All-in-A-day-With-PK

from down east back to the west

2009-09-07T21:18:00.004-05:00

i'm adding an image from my colleague (i hope she won't mind??) from the APP-ECU game this past saturday. while the APPS couldn't quite pull off the "upset" of an FBS team, which is an old in-state foe, our fellas made us proud to be mountaineers for sure. once again, the black & gold nation was in full force at a stadium far from our own comfy confines of The Rock. it was hot, humid, loud, and many others like me left red faced. but not red faced from the APPS performance, more so from the sun that beat down on us for 3+ hours. it felt nearly as hot as it was down in baton rouge last september, but the results not quite as bizarre as the big easy. needless to say, i'm quite pooped after a weekend full of travel, food, spirits, and mixed emotions. but, being able to spend it with a few thousand crazed mountaineer faithful was APPsolutely memorable once again!

welcome back college football season and give 'em hell APPS!

a new leaf?

2009-04-12T21:34:00.002-05:00

i am such a poor blogger. i mean really, who can call themselves a blogger if they allow six months to pass between blog posts. i'll admit, i suck at blogging. but today, being easter sunday and all, and new life has sprung, maybe it's an opportunity for me to get back into some blog habits.

in my defense, i have been more consistent on twitter updates, facebook updates, etc. and, i do read other people's blogs quite regularly. i guess it's because they have more fun, lead interesting lives, have more talent and can show it, etc. poor excuses i know but mostly true.

one thing is for sure, there is no possible way or necessary reason to even attempt to catch you up on the past six months. so, if we're turning over a new leaf, being today, then focusing on today seems the only real and honest thing to do.

easter sunday typically begins with a 6:20am wake-up knock on the door from my mom asking "do you want to go to sunrise service?" today was one of those "i don't think so, mom." i just wasn't feeling it today - not that it was chilly out, or that i had a slight sore throat. i think moreover it was the lack of motivation to join the methodist-baptist combined service & breakfast event. since i've joined my own church in boone, it's less appealing to me to be a "visitor" at my home-church. i know i shouldn't really feel this way, but, heck i even snatched one of the visitors parking spaces at the church in order to rush in just before the 11:00 service and chancel choir's procession down the isle! plus, my mom told me that the hometown baptist church has had one of those membership splits and that apparently it's been pretty ugly. fortunately my parents don't go to that church, they're still at the methodist church, in the same pew, connecting with the same church families that we have known my entire life. that's not a bad thing, just a routine and i guess that is okay for them. which, in the end, makes me happy. i did enjoy the service, however, and it was nice seeing some old friends. and, they didn't tow my car from the visitors parking space so i suppose i am welcome there nonetheless.

after church we started what i feel like has been a marathon of nourishment since the noon hour. our "family" easter meal wasn't scheduled until suppertime, so mom, dad, and i hit up the local chili's for lunch. it was actually a decent meal - but of course no where near the quality of my mother's full course easter dinner extravaganza. she is simply too much when it comes to the holiday meals. heck, make that any meal at 3018 oak street. if i want to gain a few pounds in a few days, i know when i make it to oak street i'm pretty much toast. some would tell me i need it, but dang i feel like "full as a tick"...as my mammaw clay used to say...gosh i miss her.

the afternoon was spent watching the master's - or i should say i was napping, dad was watching, and mom was cooking. the rest of the crew showed up at 5:00 on the dot for dinner. this made my mother very proud of my brothers as she is a stickler for being on time and being somewhere when you say you're going to be. too bad i didn't get the former of those two traits but i know i got a lot of her goodness ;) our easter dinner was just good fun. my twin nieces kept me in stitches with their chatter, non-stop chatter i'll add. and their use of the word "touche" which i desperately tried to figure out why they were so inclined to drop it in conversation every couple of minutes! oh the minds and mouths of middle-schoolers!

the house finally settled and the quietness returned after the last of "the locals" left for home around 9:00. see, two of my brothers live locally near our parents, while me and the fourth are "out of towners" so i guess we're basically the visitors. come to think of it, i am parked in "visitors" parking spot in the driveway and they haven't towed me yet. i guess i have an un-timed parking meter on 3018 oak street...this makes me happy.

among my many talented friends & colleagues...

2008-10-17T12:57:00.009-05:00

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

2008-10-15T19:48:00.008-05:00

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!

2008-08-27T10:04:00.003-05:00

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

2008-07-07T16:08:00.001-05:00

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

2008-06-13T08:03:00.000-05:00

crusher

2008-06-13T07:43:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-26T13:45:00.002-05:00

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

2008-05-13T21:05:00.005-05:00

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

2008-05-06T11:43:00.001-05:00

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!

2008-04-21T16:07:00.000-05:00

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

2008-04-07T14:44:00.000-05:00

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!

2008-03-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

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

2008-03-12T19:38:00.000-05:00

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

2008-03-05T09:07:00.000-06:00

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

2008-02-17T14:05:00.001-06:00

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

2008-01-17T15:26:00.000-06:00

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

2008-01-08T21:29:00.000-06:00

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!

2008-01-07T14:55:00.000-06:00

...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!

so surreal

2007-12-23T22:42:00.000-06:00

the apps did it again, and again, and again! it's been a little over a week since the big 3-peat in chattytown and, well, people are still chattin' about the historic accomplishments of the mountaineers! we had another great time in chattanooga and have come to feel like it's another home game with so many of the black and gold nation in the stands and on the streets. this year i guess you could say it wasn't simply the stands and streets, heck it was sidelines too - four corners full of proud mountaineers ready to rush the field to celebrate the victory. regardless of the crap espn take on things, our crowd rocked the river city and did so with lots of enthusiasm...give 'em hell apps!

i'm home for the holidays and it feels nice to be here for a few days. i can already tell that i'll be putting on a pound or two with all the food before me. too bad i can't run off the calories quite yet but hopefully soon after the new year. it's been too long and i really hope i can resume the running routine since it provides a nice stress relief. but for now i will have to rely on walking my brother's two jack russells who have come all the way from nashville for the holidays! they are a handful but fun to play with and they keep us all entertained.

speaking of entertainment...we braced ourselves and ventured out to the mall late this afternoon to take in the annual last minute shopping endeavor. mom & i were amazed at the number of people who really do wait until the final hours to prepare. further, i didn't realize the number of international folks in catawba county...i had heard there was an influx of hispanic and hmong cultures in hickory and i truly saw this tonight. it was interesting to see the interactions of all the people - and yes, regardless of the cultures, everyone seemed to be sucked into the pop cultures of hollister, a&f, aeropostale, and such crap. trust me, i'll take mast general store any and every day.

tomorrow we'll begin the christmas festivities in earnest with christmas eve services and an open house at my oldest brother's new home across town...to be christened and celebrated with our traditional holiday spirits ~ a.k.a. white russians and "christmas tree" beverages! oh the setzer traditions...

may you and yours have a wonderful holiday and remember those traditions!

p.s. in honor of the apps oh-so-sweet-3-peat...the photo up top is of the crew in chatty celebrating with pride!

those helmets

2007-12-09T13:33:00.000-06:00

it seems strange that we began the football frenzy with those blue and yellow helmets that have odd stripes and, now, we will end with another version of those blue and yellow helmets with odd stripes. regardless, we're headed back to chattanooga for a third straight year and a chance to make more history! how exciting is that!?!!

this fall has been such a memorable one. we've had ups and downs, but the ups have been way more and so much fun to experience. i keep wondering, when does it end? i won't worry much about that right now and will stay focused on the memory making with friends...yet again! thursday morning cannot come soon enough, as it will be a huge challenge to focus on work and other non-essential things before we head out to the rock city. i don't know much about those fightin' blue hens, but i do know they better be ready for the surge of black and gold nation. it's sure to be a grand time and, no matter what happens on friday night, it sure is GREAT TO BE A MOUNTAINEER!

p.s. i'll miss a certain "ex-patriot" who will not be in 'nooga on friday night...but i know he'll be cheering loud and proud across the pond while enjoying a quality bottle on vino.

hail to the victors - chapter one

2007-09-06T13:29:00.000-05:00

it's been five days since we stormed the big house up in ann arbor and seriously it's been difficult to refocus on work, play, etc. i had hoped to make a blog post before today, but in all honesty, i've been immersed in reading everyone else's blogs, web sites, photo albums, etc. it will be a goal of mine at some point this weekend to put my thoughts together and share them with you. but for now, perhaps the best summary i've read to date, is written by friend David Jackson of the Appalachian ISP Sports Network. i read it a few minutes ago on GOASU.COM and knew i had to put a link in my blog. it literally brought me to tears...i think you'll appreciate it too. hail to the victors!

Win Over Michigan Has Changed ASU Forever

spirit

2007-08-22T19:46:00.000-05:00

the past two days have been a bit of a roller coaster ride for me i must admit. it's not necessarily a rough coaster ride, just a mix of ups and downs. these ups and downs are actually tied together with some commonality. with spirit.

yesterday at about 5:00 p.m. i realized change. my normal tuesday at 5:00 for about the past 13 or so years meant AMB time. but yesterday was different. my first tuesday in a long time wasn't centered around the rush of wrapping up work around 4:40, heading over to the MAC to fight for a parking space and then entering the Great Room filled with energy and enthusiasm, no matter what was going on beyond those four walls. but yesterday was different for me since my four walls didn't match those of the Great Room and the 5:00 circle. yet, the spirit within was still there. i guess that is why it was a tough couple of hours on Tuesday evening as I had time to reflect on what all those previous evenings in that special circle meant to me. those "things" are too many to list here and would take too long to explain, but let's just say it was an experience of a lifetime. enough said.

today at about 11:00 a.m. i realized change. my first teaching experience was upon me. i had prepared a course syllabus, built a lesson plan, printed a class roster, and collected the textbooks for the course. i conducted my first 50 minute class as a Freshman Seminar instructor. of course i was fortunately sharing the experience with a great peer leader! how lucky i am to have a dedicated, compassionate, intelligent and creative student leader like miss erma to help shape the minds of 19 new freshmen. there is no real way to predict how successful we will be, but we are determined to help these students "get it" and love App as much as we do.

finally around 7:00 p.m. tonight i had a special delivery from a special friend. morgs made a surprise visit on the westside and brought an envelope with my name on it. after a short but great visit with morgs, i opened the envelope to find about 40 spririts. for those familiar with the 5:00 o'clock circle, you know something about "AMB Spirit": a simple, yet powerful, way to share your thoughts and feelings through a post-it note is tradition on tuesday's at 5:00. and much to my surprise and gratitude, i had an envelope full of that love and admiration. it is something i'll certainly remember and cherish for a long time. i thank each of you for your kindness and your friendships.

people have often asked me, "what is it that makes appalachian so special?" the answer is simple for me. it's the spirit.

what makes appalachian so special for you?

vacancy

2007-08-20T05:06:00.000-05:00

it's almost as if i have been running an extended-stay hotel here the past month...or a combination of that and a storage unit. and now, well, it seems everyone has checked out and moved on to the next rest stop. kind of sad actually. well not so much on the storage unit part but more so on the special guests. at least they leave some things behind to remind me of their time here - big screen tv, extra queen bed, washers tailgate game, a favorite polo shirt, some Chinese tea, a rotting watermelon, a few fruit cups and applesauce, bowling ball, and even a random car bumper. funny the things people leave behind to make a mark on your life. of course the material things are just that and they come and go, but the friendships and memories of good times will be what stays with me. even so, the vacancy sign at 149 WGH is illuminated again.

just one more day until fall term starts. boone is alive and well with ton 'o people back within the borders. now all we need is a nice cool front to sweep through and bring some relief to the heat of the dog days of summer. i can't wait for the first feeling of fall season and to see some of those early leaves change over from green to gold. of course that will also signal the return of football season and gameday at The Rock! got your tickets yet?

speaking of tickets. i had one for the rascal flatts concert this past saturday and had every intention of using it. but after locking my keys in the car at verizon wireless meant i would spend the summer evening waiting for "pop-a-lock" to come rescue me. at least sdc and rubio got to enjoy the crowded lawn and sing the tunes with our new concert tailgate friends! i must say that you can actually hear the concerts pretty well from the parking lot. i must confess that i also returned the favor of my stolen cooler earlier this summer by finding a few extra cold silver cans in a lonely cooler in the back of a nearby pickup truck...to help pass the time sitting on my trunk in the parking lot ;)

well it is time to start the week...first week. no exec mtg, no tuesday circle, no tour schedule, no fall retreat...vacancy.

Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future. -John F. Kennedy

planning for the fall

2007-08-08T15:12:00.000-05:00

i am finalizing my freshman seminar class syllabus and i am hoping to include a blog assignment for the semester. my hope is that if i require my students to post to their blogs once a week, i will get into the habit of doing the same. keep your fingers crossed that the plan works and that the students might enjoy this more than the typical email journal or handwritten journals...

well today is hot as heck in boonetown. i think it's likely the hottest day so far this summer. thinking about fall more so than ever today because of the heat and looking forward to cooler temps and change of season.

the AMB's just departed from the MAC for the annual conference excursion. this is my first conference i will miss in like a gazillion years. actually, my first conference was in columbus, ohio and hosted by The Ohio State University. today's group is headed back to columbus...how ironic. it's kind of depressing actually. but i know that the group will have a great time and represent us well. i look forward to hearing all about the trip and those crazy conference stories!

i'm hitting the links with the dawg one last time after work today. neither of us are PGA material but we do enjoy the time outdoors, taking excessive mulligans, and getting a little bit better each time we play. needless to say, i will miss not being on willow creek with doofus again anytime soon...more about that goodbye later.

stay cool boonetown.

my wilson

2007-07-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

this might be one of the more silly or odd posts that i've made since starting my blog. but i've lost something that was uniquely me: my cooler. actually i didn't "lose" it, since it was taken from me. upon returning to eric's truck last night after the brad paisley concert in CLT, i discovered the cooler was missing. it wasn't in the truck bed or on the ground around the truck. someone had taken it from the truck during the concert. i had been robbed. my friends know that this was a special cooler. it had traveled to many concerts, football tailgates, two app national championships, beach trips, lake days, 4th of july celebrations, nascar races, plus much, much more. it had collected stickers from many favorite restaurants, tourist attractions, retail stores, sports teams, and of course the recognizable "PKS" oval sticker. this cooler traveled many miles and gave refuge to many beverages of choice. it had become a staple at special events, only to succumb to a greedy and disrespectful person. who takes other people's coolers? especially a cooler with a bunch of tacky stickers on it with no real meaning to an individual except for the actual owner. i mean really, who does that? i guess i'll never know. but one thing is for sure, i'll be on the lookout for my cooler, my wilson (thank you tom hanks) when i'm at verizon wireless amphitheater next week for the kenny chesney concert. whoever has the cooler better take good care of it. Afterall, it has character, history, and a unhappy former owner.

time well wasted

2007-07-18T20:44:00.001-05:00

time passes by quickly when you are having fun...i guess that is what has been happening in my world since i last posted. i have had friends get married, have babies, take new jobs, move out of boone, make grad school decisions, travel the world, run across the state of NC, tame The Bear, get their first drivers license...just to name a few things going on over the past month.

my "new" job continues to go well and challenges me daily. a lot of the challenge is simply in the difference between what i had been doing for so long and the more structure-free world i am in today. for many people who are like me (a bit of type-A personality), this change of pace might be too much to handle. but, trust me, at this point and time...i am handling it. it's as simple as this: i can pretty much take my lunch hour whenever i please. for those who know me well, know this is a big deal. ;)

speaking of big deals, last thursday was a day to remember. for the second year in a row, a few of us brave souls challenged ourselves and attempted The Bear Run - 5 miles up grandfather mountain. despite some leg ailments, i finished the best i have in three attempts! i ran the 5-miler in 47:29 and finished 175 out of 731 runners. i must say that when i crossed the finish line i was sure that i had run the slowest time, but much to my surprise, i had shaved nearly 8 minutes off last years run! even more rewarding was the fact that a bunch of friends ran the race this year and everyone did great! congrats to chris z, clayton, dawg, rachel w., peter jud, ruggieri, and lee! i think we're all planning to try and make this an annual event, which i think would be awesome.

mark your calendars for next year's Bear Run: JULY 10, 2008.
join us for the challenge!

Eric and Patrick tame
The Bear for the
second year in a row!
7.12.07

you can tell a lot about people...

2007-05-28T21:25:00.000-05:00

i'm glad my parents taught me to be grateful for the little and big things in life. sometimes i feel like people today just don't get it. showing generosity, displaying random acts of kindness, providing encouragement, lending advice, offering a helping hand, honoring friendships...maybe we take these things for granted more than we think we do or even more than we realize. it is especially evident when things and situations change in your life that you notice it more. you begin to miss the people who share the same kind of values as you and then you value them more - their humor, smiles, oddities, sensibilities and even insensibilities, i suppose. i've begun to realize that you often give more than you receive. but i know that it isn't all about getting more or deserving more...it's about being grateful for the people who and the experiences that come in and out of your life...and leave the lasting impressions. what impressions are you leaving upon others?

back again

2007-05-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

okay, okay, i know that it's been nearly three months since i've been here...and frankly i am a bit embarrased by this considering a blog is intended to be something people keep updated on a regular basis. no real excuse to offer on my behalf. i guess i simply haven't made this a priority, which i think is unfortunate, but the reality. yet, i'm back for now and hope to be a better and more consistent blogger. (okay don't hold me to it, i'm simply hoping to improve my blogging activity.)

so a lot has changed since my last post. i've started a new job, sent off 15 AMB seniors, ended my AMB advisor tenure, and almost completed my training to be a freshman seminar instructor this coming fall. i guess there is some truth in the old saying of "things can change in a blink of an eye." since there have been so many developments around me, i'll try in my next post to pull my thoughts together about some of these happenings.

*fist mega ticket concert of the summer is tomorrow night in charlotte: alan jackson with brooks & dunn! should be a good time!

and we're done...

2007-02-12T19:39:00.000-06:00

after 77+ hours, i'm done. amb membership '07 mission accomplished. there isn't a doubt from me that we made the best decisions and are inviting in 22 super individuals. i am really excited about having a chance to get to know these young 'uns and helping make their new member world something they'll remember a long time.

i am really, really proud of the vets; they stayed totally focused all these weeks and knew they had a job to do. and, indeed, they did it. and the 11-hour vote was smooth, solid, and productive. we even had some surprise visitors which made the night even more memorable.

tomorrow at 5:00 begins yet another chapter in the amb world. the 5 o'clock circle expands, in more ways than one and i think we're ready for it. no one truly knows what the future holds for this group but i am sure that the sun will continue to shine brightly from the blowers!

i'm starting to shake this sinus infection and feeling better after a rough week. i made it back to the SRC this a.m. for a good 7 o' clock wake up call. it wasn't the easy thing to do after being "off" for a week, but it does make me more productive at work i think.

okay it's 24 time!

old man winter has returned

2007-02-03T15:20:00.000-06:00

it was only a matter of time before the tundra turned frozen here in boonetown. although this past week we were suppose to have a nice collection of snow, it didn't really happen as predicted. we really need a good snow soon to make it really feel like we've had a winter. and, i want to ski soon before the season ends so bring it on mother nature.

well i logged about 70 hours at the office this week. amb app reading week wears me out but i need to recover because the "big week" starts tomorrow with first interaction. i hope we'll make good decisions this week and bring in some great nubs. i think the crew is pretty focused on the end-goal so i'm feeling confident about the future. it's a bit scary to think that the group will change as much as it will over the next month but i guess things happen to make us stronger.

i got in a good swim this morning. the src pool is awesome, plenty of room and warm water...enough to have totally worn me out. i think i will take a nap now.

i was lost, but now i'm found

2007-01-27T08:33:00.000-06:00

after nearly 3.5 months of non-blog activity, i have returned. the only problem is, you see, i lost my previous blog. i am not sure what happened actually but i think it was similar to the UNC Admissions debacle of last week where they sent 2,700+ acceptance emails inadvertently by the click of "submit"...i clicked "submit" in order to update my blog site on Blogger and, well, you see i am for the most part a new user today. this kind of sucks because i had posted a good couple of months back late in the year last year. where would all that good literary reading be now? i haven't a clue. so today, my friends, is a new day. i was lost, but now i'm found. come back again soon and i'll have more to share. (and i promise, phillip, i'll try to do better at posting in the days to come.)