among my many talented friends & colleagues...

blueridgeblog.blogs.com


i feel lucky to work around really, really creative people. these are folks that aren't pretentious or airy about their talents. they are just common people who love to share their creative juices in ways that many of us simply clamor to hope we could have such talents. i'm proud to say that one such friend, miss marie, is one of those talented people i speak of today. in fact, check out this cool coverage she is getting from the W-S Journal today!

Treasures to Keep

fall in boonetown

 









i feel pretty lucky to live in such a beautiful location of our world...especially on days like today. fall in boone is simply something to see and feel. we get really lucky when the temperatures are still relatively warm during the day and cool at night and the leaves start popping amazing colors which might only last a couple of days in certain spots on campus and in town. we've had crisp blue skies to go along with the yellow, red, organge leaves that seem to dot the mountain peaks like an oil canvas.

bayou bound!

so i am getting a bit giddy and somewhat nervous about the next couple of days. i leave for nashville tomorrow morning to catch up with boo and then we're flying out for new orleans on friday morning. just about a year ago i was landing in south bend to see boo in his new world of ND then we were off to ann arbor. wow what a year it has been since that awesome day in the 'big house'. *note the fine photo above* first the stunner of a 34-32 victory by the apps then an excited season that ended with a 3rd national championship...man it's great to be a mountaineer! you know, no matter what happens down in death valley or the rest of this season, this has been one heck of a ride as of late and i am so happy to have been smack dab in the middle of this campus to love it all!

see you after the trip.

geaux apps and give 'em hell!!

international tomato

 

i am so proud of my tomato plants that are really thriving out in front of my house these days. the photo next door actually doesn't do the green vines much justice as i would image today the plant is about 2-3 inches taller than when this pic was taken last week! my buddy phillip sent me four tomato seeds in a letter from france back in early spring and i took an opportunity to plant the seeds with hopes of successful germination. and, much to my suprise, wa-lah, two of the seeds survived my quasi-green thumb and have been growing and growing quite nicely over the past month. i just hope i get one or two tomatoes to harvest so mr. zucchino is proud of me! i'll keep you posted on my harvest.

OLCB desk crusher

 
 
 
 

crusher

greeting me early on friday morning as i made my way to the office at OLCB (old library classroom building) was a mound of old classroom desks being crushed into the back of a university dump truck. it was really a sight to behold. there were about 20 physical plant guys tossing the yellow desks up into the dump truck and then a backhoe was crushing the desks to make room for more and more desks. i had to stand to the side and watch for a few minutes - primarily for my safety - but also to watch pieces of the past being "recycled" and making room for the new and improved. i'm beginning to see that more and more on campus (in more ways than one i'll add) and for the most part it's a good thing. those old desks are a thing of the past. now we're seeing the horseshoe table approach with smart boards and projector systems that allow for the advanced technologies to aid in delivery of course material. i guess with time all things must change.

open your golden gates

just returned from an enjoyable trip, albeit brief, to san francisco. i was out in the fair fog city, the city by the golden gate, last week for a professional conference. the weather was simply stunning, the hotel was grand, the food was very tasty, the sights were beautiful, and the conference was pretty solid as well. i had not been in san fran in over 15 years so i really had to basically start from scratch as i tried to recall things i had seen and done in the past. needless to say, i would love to return to san fran sooner than later and enjoy the city and the many amenities it has to offer.

now my experience with usairways, unlike the city by the bay, was less than stellar. we had a 6 hour delay in charlotte which made the 5.5 hour flight to the west coast even less enjoyable than it normally would be considered. i simply don't know how usairways can stay in operation sometimes when the customer service and maintenance simply cannot seem to jive. i've been flying on usairways for many years and have really noticed their inability to satisfactorily handle even the most minor of crisis - at least from this moderately savvy traveler. i must say, however, that i have often defended usairways when other colleagues were critical of them and their operations in the past...i suppose my patience is running thin. i will give them props for a better experience on the eastbound flight as it was much more acceptable. maybe it's just the charlotte hub???

summer has made it's arrival in boone. i have planted my annual perrinials at the homestead and i am contemplating when and how i will transfer two budding tomato plants that i germinated a month ago. thanks to PZ, i have the two organic tomato plants and i am eager to see if i can successfully harvest some ripe ones off the vines later this summer!

hey hey hey, goodbye

i just so happened to have my camera with me this morning and as i was parking my car at the college street parking deck i found that i had a good vantage point to see the demolition of the ghetto at the north end of hamby alley and howard street. this is to make way for the new college of education building...and in my opinion, not soon enough. i have long felt that many of these apartment buildings were pretty much eye sores to that part of campus and town. hopefully a new education complex will spruce up this section of campus and any displaced residents will find better places to call home.

speaking of goodbye, i shared my best wishes to my boy B Holmes last evening over the phone as he prepared to depart for the CHiner for three months. although i am a bit uneasy thinking of the troubles revolving in and around china right now (earthquakes, olympic protests, government control, just to name a few) i am equally excited for B as he sets off on this amazing opportunity. i know he will gain so much from this experience and he'll come back with lots of great stories, photos, and experiences to share.

as i think about B in china, i also pray for my buddies in other parts of the world. rubio is doing it down under in aussie land, phillip is pruning the vines in france, russ is rounding it up in china, matty d is totally teaching the vietnamese government, and sam is searching high and low in south america. these are truly amazing people who are living proof of brave, adventurous and curious individuals. i am really proud to call them my friends and i hope for the best for each of them every day.

Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. ~Benjamin Disraeli

progress

first,
let me give credit to the above photo from The Rock - i borrowed it from GOASU.com, so if you want to see more, go to their site and get your fill.

second,
it's all about progress. whether it's professional endeavors, personal relationships, health/fitness, faith; i'm all about improvement beyond the status quo. of course, some areas i've "mastered" more than others, but i'm doing the best i can to make things work. i'm taking on new projects at work, i'm renewing some time with old friends that i feel i've neglected in recent past, i'm back at running-albeit not quite 100% but close to 75%, and i'm becoming more comfortable with centering more of my life around my faith. i know i won't be totally successful at these challenges, but i will attempt to do as much as i can to be the best i can be.

third,
i get more and more excited about the fall each time i venture over to kidd brewer or go on the web site and check out stadium enhancement progress. the photo image above shows westside construction of the massive pressbox/stadium club that will tower over The Rock by fall 2009. the eastside seating expansion is also well underway and supposedly will be ready by fall 2008. i think we'll all be energized by the progress.

are you experiencing progress? i suggest following a lance armstrong philosophy: "Whatever your 100% looks like, give it." now that's what i call progressive living.

wizzzzzard!

i finally got to see wicked! i have been wanting to see the musical for some time but was never lucky enough to get tickets when visiting NYC. so when the touring show was making a stop in charlotte, some friends and i were able to get tix and see the show at ovens auditorium. i must say it definitely lived up to its bill of being a super show. i was really impressed with the whole experience and it makes me want to try and see the show the next time i'm in the big apple. the company of actors and actresses were quite impressive as was the set, music, and energy. i know there are times when you hear lots of hype about a broadway show or a movie or a concert...wicked really delivers the hype and makes it a most memorable musical experience. i was lucky to share in the experience with some special friends - noted by the photo above. sorry that this photo was taken post-show and that you unfortunately miss out on my bow tie and jacket attire.

one thing is for sure - don't pass on an opportunity to see the characters from oz.

"christmas" in march

i was able to attend the 2008 national championship banquet a couple of saturday's ago and, as expected, thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of yet another ring bling affair at the holmes dome! of course, being surrounded by people who love app as much as i do and seeing the mass of black and gold always helps the soul and the spirit. i didn't make it to the #2 banquet last year so i only had the #1 banquet of which to compare and i must say from my limited exposure to football banquets, that it seems to be getting bigger and better from one year to the next. you can tell a lot of thoughtful preparation was put into the event. there were tons of cool app nation paraphernalia up for grabs at the silent auction. unfortunately i didn't have a cool $200+ to place a bid for a 2007 authentic black jersey or a room size rug depicting kidd brewer stadium turf. one thing is for sure, we're getting comfortable with these ring ceremonies...what happens when it's six championships in a row and only five fingers? okay i know it's a stretch, but heck, after Wofford and GaSouthern games this fall i wasn't so sure of things then either. GO APPS!

in other football related news, APP season tickets are now on sale. it sounds like we've had record early sales for new ticket holders and hopefully renewals too. i've gone in with five others to place our order for a row of six seats. maybe we'll get lucky and have decent west side seats, but if not we'll take 50-yd line seats on the first row of the new deck on east side please. thanks. now that basketball season is coming to a close - tonight is championship game - it will be hard to concentrate on anything other than college football and counting the days until kickoff at LSU on august 30. 143 days and counting to be exact...

march madness!

it's that time of year when we go wild for college basketball ~ especially those of us who grew up in the land of the big four...tobacco road...ACC Country! despite the apps not making it out of the socon quarterfinals or the pack's less than stellar season thus far and heading into the ACC tourney, i am still excited about march madness. if there is another time of year i enjoy as much as fall football season, it's today with the start of the ACC tournament and the coming weeks of the NCAA tournament! when else do you find yourself keeping several tabs open on your desktop computers with the ESPN scoreboard running live or skipping out of work early, if lucky, to catch some of the roundball frenzy!?! it starts today and i am ready! heck, i've even added an ESPN frontpage widget to this blah of a blog spot. enjoy and go mad a little bit too!

released from duty

i've spent the last three days in court. no i haven't been on trial or subpoenaed as a witness for any trial...i've had jury duty. although i had to plan on week of service, the jury pool was released today since there were no more cases up for jury trial this week in superior criminal court. while most people find jury service annoying and intimidating, i find it very interesting and somewhat invigorating. for a long time i considered law as a career path but things didn't quite work out and my interest changed course. after sitting and waiting as much as i did in a mere three days of court, i'm actually relieved that i wasn't one of the defense or state's attorney's. there are some real idiotic people in the world - namely those who break laws - but i do respect the lawyers and judges who have to face some of that nonsense of the courtroom. i witnessed a lawyer asking to be excused to go to the bathroom in the middle of jury selections, court proceedings interrupted by a fire alarm, a defendant representing himself, and a lawyer inappropriately approaching a juror in the court lobby after a case was decided. there was really never a dull moment, aside from the "hurry up and wait" mentality of the justice system. at least i am excused from jury service for another two years...so i guess i'll simply "hurry up and wait" until my next citizen-duty experience!

better safe than sorry

no matter how you look at it, monday's bizarre campus lockdown was a good test for those of us who call this place home. while i wasn't surprised to learn that the alleged gunman on the loose was simply a hoax, it did spawn practicality to the new emergency plan and communication flow. sure there were kinks and there were holes in the system but overall, and all things considered, we were informed and we reacted. trying to control the rumor mill when events like this unfold is something no one will ever successfully defeat, but i think it was smart to have a lockdown of buildings when there is potential threat to the safety and well being of those around you.

i find it truly idiotic that there are some people out there who are critical of the university for reacting in such a way and so quickly. why are you so quick to judge? what would you have done if you were in the shoes of an administrator(s) who is responsible for the well being of 15,000+ students, several thousand faculty and staff members and a host of other neighbors? come to the reality and realize that we have no way of knowing what might be stewing in a perpetrators disturbed or confused mind. i still believe in the "better safe than sorry" approach. let's take every precaution and every threat seriously. we have a marvelous setting and wonderful people to protect.

mid-winter

sometimes mid-winter in the mountains can be challenging for many reasons, weather woes can begin to wear on even the most veteran of residents. but i guess all things considered, this winter hasn't been all that severe which is why i share the photo above that i took early last friday morning. i've noted several absolutely stunning sunrises here in the high country this winter. the cold, crisp morning mountain air can really bring out the rich colors of a sunrise over the blue ridge. of course, my photographic ability doesn't do it true justice but i thought the image was fairly impressive - thanks mostly to mother nature and a great elevated spot on campus!

snow days

so we FINALLY got a sizable snow - well sort of - overnight and the gang got a 2-hour delay from morning classes. not sure of the change in administration practices these days but it seems we've been having a more liberal class cancellation intervention than we used to. not that i necessarily think it's a bad idea, i just think it's a bit funny. "we used to walk to class in the snow, barefoot, for like four miles." nah i'm not that old but i guess i can remember when campus really never closed for any snow event - minus the blizzard of '93. now that was a monumental event because the university shut down for an entire week. luckily it happened on the weekend before spring break was to end, so many of the young 'uns were still at home or basking in the warm sun on the coasts of florida. yeah, they missed the three feet of snow...actually an event i'd rather not witness again anytime soon.

i got to thinking about how much i loved snow as a kid. at the slightest hint of snow, i would literally stay up hours upon hours waiting on the stuff to fall. although i do believe we had more snowfall when i was younger, it never seemed to be enough for me. our neighborhood was the most popular spot for sledding since we had the notorious hill (a town street actually) where everyone congregated for hours of sledding. the hill was just about 25 yards from our house and we thought we were the luckiest kids in town to be so close to all the action. the town maintenance department would actually bring a truck by with a flat board or even old car hood and drag it behind to pack the snow and ice for us instead of scraping the hill like the other town streets. now who does that these days? i dare say not many, if any, town administrator today would allow such a thing to happen.

someone would always have a 5-gallon drum barrel (i think that is what they were?) and have a fire blazing from it and of course there would be burning tires and such. we would sled, sled, and sled on our classy "flexible flyers" until our fingers and feet were so dang numb that we could hardly stay out any longer. and, never fail, mom would always have either piping hot chocolate or cold snow cream waiting for us when we decided to finally call it quits for the day.

those were truly memorable moments on snow days that one hopes never melt away...

getting back on the horse

breaking a bone in the foot can set you back a few months, i am prime example. today was my first day back out on "the loop" for a lap of fresh air. a remarkably warm january day for boone standards, i set out with a buddy to try out my new shoes and my rested feet. i obeyed the doctor's (and phil's) orders and attempted what i call 1/2 and 1/2. walk 1/2 mile, run 1/2 mile...and hope that the righty wants to play the same game i want to play. for the most part i think i did well, but i guess i'll know more tomorrow when i get back on the horse...

i've recently been following a friend's travel blog from south america. i am amazed at the experiences and stories he is sharing with us. and it inspires me to try and maintain my blog more frequently. thanks, sam, for encouraging me to make a post new years resolution about blogging. i don't think he'll me mind sharing a link to his most interesting and unique blog. Go to http://samstravels7.blogspot.com/

it's a new year!

...a new year, but not quite a new me. i am still lagging on maintaining a consistency of blog entry and i thought seriously about making it a new years resolution, but sadly that didn't happen either. it may have been the fact that my new years celebration started mid afternoon and didn't end until 2:00 a.m. i think i may be getting too old for such shenanigans but i guess 12/31 only passes 'round once a year.

speaking of passing 'round, i made my final visit to the orthopaedic doc this morning. he says i can "get back at it". i almost asked, "what is 'it'?" but i held back. heck i haven't had "it" in a while *note this could be any number of thing so get your mind out of the gutter* but i am ready to find "it" now that the new year has come and the doc says i am ready to go. fortunately, i didn't waste that generous contribution from santa (a.k.a. some special parents) on new asic trainers for nothing, so i will be back on the loop in the next day or two, weather permitting, to see how the old right appendage feels. do wish me luck.

i know i should be working, and i am, partially, as i take a break from writing copy for a brochure and helping proof the proposed front page of the web that would post tonight if app wins the "pontiac game changing performance". the winner will be announced during that "other" national championship game between the buckeyes and tigers. it would be splendid if we won the $100,000 for the big michigan stunner! what a way to start the new year and putting the final cherry on top of yosef's national championship sundae from 2007...keep those three fingers crossed!