New reading material

I got an unexpected treat last week - I found out that one of my favorite former ESPN personalities is now writing a blog for MLB.com, Keith Olbermann. (Pictured here with Jason Bateman of the sitcom Arrested Development, along with some other chick) Regardless of what you may or may not think of his show Countdown, Keith is a huge baseball fan and I love the way he talks about sports in general. Before Dan Patrick left "the mothership" (a.k.a. ESPN) he had a daily radio show that Keith would join in for the middle hour. I still try to listen to DP as much as possible, and I really wish KO would join in again. I love the humor they are able to pull out of sports. Anyway, I tried to add KO's blog to my blogroll, but for some reason his blog won't let me. So if you wanna check it out, click here for Keith Olbermann's blog.

Adult Survey

Tired of all of those surveys made up by high school kids? (no offense). Here are questions for the people who are a little older. Copy and paste into your own note, then answer the questions. Finally, tag your friends including me, please!

1. What bill do you hate paying the most? Credit cards

2. Do you miss being a child? I miss not having anything to worry about, so I guess

3. Chore you hate the most? cleaning (broad enough ain't it :-)

4. Where was the last place you had a romantic dinner? Stoney River

5. If you could go back and change one thing what would it be? I would have finished college the first time

6. Name of your first grade teacher? Mrs. Corrum

7. What do you really want to be doing right now? I'm waiting for friends to arrive to play games, so I'm just what I want to

8. What did you want to be when you grew up? that changed almost every day, but all the popular ones were in there - fireman, police man, fighter pilot, pro baseball player

9. How many colleges did you attend? 3 - Oklahoma Christian U., Harding U., currently Kennesaw State U.

10. Why did you choose the shirt that you have on right now? comfortable and lightweight

11. What are your thoughts on gas prices? bearable

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? "yeah, i'll go ahead and get up"

13. Last thought before going to sleep last night? "I'm not getting up until 9:00 am"

14. What famous person would you like to have dinner with? Tom Glavine

15. Have you ever crashed your vehicle? yep

16. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer? Yes, or I'd work but donate my entire salary

17. Get up early or sleep in? sleep in, but no later than 9, i really enjoy getting stuff done before noon

18. What is your favorite cartoon character? too many to choose, but Optimus Prime probably tops the list

20. When did you first start feeling old? when I went back to college at 28 years old

21. Favorite lunch meat? pepperoni

22. What do you get every time you go into Wal-Mart? i refuse to go to Wal-Mart

23. Do you think marriage is an outdated ritual? absolutely not, but I believe that it is heavily under fire from our society

24. Favorite movie you wouldn't want anyone to find out about? I have no idea, I'm pretty open about my movie taste

25. What's your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper

26. Who[m] from high school would you like to run in to? Sean, Melanie, Brian

27. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now? XM radio - ESPN radio

28. Sopranos or Desperate Housewives? neither, 24

29. Worst relationship mistake that you wish you could take back? none - those mistakes have taught me a lot

30. Do you like the person that sits directly across from you at work? I don't sit at work

31. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purposes? nope

32. Last book you finished reading? Living on the Black - John Feinstein

33. Do you have a teddy bear? no

34. Do you go to church? yes

35. How old are you? 30

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for Dave Ramsey. His message tonight on Town Hall for HOPE was great. Our country needs to restore hope, and he reminded us that is up to US to restore that hope, the government won't.

I am thankful for Carrie Prejean. I have never paid any attention whatsoever to beauty pageants. But the more I have learned about Prejean's comments about her views on gay marriage to a nationwide audience, the more impressed with her I have become. I'll admit that I don't usually give models a lot of credit. However, I am so impressed with the way she "matter-of-fact" spoke of her religious convictions and her loyalty to God. More than that however, I have been even more impressed with how she's back up her words in the days following the contest. She has been attacked from almost every angle about her refusal to be "politically correct" and give a "safe answer" just so she could win a title. To look so at peace and say, "God had a different plan for me that night," is awesome. Here's the best way I know to say it, if I had a daughter right now, I'd point her towards Miss California and have no problem saying, "There's a true role model." Please watch the interview below from NBC's Today Show if you haven't seen it yet.
(Note: the video is approx. 5 minutes in length and starts with the judge who asked her the question on gay marriage."


I am thankful for taking tennis this semester. I have truly enjoyed the class, and I've even taken to playing it outside of class now. Not only that, but Sarah now plays with me, and we now have something else to get us outside and active.

I am also thankful that I'll get to take golf this summer. I really enjoyed playing it several years ago, and working a golf tournament last Friday on a beautiful day was awesome.

I am so thankful that Sarah is a sports fan. And when I say sports fan, I mean that she really knows what's going on in sports. To put it in perspective, I can totally leave with her the responsibility of getting tickets to a a game and know with full certainty that she'll come back with awesome tickets. I know there are a lot of guys out there who couldn't trust another guy, much less their spouse, to get the right seats. Sarah always comes through. I also love that I don't have to worry about being distracted from a game to explain everything that's going on. She knows what's going on, and enjoys sports for herself, not just for me. (Notice I also didn't say "AS MUCH as me.") I'm just thankful that she embraces my love of sports and is able to enjoy sports with me. It really means a lot.

Thankful Thursday - late edition

This week I am thankful that Spring Break starts on Friday. I'm pretty sure I made it through mid-terms unscathed, now for a break and a chance to get caught up on my semester reading that I haven't kept up on as well as I should have.

I'm thankful for the new U2 album - No Line on the Horizon. I love new albums. They don't always live up, but I still find reason for excitement in them. NLotH does, in fact, live up in my opinion.

I am thankful that this weekend I'll have the opportunity to get out of town with Sarah for a day and go visit my grandfather in TN. I don't get up there to see him often enough, but then again my parents could make the case that I don't get over to their side of town enough either. Either way, I think Grandpa and my parents are more interested in seeing Sarah than me anway. I've been bumped down on the depth chart.

I am thankful that we have another small group meeting on Sunday. I really look forward to those now.

I am thankful for the weather this week. Snow on Sunday, and then yesterday I was able to take my bike to the greenway and put in just short of 10 miles on my first ride of the year.

Thankful Thursday - Mario Kart edition

This week I am thankful that I got a 98 on my first exam of the semester. I am definitely enjoying this semester much more than last, and on that note, I'm also thankful that I don't have to watch the clock during my classes.

I am thankful for the timing of Lent. I needed it. This year I am giving up 3 things for Lent, 2 of which I hope to make permanent. First, I am giving up bad language. Unfortunately, this is a problem I've struggled with for years, and I go through good spells and bad spells. I even gave it up for Lent last year, and obviously it didn't stick, so I'm doing it again. Second, I'm giving up gossip. This largely centers around work where this is commonplace, and many times I don't watch myself and get drawn into it. As a supervisor, it's my job to not only avoid participating in it, but to not let it happen in the first place. The third I have no intention of making permanent, but heavily cutting back. That is my love for soft drinks, namely Dr. Pepper. I drink way too much of it. I've gone 30+ days in the past without a soft drink, so I know I can do it if I just stick with it. When Lent is over, I'll try Diet Dr. Pepper and see if I like it then. I've heard that if you go a long time without the real thing, the diet version tastes a lot better. Regardless, I don't need to drink it as much as I currently do, so this is a good way to start cutting back.

I am thankful that finally, Sarah has a way to share my love of video games. I have loved video games ever since mom and dad brought home our first Atari 2600 when I was a kid. Then later I got a Nintendo game system and played the daylights out of Super Mario Bros. 3. After college, I got an Xbox. I have tried several games to find something that Sarah could be interested, but nothing took. But now with our Wii, we have Mario Kart. And not only is she hooked, but she is every bit my equal in terms of skill. This makes for a lot of fun for us, even when she gets on a hot streak and beats me repeatedly. It just makes my comeback that much more sweet.

"Mario Kart Love Song" - Sam Hart
(available on iTunes)

You be my princess
And I'll be your toad
I'll follow behind you
On rainbow road
Protect you from red shells
Wherever we go
I promise.

No one will touch us
If we pick up a star
And if you spin out
You can ride in my car
When we slide together
We generate sparks
In our wheels and our hearts

The finish line
Is just around the bend
I'll pause this game
So our love will never end
Let's go again

The blue shell is coming
So I'll go ahead
If you hang behind
It'll hit me instead
But never look back
Cause I'm down but not dead
I'll catch up to you

Don't worry about
Bowser or DK
Just eat this glowing mushroom
And they'll all fade away

The finish line
Is just around the bend
I'll pause this game
So our love will never end
Let's go again

The finish line
Is just around the bend
I'll pause this game
So our love will never end
Let's go again

To the mushroom cup
And the flower cup
And the star cup
And the reverse cup

"Stop breaking the law...!!!!!"

Several years ago, when I still thought that Jim Carrey was still funny, he made the movie Liar Liar, where he played the role of a lawyer who suddenly found himself unable to lie. He had one of my favorite movie lines in this movie...

Greta (his secretary): Boss...boss, it's [name of client], he knocked over another ATM. This time at knife point. He needs your legal advice.
Fletcher (Jim Carrey): [picking up phone and shouting] Stop breaking the law,...!

I'll come back to that in a minute.

Major League Baseball and its players have done a lot over the past several years to damage its reputation and lose the confidence of the fans in the integrity of the sport. When I say fans, I am certainly not excluding myself as the author of this post. I love baseball. I love this sport more than any other sport. Yet it continually makes me sick to my stomach every time more steroids news comes out.

There is one thing in particular that I am getting more and more sick of, and that is the saying, "It [steroids] was part of the culture in the 90's" or that it was just accepted as part of the game back then, that "everyone was doing it." You've heard some version of that from any number of commentators, players, or other representatives.

I get so mad at such a stupid idea!!!!

Let me get this straight, so I get pulled over for speeding on GA 400. I go to court to contest the ticket because, well, everyone speeds on GA 400, that's just how it is. Am I really supposed to expect the judge to say, "You know, you're right, 'everyone' does speed on 400, so why should I penalize just you if I'm not going to pull over and cite every other person who speeds on 400?" How stupid is that?!?! I broke the law, there's a consequence.

So why on earth should the 103 players in addition to Alex Rodriguez, and any other player who has tested for positive for use of anabolic steroids...which are ILLEGAL...not be penalized by law. "Well that was just how it was back then." Screw that!!! Since when has that been a reasonable explanation for doing something wrong?!?!

This past summer I was walking through Times Square in NYC when I see a billboard that says "Have an affair in New York City." Apparently having an affair is so accepted now that we can put billboards up advocating it, so does that mean it's OK for me to go out now on weekend flings? At work, foul language is pretty commonplace. Does that mean that it's OK for me to loosen up on moderating what I say because my coworkers don't see anything wrong with it? Well you could respond, "Michael, those are issues of morality and depends on your system of beliefs." And you're right, someone who is not a Christian may not see anything wrong with those. There's no law banning affairs or language as far as I know.

But there ARE laws on steroids. And I don't give a crap whether drug testing was part of the contract between MLB and the Players Association. If you used steroids, you broke the law. You shouldn't be given annonomity, and you shouldn't be given a pass because it was part of the culture. If you used steroids and got caught, don't ask your publicist how you should handle it. Own it, take the punishment, and DON'T DO IT AGAIN!! Better yet, don't give yourself a chance to get caught, come out with it!!! You don't even have to tell us why, we already know. Just admit you screwed up, show that you're willing to take punishment, instead of acting like you have a legitimate reason as to why you shouldn't be punished, and we the fans can and will move on.

I am so mad that I have to look at the generation of baseball that I grew up in out of the corner of my eye and wonder about everyone who played. I am so mad that what I was watching was not an honest product. I am so mad that I have to hope and pray that Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz never used steroids, because I think that would end me and baseball.

There is one other group I serve notice to: To those players who did not use steroids, you have no right to ask the fans to not associate you with those who did. You have no right to ask us to trust you more than those who used. You had the opportunity to speak up in your clubhouse; to not allow steroids to become "part of the culture." But you didn't. You may have refused offers from your teammates to join in, but you didn't stop them. And as it got worse, you didn't publicly fight to keep the sport clean. It wasn't until people got caught, and your integrity started getting questioned, that a few of you finally said that you don't want it in the sport. You could have been proactive, but you weren't. We the fans have every right to question you. Unfortunately, because of your innaction, we have to.

Thankful Thursday - Satellite Edition

Even though she didn't do it today, for a long time Sarah has been doing the Thankful Thursday post on her blog. I think that is a great idea - doing something each week that brings you back to the good things that are happening in your life. Thus, my first Thankful Thursday post.

To start off, I'm so very thankful to come home from work tonight to find out that Tom Glavine, my favorite baseball player ever, will officially be returning for another year with the Braves. I know a lot of people out there would rather see that spot in the rotation go to a younger player, but I'm just not ready to see Glavine go yet.

On a related note, I'm thankful that just a little over a month away is baseball season, and with that comes going to work for the Braves again. I can't wait. I love Turner Field. I love the Braves. And, even with all the negative press recently, I still love baseball.

I'm thankful that my classes are much more interesting this semester. Most of the work this semester is reading, and I won't lie, I have such a hard time getting myself to just sit down and read my textbooks. But I'm in classes that are actually my focus of study, which will always be better than college algebra or macroeconomics.

I'm thankful for Sarah and I having the opportunity to host our Sunday night small group. I'm really excited about being a part of this group.

Most importantly this week, I am thankful for Sarah. She has been such an example to me the past couple weeks, and months. She is so much quicker than me to completely put her trust in God. I need to be like that. She is always my biggest supporter in school and work. She makes sure that I remember that she is always by my side. Now she'll be the first to tell you that she has her faults. But she's the best wife I could have ever asked for. I don't deserve her, but I'll never let go of her. Thank you babe. I love you!!

Satellite - Guster
Shining like a work of art
Hanging on a wall of stars
Are you what I think you are?

You're my satellite
You're riding with me tonight
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite

Elevator to the moon
Whistling a favorite tune
Trying to get a closer view

You're my satellite
You're riding with me tonight
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite

Maybe you will always be
Just a little out of reach

You're my satellite
You're riding with me tonight
Passenger side, lighting the sky
Always the first star that I find
You're my satellite
You're my satellite