassee and we were holding out hope that he would make state, but even though his times were good, they just weren't good enough to move on.

My wife and I have known that it was going to be a sad day ever since the swim season first started. We've been going to his meets for the past three years and we have made some pretty good friends with the kids and their parents, not to mention the coaches as well. Donna took tons of pictures and we cut out every article that was in the paper, but when the last meet was finally over it left us feeling empty knowing that it was all done.

Now, he is playing soccer. Again, we are going into it with excitement, but with trepidation too, knowing that it is his senior year. I'm just not ready for another one of my kids to graduate high school.

The second thing that happened was more on a personal level for me. The regional swim meet was on Friday, so the team went to Tallalhassee on Thursday to spend the night. My wife got the day off and went with the team (I couldn't get the day off, but managed to leave work around 2:00 and get there for the finals). This left me and my youngest son, who is thirteen, at home by ourselves on Thursday night.

Every time in the past when my wife had to go somewhere overnight my son would be all excited because he could sleep with me. To be honest, I like it too. I know he is growing up and to have him ask to sleep with me somehow makes me feel like he is still little.

Anyway, when bedtime came around he didn't make mention of sleeping with me. It sounds selfish, but a part of me was crushed over that. In an instant I suddenly realized that my youngest child was no longer... well, a child. When I went to bed that night I went with a heavy heart.

My kids are growing up and I can't do a thing to stop it.

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Florida 41 Georgia 17

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:08:00 -0400

The Gators knocked off the Bulldogs and South Carolina lost to Tennessee, so Florida has clenched the SEC East and it looks like they are on a collision course with Alabama to play for the SEC Conference title again. Now, if they can win out the rest of the season.

I am certainly not an expert on the BCS, but if Forida and Alabama both go into the SEC conference game as 1 and 2 on the BCS standings, is it possible that no matter who wins that game they could play each other again for the BCS title?

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The Way My Mind Works

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:43:51 -0400

I don't mind admitting that I have a very dry sense of humor. I find things amusing that other people just do not. So, when we rented the movie "The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy" a few years ago, it wasn't surprising to my wife that I found it hilarious. While my daughter and I (who also shares my sense of humor) were rolling on the floor laughing, my wife was rolling her eyes wondering what we were finding to laugh at.

On a whim I did a search on quotes from "The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy". I found myself smiling and sometimes laughing out loud to some of the things I read. Realizing that not everyone will find this funny, I want to share one of the quotes that I found quite amusing:

It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and that any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination. --The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

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All I Wanted Was A Coke

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:09:08 -0400

Maybe you have had something like this happen to you:

The other day I knew we were planning to have tacos for dinner so I decided to stop and get a 2 liter Coke on the way home from work. Walmart is right on the way, but I hate running in there for just one item, so I stopped at the CVS which is just off the main road.

I rushed in and went to the soft drink aisle only to find that they were completely out of Coca Cola. I didn't really want Pepsi, but since that was all they had I picked up a bottle and headed to the checkout counter.

At the checkout line a customer was pitching a fit about their passport photos. The lady behind the counter kept trying to explain the situation, but the irate customer refused to listen. This went on for about five minutes and didn't look like it was anywhere near ending. Frustrated, I put the Pepsi back on the shelf, telling myself that I really didn't want Pepsi anyway, and decided to run into K-Mart which was in the same shopping center.

In K-Mart, I walked all the way to the food aisle (and it wasn't a short walk) and was happy to see plenty of Coca Cola. I quickly grabbed one and went to checkout. When I almost got there I pulled out my wallet and was mystified to find only $2.00. (I thought I had more than that, but later remembered that I had left my other cash at home). Unfortunately, the Coke was more than that so I wasn't going to have enough.

Sighing heavily, I walked all the way back to the food aisle (still not a short walk), put the Coke back on the shelf and once again grabbed a 2 liter of Pepsi (although I still really wanted Coke) because it was only $1.29.

By the time I got up to the front of the store (of course there was only one checkout lane open) a line had magically formed and there were seven people standing in it, two of which had full shopping carts.

I didn't even stop walking. I just placed the Pepsi on the conveyor belt of one of the eight unused checkout lanes and headed out the door.

We had sweet tea with our tacos that night... and it never tasted so good.

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Enjoy Your Kids

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:18:27 -0400

I was talking to a friend this past weekend and we both agreed how important it is to enjoy our children. I think if I could pass along just one piece of advice to a new parent it would be just that. Enjoy your kids. Spend time with them. Let them know that you love them. Don't be so wrapped up in television or sports or making money that you find yourself waking up one day wondering how they grew up so fast.

There are going to be disagreements, but that has to be expected. No one said raising children would be easy and anyone who has done it can attest that it isn't. Just suck it up, accept the bad with the good and keep right on trying to be the best parent that you can be.

To this day, nothing makes me smile like one of my kids telling me that they love me. Well, maybe if they add a hug along with it.

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Florida 23 Arkansas 20

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:47:57 -0400

A missed field goal by Caleb Sturgis on Florida's first drive started things off badly. After that, things just got worse. By the time the end of the fourth quarter rolled around there had been six sacks on the quarterback, four fumbles, at least two important missed catches, multiple missed tackles and the number one Gators looked as if they were going to be upset by unranked Arkansas. .

It was in fact, Caleb Sturgis, who redeemed himself and managed to pull off the win. After completing a personal best 51 yarder in the third quarter, he came out again in the fouth quarter for the game winning kick. With nine seconds left on the clock he put the ball right down the center of the uprights. Arkansas only had enough time for one play after the return. They tried a hook and ladder, but it was stopped and Florida squeaked by with the victory.

For the books it was a win, but there are some tough teams ahead and I have a feeling that the coaching staff will be riding the team hard this week. There were too many mistakes and too many missed opportunities in this game.

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The Watch

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:05:59 -0400

When I was a teenager my grandfather bought a digital watch. The same day he bought it he called me up completely frustrated over the fact that he couldn’t figure out how to set it. I went to his house, read the instructions and set it for him. Then, I went over the functions of the watch and how to use them. His first response was, “Why in the h*** would I need an alarm and a stop watch? I just want to know what time it is.”

He always had trouble reading the numbers, especially when it was getting dark. I tried to show him the button on the side that would light up the face, but every time he tried to use it he would hit the wrong button and kick the watch into a different mode. Eventually he would call me up fighting mad and I would have to go reset it for him.

He put up with it until daylight savings time rolled around. To his credit, he tried to set it an hour ahead, but just couldn’t do it. Not too long after that he bought a new watch. This one had an old fashioned dial with large numbers. The digital watch went in the trash can.

I was at my parent’s house recently and they have Direct TV with a DVR. For the life of me I couldn’t figure out how to work the DVR remote (I have a hard enough time with the TV itself). I quickly found myself wishing my thirteen year old son was there so he could do it for me. I hate to admit it, but I'm just not as technologically savvy as I used to be. Sounds like my grandfather and his watch all over again.

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Florida 13 LSU 3

nobody@vox.com(Tom) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 07:19:02 -0400

Well, Brantly didn't get to start, or even play for that matter. At least Tebow wasn't a one man running machine. I'm glad Demps, Rainey and Moody all got to handle the ball. I'm still a little worried about the passing game. The only touchdown came off of a throw to Cooper in the end zone, but I don't believe the passing and running game was very evened out. There are no complaints though. Florida traveled to Baton Rouge and managed to pull off a win in "Death Valley".

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