Sleep

Everybody sleeps differently. Some stay in one position all night, while others toss and turn all night. Some prefer to sleep on their back while others like their side or stomach. Up until I learned of my kidney failure, I preferred to sleep on my stomach. After starting hemodialysis I had to sleep on my side. Didnt matter which side, but with a port in my neck/chest area I couldnt sleep on my stomach at all. Sure I could have slept on my back but I have never been able to do that unless on a hammoc with a gentle breeze blowing me.

After I started Peritoneal Dialysis I could only sleep on my left side. Somehow on my right side it would interfere with my dialysis machine and all kinds of alarms would go off. I would then have to wake up, reset the machine, and then make sure I fell asleep on my left side. Sometimes I would hook up to the machine early and read or watch tv for a while. I would then go to sleep on my left side but would wake up when the dialysis was complete, unhook from the machine, and then go back to sleep on my right side.

Post transplant I cant go to sleep on my stomach as it feels weird. What is weirder is after sleeping mostly on my left side for almost 2 years, I now can only fall to sleep on my right side. Now that it is getting colder, my wife's dog likes to snuggle up behind the bend of my leg to stay warm. Of course I have also had to learn not to roll over in the middle of the night without waking the dog first.

Houses

Wifey and I like to go look at new houses. Model homes are good places to get ideas of how to decorate and what works and what doesnt work. Sometimes we go to open houses that charge for a tour with the proceeds going to charity. Last year we went to a house that was decorated by several art galleries. Some of the art was crap but it was still neat to look at.

Yesterday we went to look at a house with the proceeds going to a camp that is ran for kids with special needs. The house was a monster. It had over 10,000 square feet. Every other room was decorated by a different interior designer so there was little flow going from room to room. I think our favorite rooms were in the basement. They had a home theater (you could pause a movie in there and then finish watching it in another room of the house) that seated 10. They had a gentleman's lounge complete with pool table, poker table, bar, and 4 flat screen tvs. They also had a spa suite (sauna, steam shower, masage area, etc.). Our least favorite room was the kitchen. It was huge but decorated horribly. Anyway, the house was ok but the charity was worthwhile so we are glad we went.

Naked Boy

We moved into our subdivision about 3 and a half years ago. Not long after moving in, we were greeted by a naked boy running around in his front yard. I am guessing that at that time he was around 2. Although it is not a daily occurance, it is a frequent occurance to see him in the yard. Sometimes he has shoes on (and nothing else) but usually he is completely naked.

A few weeks ago, we were heading out. As we were getting ready to pass naked boy's home, we slowed down to see if he would be in the yard and sure enough there he was. But since it was starting to get a little chilly out, he was wearing a shirt but nothing else as he rode his bicycle with its training wheels.

My main thought about this is in a time when Dateline NBC is showing a sting that happened about 75 miles from here, when John Mark Karr (although not found guilty of any crime but yet he admitted to things) was staying 20 miles away for a couple of weeks, and when Congressman Foley is sending explicit emails to minors you would think that Naked boy's parents would keep their child's nakedness indoors.

Internet

I think most of you know that I met my kidney donor through a website for local hockey fans. Obviously I am happy about that.

Six years ago today, the internet played another important part in my life. Six years ago I met my wife in person for the first time. We had met via the internet and talked on the phone and then finally met in person. I knew from the first time I met her that there was something special about her and I am glad she is in my life.

I love you honey!

Changes

So last week I shipped my dialysis machine back. Friday the company picked up all of the supplies. Saturday we went out of town for a quick overnight trip. It was weird but good to check into a hotel or go somewhere without having to plan about worrying about where to plug in the machine, packing up all of the supplies, etc. I am enjoying this.

Hockey Season Again

Two home pre-season games already. Man have I missed hockey season. Wednesday night there was nobody at the game so we sat next to the ice. You can really see things like the way the puck bounces on the ice. Unfortunately sitting that close you do miss some stuff and cant see the whole rink.

Yesterday's game we brought some friends as we had extra tickets (they have a hard time filling the seats to pre-season games so they give freebies away). We sat in our new regular seats. Like them a lot.

My mom will soon be going with us to her first hockey game. That will be interesting I am sure.

Hockey Season Again

Two home pre-season games already. Man have I missed hockey season. Wednesday night there was nobody at the game so we sat next to the ice. You can really see things like the way the puck bounces on the ice. Unfortunately sitting that close you do miss some stuff and cant see the whole rink.

Yesterday's game we brought some friends as we had extra tickets (they have a hard time filling the seats to pre-season games so they give freebies away). We sat in our new regular seats. Like them a lot.

My mom will soon be going with us to her first hockey game. That will be interesting I am sure.

Hockey and Kidney

Thrashers Hockey Saves A Life What would you be willing to do to save the life of a family member? A friend? An acquaintance? How about a complete stranger? By Ben Wright Two years ago Thrashers fan Andy Freeman got some startling news: his kidneys were failing and he was in need of a kidney transplant. He immediately began going to a clinic three times a week for hemodialysis, a three-to-four hour process that involved having his blood removed from his body, cleaned, and filtered back into his system. Time consuming and tiring - not to mention inconvenient for someone who works - hemodialysis was a temporary solution. After five months of it Andy switched to peritoneal dialysis, a procedure which could be done at home while he slept. Most importantly, as he put it with a laugh, it allowed him to eat and drink almost anything he wanted, as long as he watched his sodium intake. At the same time he was placed on the transplant list to receive a kidney. Each year in Georgia approximately 300 kidney transplants are performed, but there are more than 1500 people on the waiting list and the list keeps growing. Faced with a lengthy wait Andy got to work looking for a donor on his own. Andy Freeman and Brandi Shaw the day before transplant surgery One by one family, friends, and acquaintances went and got tested, but for one reason or another none of them made it through a rigorous organ donor screening process that involves a whole lot more than medical exams. Some came close, but none of them were approved as suitable donors for Andy. As he continued his search for a donor Andy went on with his life, working as a government lobbyist and keeping up with the Thrashers. As long-time casual fans Andy and his wife had been to many games with friends and co-workers, but when it came time for the 2005-06 Thrashers season they opted to get a ticket package of their own. Little did they know that immersing themselves in Thrashers hockey would be a life-saving experience. As he geared up for the season Andy searched the Internet for a Thrashers message board that suited his taste where he could talk hockey and get to know some fellow fans. As a result he became friends with many members of the Nasty Nest fan site. Known for being loud and rambunctious, the group shared Andy's passion for the Thrashers, even though the Freeman's seats weren't with the rest of the group. Through his interaction with his new-found friends it became known that Andy was looking for a kidney donor. On a whim he set his message board signature to say "Does anyone have an extra kidney they can give me?" That's where Brandi Shaw comes in. The Ohio native and mother of two girls had been in Atlanta for the better part of 13 years, and was becoming a first-time ticket plan holder. Brandi's husband Doug met Andy while watching a Thrashers road game with some other Nasty Nest members at a local sports restaurant. They spoke on a few occasions and Doug became familiar with Andy's plight. A short time later Brandi saw Andy's signature on the message boards and asked her husband if Andy really needed a kidney. When she found out that he was indeed looking for a donor she casually asked her husband to find out what Andy's blood type was. Lo and behold, they were a match. After meeting Andy at a Thrashers game, Brandi talked to him about his situation and asked about the process for finding out if she was a suitable donor. Surprised that someone he barely knew would be willing to make such a sacrifice, Andy explained how it worked, all the while telling Brandi she was under no pressure to go through with anything. Determined to help, Brandi went through the screening process even though conventional wisdom said the odds of being a perfect match for a non-relative were astronomical. At each stage Andy reconciled himself to the possibility Brandi would be ruled out, much like the more than 20 people who had been screened before her. Amazingly, Brandi cleared each hurdle, passed each test, and in early July she was declared a suitable transplant candidate. On August 16, with the full support of their spouses and families, Andy Freeman and Brandi Shaw checked into Piedmont Hospital's transplant wing. The next day Brandi gave Andy, a complete stranger just ten months before, an absolutely priceless gift. "For somebody that you don't even know, for them to be willing to do that - it's absolutely phenomenal," said Andy a week after the surgery. "There are a lot of people that offer to be a donor but most of them never go through with it. We'd only met once, so I didn't really think she was going to go through with it. But the more I got to know her, the more I thought it could happen." Not one to get his hopes up after so many disappointments, Andy didn't let himself really believe that he was finally going to receive the life-saving gift of Brandi's kidney until the entire screening process was completed in early July. At each step Andy and the doctors reminded Brandi that she was under no obligation to go through with the surgery. As she recalled, "Even as I was being wheeled off to surgery one of the nurses said I could still call it off. I told her it was too late. I was too prepped to not go ahead with it." Buoyed by the support of their families, friends, and fellow Thrashers fans, Brandi and Andy are well on their way to full recoveries and the transplanted kidney is fully functional inside its new host. Brandi beat Andy out of the hospital by a few hours on August 21 and returned to work as a teacher after Labor Day. Andy's recovery will take a little while longer as his body adjusts to being able to clean its own blood rather than depend on dialysis as it has for the last two years. As luck would have it, Andy was cleared to resume driving and other normal activities on September 14 - just in time for the beginning of Thrashers training camp, which he took in on September 15. Garnet Exelby poses with Brandi and Andy. On September 17 The Shaw and Freeman families were special guests of Garnet Exelby at the practice facility in Duluth. Exelby had heard about Andy and Brandi's incredible story and called them shortly after their surgeries to invite them up to training camp. After practice on Sunday the big defenseman gave the Freemans and Shaws a behind-the-scenes tour of the practice facility, giving them a glimpse of the day-to-day operations of the Thrashers, and stopping to pose for occasional pictures. The group also had a chance to meet Coach Bob Hartley and forward Jimmy Slater, both of whom had heard about the transplant and were excited to see Andy and Brandi back in action and ready for the 2006-07 Thrashers season. L-R: Coach Bob Hartley, Jimmy Slater, Emily Freeman, Brandi Shaw, Emma Shaw, Andy Freeman, Garnet Exelby, Mary Shaw, Doug Shaw While the surgery marked what everyone hopes is the end of a long and arduous process for Andy and Brandi, it's also the beginning of an exciting period for both of their families. Before being diagnosed with kidney failure Andy had done some work with the National Kidney Foundation of Georgia. Now he is on their board of directors and working to raise awareness and funds for the group. As a fortuitous side effect, the screening process that eliminated several potential donors helped them discover that they had health issues of their own they needed to deal with, including hypertension and diabetes. Had it not been for the screening process those conditions may have gone undetected for a longer period. Brandi's incredible act of compassion has opened the door for her and her husband Doug to spread the word about being a living organ donor. It has also led to people approaching them to inquire about ways that they can get involved with the National Kidney Foundation. As Doug put it, "So many incredible things have come out of this experience. After seeing the whole process and the impact it has had on us and on Andy and his family, I want to do everything I can to help other people. If I was medically able to give an organ, I'd do it." For more information about being a kidney donor please consult the National Kidney Foundation of Georgia website. Photos provided by Mary Jane Crewe Garnet Exelby signs Mary Shaw's jersey as her father and sister look on. Exelby shows his guests around the Duluth training facility. Exelby answers a question from Mary Shaw in the thrashers training room. The Freemans, Shaws and Garnet Exelby joke with Jimmy Slater about his video game rating. Ben Wright is the Web site Assistant for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Thanks

This is my last couple of days before I get back out in public and before I drive. Everything is going great post-transplant and I have many people to thank for that. I feel like I just won an Oscar, so before the music starts because I am rambling too long let me get these thank you's out.

First, my donor. Unless you have been through this, you cant imagine the gratitude that I have for this person. A year ago, we had never met and now I have a part of her in me, working to keep my alive. She and her family are special people. I know I have said this before, but I am glad we have gotten to know each other, even if it hadnt worked out for me to get a kidney.

The Hospital. Although you never really enjoy a hospital stay, I can say that my stay during my transplant was probably the best stay I have ever had in a hospital. They are truly centered around the patient and their needs. Mad props also to the doctors, nurses and staff that oversaw my transplant and are working to keep me healthy post transplant.

Friends, family and people I dont know. From my hospital stay through now, I have had more calls, cards, emails and visits than I can count. One friend from college drove a couple of hours from a neighboring state just to visit me while I was in the hospital. Letters from people I dont know have made their way to me including my sister's county commissioner 4 hours and another state away. He has never met me but somehow he knew to send me a card (now if he would just return a constituent's call from my sister...). I even got an email from the doctor that performed the first kidney transplant in GA 40 years ago. My parents have spent a couple of days a week with me for the last couple of weeks to help around the house and to take me to the Doctor. All of these have meant a lot to me and my wife.

The Atlanta Thrashers. I met my donor through hockey and the local NHL team found out about our story and have been good to us. One of their players called when we got out of the hospital to check in on us. More stuff is coming but I will wait to give details...

My wife. Obviously when we married 3 years ago, my wife didnt envision that any of this would be part of our daily lives. Even though our lives have been changed and certain plans put on hold, she has been a source of strength to me throughout this entire process. I know it hasnt been easy on her, but I am forever grateful for the strength and love she has shown me.

Randomness

So the surgery went well and things are looking great.

Watched a lot of the Little League World Series while in the hospital and since I have been home. Mostly been a defensive series since they moved the outfield fence back this year. I watched a no-hitter pitched by a 12 year old the other night. Wow!!! This is what baseball should be about. I like minor league ball cause the players are trying to make it to the majors and giving it their all (as are the little leaguers) but I dont always feel that major leaguers are giving it their all and are more interested in making their millions but that is just me. One kid playing in the Little League series was 6'8" at 13 years old, who played for the Saudi Arabian team. I think his dad is an American working in the oil fields.

Speaking of series, I also got to watch some of the World Series of Poker main event this week. I was excited to see my least favorite pro, Phil Hellmuth, lose early on the first day. Hellmuth likes to say that he is the best no limit player ever so to watch him have to have a big heaping helping of crowe early on was awesome. He would get a pair of 10's and someone at the table would have a pair of Jacks. Queens for Phil and somebody at the table would have pocket rockets. The winner of the main event this year took home around $12 million.

My dogs were excited to see me when I got home from the hospital. They missed their daddy. The little girl likes to jump up on me but she hasnt this week. It is weird, but the dogs sense that something is wrong and are protecting me.

Getting kinda tired of chicken. It seems that everybody that has brought something over to the house has brought some kind of chicken dish. My donor is experiencing the same thing. It's not that we are ungrateful for people thinking of us, it's just that we getting kinda tired of chicken.

Today I received a phone call from a player from the Atlanta Thrashers, Garnett Exelby. X is ranked as the #2 defenseman in the NHL and just wanted to call and wish me well. I will give more details later after my donor gets her call. Seems she didnt recognize the phone number when he called and so she didnt answer it. Instead she got a great voicemail promising a return phone call this week.

Like the Week Before Christmas

So, if you know me you know that this is a BIG week for me. Thursday I am set for a kidney transplant. You have no idea how excited I am. And just like when you are a little tyke and Christmas is getting near, I am finding it hard to sleep at night.

I am not worried or nervous about the surgery. I have talked to people that have had the operation so I know what to expect. The hospital that I am having the surgery has a better than normal record for surgical success and my surgeon is one of the tops in the country for kidney transplants.

As the surgery gets closer I keep thinking about some of the changes that will soon be happening. Today I had what I hope is one of the last shots of epogin that I will have to have for sometime (I have had to take a shot a week for almost 2 years as a part of being a dialysis patient). I only have 2 more times to do dialysis (even though I do PD and it is far better than Hemo, I hate having to have my life revolve around my machine).

I am amazed at the kindness of strangers. I have gotten a lot of prayers and well wishes from people that I barely know but that pales in comparsion to my donor; I mean we had only met once or maybe twice before she expressed an interest in seeing if she was a match or not. Now, they are like a second family. They are great people that I am glad I have gotten to know, even if there wasnt a kidney involved.

Soon my life is going to change in a big way. Soon I will be able to lead an almost normal life for the first time in almost two years. I know I will have to take a ton of pills for the rest of my life and that there will be things I cant do that I have enjoyed in my past, but to be able to live an almost normal life is a great thing that I am looking forward to.

I know that the odds are that I will have to have at least one more transplant in my lifetime but I am thankful for the life I have had and the life I have yet to live.

Sidewalks

When the wife and I bought our house, one of the big selling points was the sidewalks that connect the entire subdivision. Too bad most of the residents dont use them.

It doesnt matter what time of day or day of the week people will walk in the middle of the road. Young or old, male or female it doesnt matter. The other day I was coming home and a father was busy teaching his toddler how to ride a tricycle. Were they on the sidewalk? No. Were they in their driveway? No. Sidestreet? No. They were in the middle of the main road of our subdivision and the father look perturbed that I was interrupting them.

I dont get it. I really dont. Unfortunately it is likely that one day someone in our subdivision is going to be injured because of the volume of people that never use the sidewalks.

Happy Camper

Today I went out with some folks from the Kidney Foundation to Camp Twin Lakes. The camp is a camp exclusively for kids with special needs. It is about an hour east of Atlanta. Various groups use the camp for a weekend or a week for camp. This week was the Kidney Foundation's Camp Independence for kids on dialysis, with chronic kidney disease, or have had a kidney or other kind of transplant.

The camp has everything that kids would want. It has horses, a ropes course, fishing, arts and crafts, swimming pool with water slide, archery, mini-golf, tennis, boats, and many other things. Everything is wheelchair accessible. There is also an infirmary where the kids go for hemodialysis if they are on it.

It was great watching over 100 kids be kids. They didnt have to worry about being different. They didnt have to worry about what they can and cant eat. They boys could take off their shirts and swim without having to worry what the other kids would think about their scars or if they were a little puffy from taking steroids.

Overall, I really enjoyed going out to the camp and the whole experience.

Where Were You When...

In all of our lives there are events that sears itself in our memories. I vividly remember when I first learned of the first space shuttle disaster. I can tell you where I was, who I was with and what I was doing. Our parents remember when Kennedy was shot in the same way.

I also remember the first time I saw my niece, the first time I met my wife and when I proposed to her. I remember vividly the way my wife looked at our wedding. I remember just staring at her throughout the ceremony.

Yesterday I had an event happen to me that I will forever remember the details surrounding it. As most of you know, about 2 years ago I ound out that my kidneys had shut down. Yesterday I received a call from someone that matched as a donor and now we are trying to set up a date for the surgery to occur.

It's a small world

When I was growing up, it seemed whenever we would go on a vacation of some kind we would run into someone we knew. Usually it was my dad that would run into a former student of his or someone he went to college with. One time at Disneyworld we were waiting in line for something and dad started talking to the couplein front of us. Dad kept saying that the husband looked familiar. Long story short, the husband was the child of a couple of people he had taught when he was doing his student teaching and somehow dad could see the family resemblence.

When my wife and I started dating we went to a baseball game. We had a little wager on who would run into people they knew first. She thought she would run into some of her students or other fellow teachers. The game hadn't even started and I had ran into like 4 or 5 people I knew including a security guard and one of the beer guys.

Last weekend we took a long weekend away. Saturday we were walking down the street in Gatlinburg and I look up and see a wife of a cousin. We talked for a while and my cousin came up while we were talking. Monday we were checking into a hotel in Cherokee, NC and we ran into a woman that just retired from where my wife teaches. It was too surreal.

It's your fault

The other night wifey and I went out to grab a bite to eat. The first place was closed (unfotunately they have weird hours). We ended up going to an Asian themed restuarant. It is an all you can eat buffett place with a twist.

You pick up a bowl at what looks like a salad bar. You decide on type of noodles or rice. Next you pick out your vegetables and sauces. They had probably 15 sauces to choose from and even tell you what they are made from in case you have allergies or dietary concerns. Next you grab a small bowl and pick out your meat (or tofu) and then what you want to season the meat. Finally you drop it off at the grill where the cooks stir fry it and then your waiter brings it to your table when it is done.

If you arent good at picking out what would taste good together then it is your fault that your meal isnt tasty. Then again, it is all you can eat so you can keep experimenting until you find what you like.

Of course there are ice cream places that are similar to this. You pick out a flavor and then select various toppings to be combined with your ice cream. Unfortunately the ice cream places that do this arent all you can eat so pick carefully...

Long Blog

This blog may be a little longer than most of mine and it wont be just one train of thought.

Memorial Day weekend my sister and her family came down to my parents, and more importantly this gave me a chance to see my niece. She is almost 4 and a half. After we had eaten dinner, we were picking at her asking her about her boyfriends (she once told us that she would be married by the time she was 5 so we were checking to see if we needed to start planning...). She listed off several boys but then she declared that I was her mostest favorite boyfriend. I am a lucky man.

Memorial Day, wifey and I went to see some minor league hockey. A local team was in the championships of their league. While waiting in line to buy tickets, a friend spotted us. He had extra tickets to a suite that a client had given him. So we went into the suite and enjoyed the free refreshments. I enjoy minor league baseball and I used to enjoy the minor league hockey team that Atlanta had (the Knights) but this wasnt fun to watch. The skating and the passing was horrible and these were the top 2 teams in the league. The officiating was horrible, too. They had ads on the loud speakers it seemed almost every 30 seconds. The funniest thing was that the majority of the adds were for dentists...

Last night, I went with a friend and his wife to see 38 Special. It was at a small outdoor venue near my house. Edgar Winters was the opening act. I worked radio while in college. I remember Edgar but I couldnt place any songs and after last night I still dont remember any of his songs. 38 is made up of most of the original members; Donnie Van Zandt is still the lead singer but Don Barnes is still the guy that sings most of the songs. I know that is confusing but that is how it is. The show was great. After the show I got to meet Edgar Winters... During the show, my friend and I came up with a list of things you have to have if your last name is Van Zandt and you sing for a band:
1) Your last name has to end with "NNIE" as in Johnnie, Donnie, and Ronnie. Somewhere out there is probably a Bonnie, Connie or Lonnie Van Zandt...
2) You have to have long, stringy, dirty blonde hair
3) You have to have a beard. (This maybe difficult if there is a Connie or Bonnie...)
4) You have to wear a dark colored, long sleeve shirt untucked. The shirt also needs to be unbuttoned to the navel.
5) You have to wear a black cowboy hat.
6) If you dont have a guitar strapped around you, you have to pace the stage while holding the mic stand at all times.
You may not find the humor or truth in the above statements but if you have ever seen 38 Special or Lynard Skynard, you will understand.

Who thought that up?

I have participated in focus groups before. Last year while in Vegas, the wife and I participated in a focus group on tv shows. We had been walking around and were approached to come into the ac, drink some soft drinks, watch some tv and get paid. We watched several shows that were supposedly coming soon to tv (I have yet to see any of them since then).

I remember when I was a kid I got paid at a mall to look at movie posters for some upcoming movies and determine which was the best poster for each film.

Lots of companies (and even would be politicians) use focus groups to determine if an idea is a good one or not. I bring this up because of something I have seen that I find hard to believe that any real thought was put into it or the public's approval was even sought.

KFC is advertising a lot on the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have a new menu item that they are pushing. Whenever this ad is on, I have to turn the channel. They take mashed potatoes, add a layer of corn and then some chicken nuggets. That is topped with gravy and then a layer of cheese. Are they serious? WHO EATS THIS STUFF? It looks sooooo disgusting.

Helping Out

I have found an easy way to help out charities and hope that you will help out, too. It is with GoodSearch. You use GoodSearch.com like any other search engine - the site is powered by Yahoo! - but each time you do, money is generated for charities. Here’s how it works:

1. Go to www.goodsearch.com

2. Type NKF GA into the “I support” box and click on “verify”

3. Search the Internet just like you would with any search engine

4. Since GoodSearch shares its advertising revenue with charities and schools, everytime you search the Internet at GoodSearch, you’ll be earning money for the National Kidney Foundation of Georgia.

GoodSearch also has a toolbar you can download from the homepage so that you can search right from the top of your browser, whether you use Internet Explorer or Firefox. This is how I do it as it makes it so much easier.

You can keep track of our estimated earnings by clicking on “amount raised” once you designate Kidney Foundation as your organization of choice. The more people who use the site, the more money the National Kidney Foundation will earn to find ways to prevent or maybe one day cure kidney failure, so please spread the word!!

Tea

I love tea. I was raised in the south so of course I love tea. It has to be sweet and over ice. When drinking regular or table tea, I like it with a lemon but prefer a lime.

Several years ago(about 12 or 13) I went to England for about 8 or 9 days with my sister. There was a mad cow scare going on at the time so we ate a lot of lamb. Now I like lamb but after eating it for 2 meals a day for a week, I got tired of it.

While in England I had a lot of tea. I really developed an appreciation for tea. I came home from that trip and bought all of the things needed to make a proper glass of tea. After a while, good tea was something I only made for special occasions because it took way too long to make it the correct way. I would enjoy it at Starbucks (since I dont drink coffee) on occasion.

Recently my wife and I were out shopping. We stopped in a tea store so I could buy a glass of good tea. They had a tea maker for sale that after seeing in action, I had to buy. It made making a proper glass of tea easy and quick. So I purchased one and some loose leaf tea. Last week I bought some more loose leaf tea to enjoy.

I am glad to rediscover the joys of a good glass of tea.

Television

I have been watching the NHL Stanley cup playoffs for the last couple of weeks. I wish that my team had made the playoffs but I still like watching the games. I have Center Ice on our cable which allows me to watch the games that are not on NBC and OLN. These games are also broadcast by one of the teams playing so you get to watch tv and ads from other parts of the US and Canada. The commercials ran elsewhere are different than the ones ran here.

KFC doesnt use "Sweet Home Alabama" as the music in their ads they run in Canada. Which reminds me, why would they use that song here? Sweet Home Alabama doesnt mention chicken or Kentucky (the K in KFC).

Wendy's has a special Carolina Classic burger that they sell in North Carolina that they dont sell here or probably anywhere else. It has coleslaw and BBQ sauce on it. The picture they show on the ad does not look too appetizing either.

Give Life Month

April is organ donation awareness month sometimes reffered to as Give Life month. Last week I attended an event at the state capitol. They use this gathering to honor donors and families of donors here in Georgia. It was a very moving and emotional ceremony. The following poem was read at the event.

To Remember Me - I will live forever Robert N. Test The day will come when my body will lie upon a white sheet neatly tucked under four corners of a mattress located in a hospital; busily occupied with the living and the dying. At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine. And don't call this my deathbed. Let it be called the bed of life, and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face or love in the eyes of a woman.

Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.

Give my blood to the teenager who was pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.

Give my kidneys to the one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.

Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.

Explore every corner of my brain.

Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that, someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain agianst her window.

Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.

If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weakness and all prejudice against my fellow man.

Give my sins to the devil.

Give my soul to God.

If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you. If you do all I have asked, I will live forever.

Robert N. Test

Q

I love good BBQ. I love the smokey flavor. I love tomato and mustard based sauces. Every now and then I even like the Carolina vinegar style. I have even had white BBQ sauce and found it ok.

A few years ago, I learned that there is another style of sauce. I have only found it near where we live and that is the Worstershire based sauce. I dont mean using just a little worstershire for flavor (not that I like that either) but I am talking where it is the dominant ingredient of the sauce. Easily over 50+% of the sauce. I dont understand this nor do I really like it.

There used to be a BBQ place near our house but it is not there anymore. I went a few times but wasnt a big fan of it (despite the raves of locals) because of their Worstershire sauce. After I realized that they had other sauces but you just had to specify what you wanted (otherwise you got the worst sauce.... literally), I decided that it was decent que and went several times until it closed.

Last week I made ribs. I made my own rub and my own sauce. It was tomato based. Initially it was sweet to the taste but after you swallowed you had a nice little bite of spice and heat, but not too much. It was one of my favorite sauces I have ever made. MMmmmm. I am getting hungry now.

Lifelong Dream

Charlie Brown said it best: "There are three things in life that people like to
stare at: a flowing stream, a crackling fire, and a Zamboni clearing the ice."  

Last night I fullfilled a lifelong dream; I got to ride a Zamboni. You know,
the machine that resurfaces the ice at hockey games in between periods.
As a kid I would see Snoopy riding the Zamboni in the comics and I would
think "How coolwould that be?" Years later I was working at a record store
when one of the Mighty Ducks movies came out and I was given a
soundtrack to the movie. On that cassette was a song by the Gear Daddies
 entitled, "I want to drive the Zamboni." I loved that song and still know
all of the words.

I learned a few things 1) no drink holders on the Zamboni 2) You have to
 sign a 2 page release to ride 3)the front  part of the Zamboni holds the ice
that has been scraped up. When the Zamboni has done its job, it goes to
the back and hydraulics lift the "hood" so that the ice falls out into a bin
where it melts 4) they dont think it is a good idea to have a snowball fight
with the shaved ice.

The fact that the Thrashers won last night putting the playoffs within reach
 was just the icing on the cake. 

The Kids, Traveling, and the Captain

Several weeks ago the wife was out of town. Our two dogs normally follow her around whenever she is here but after that weekend, her dog is now officially a daddy's girl. When we are watching tv she hops up into my lap. When we go to bed she snuggles up to me for the night. And whenever we have thunder, it is her daddy that is able to protect her. I like having a little girl.

Last week the wife and I took a little vacation. We flew to Miami and rented a car to drive to Key West. Other than booking a place to stay, we made no plans. It was great to unwind and relax with no real schedule. We ate a lot of seafood and some cuban food. I had some key lime pie (wifey doesnt care for key lime) that was incredible. We found a great little place that makes a lot of different crepes and it became our breakfast place for the trip. On the way home we stopped in Key Largo for lunch with an old friend of mine and her fiancee (whom I had never met). The restaurant we met them at had tables set up on a beautiful beach overlooking the ocean while a guy played some steel drums. It was easy to see why some people go to the keys every year, or as my friend did, go for a vacation and never leave.

One of the things we did while in Key West was to go meet Captain Tony. Who is he you might ask. He is the imbodiment of every Jimmy Buffett song you have ever heard. As a matter of fact, go look at the lyrics for Last Mango in Paris and you will see that this particular song is all about him. Captain Tony is pushing 90. He has 13 kids ranging in age from 11 to 54. He was Mayor of Key West at one time. He allegedly made a living as a smuggler for a while. He also owns a bar that was the original location for Sloppy Joes for most of the time that Ernest Hemingway was drinking there while in Key West. We were just walking by and saw him in his bar and stopped by to take photos with him. My picture is kinda plain. The one with wifey he has a big smile.

While we were gone, we left the dogs with their usual sitter. They must have played hard while they were there as they slept all day Sunday after we picked them up.

Old Friend About to Move Across the Pond

Sunday I went to a goodbye party for a friend. I hadnt seen her in forever and it was good to see her and meet her husband before they move to England.

She hired me years ago and became like an older sister to me. She decided she wanted something new and packed up and moved to DC a couple of years after I had worked for her. She had no job lined up but it didnt take her long to find something. I always admired her for doing that. We have always stayed in touch and I used to see her when I was traveling to DC a lot.

I was always a little upset at my fellow males of the world since she was single for so long. Not that she needed a man to make her life complete or anything but you see a smart, beautiful, funny woman that isnt in a long term relationship and you wonder what is wrong with the men of this world. After meeting her husband, I know that he is the right man for her and was worth the wait.

He was born and raised in England. They met in Miami where they both were on business. He flew from London to DC to date her on weekends. Wow!!! He took a job transfer to Connencticut so that he could be a lot closer to her and see if it would work out and it did. Now they are moving to London for a few years. Bad news is I wont see her for a while but the good news is the wife and I have a reason to go to England and a place to stay. Maybe after I get a transplant we might go see them.

At her going away party, I also got to see someone else I had worked with. She is a stay at home mom with two beautiful daughters (5 and 2). Always great to catch up with old friends.

Dinner and Idol

Last night a friend was in town and we decided to get up a group and go eat dinner. A friend suggested a new place and we all met up. What our friend didnt share is that this new place (the restaurant has 2 other locations that have been around for awhile) was having a VIP grand opening last night. We get there and we are seated in a crowded dining room with local celebs and elected officials. I wont mention any specific names but it was quite a gathering. Our waitier had the distinct pleasure of telling us our meal was comped. WOW!!! A great time was had by all including some phone calls and ribbing to those that were too busy to make it out last night...

We get home and the end of American Idol was on. They were singing Stevie Wonder songs. I love Stevie. He is a musical genius you know. One of the rocker guys was singing "Higher Ground" and the judges went wild. "You took that and made it your own!" was the universal sentiment of the judges. Evidentially the judges have never heard the 1989 release of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers version of this song. In other words, he didnt really "make it his own"... I still enjoyed it, but was shocked that they seemed to not know what he was doing.

Tunes

Whenever I am down, stressed or just need a pick me up I like to buy some new cds. Tonight after dinner wifey and I went to pick up some new music, as well as a copy of Walk the Line. Boy were we in for a surprise.

Normally when you go to a record store (unless it is a small, independent store) the staff is not very knowledgable about music. You could ask where to find the most popular artist and they will stare blankly at you like they have never heard of the singer. God help you if you ask for something obscure. This was not the case tonight. We had a guy that knew his music. He knew when stuff was coming out. He could look at the variety of stuff I had selected and suggest some others that work out. We will definitely be going back to this store...

When I was a kid (and even now) I like to watch Austin City Limits on PBS. They have had a virtual who's who in music appear on their program over the years. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ray Charles, Robert Randolph, Johnny Cash, B.B. King, and lots of others. After years, they have finally gotten smart and started releasing some of the show's performances on DVD and CD. This is something I always thought they should do and now they are doing it. They have release 5 or 6 artists right now with plans to release another 15 or so in the near future.

I also picked up Matisyahu's live album tonight. I heard about him a few months ago but finally broke down and got his album tonight (he has a studio album coming out this Tuesday). WOW!!! Matisyah is reggae album with a hasidic jew spitting out the rhymes, chanting, rapping, or whatever you want to call it. The lyrics are very positive and spiritual. Man, this has got to be one of my favorite albums of the year. You have really got to check it out.



Editor's Note: The link above for Austin City Limits is the site for the show and music festival. This link will take you to the CDs and DVDs that are currently released. There are more released than the 5 or 6 I was told. They have a neat feature that allows you to watch some of the DVDs that have been released.

Top Jimmy

I like to do unusual things. If I am buying a gift for somebody, I want it to be something unique.

A couple of years ago I was trying to think of something unique to do for my parents and ended up with a good idea. On a Father's day, my parents and I got up early and drove to Plains, Georgia. We went to Maranatha Baptist Church and sat in a sunday school class taught by former President Jimmy Carter.

It was truly a memorable event! What was weird is that there was several friends of mine that were there to without knowing that they were coming. After Sunday School and then the worship service, we waited in line with everybody else to have our picture made with President and Mrs. Carter.

I think it was Walter Cronkite that said it best, "Jimmy Carter is the only man to use the office of the Presidency to go on to greater things." It seems, sadly, that most former Presidents are more concerned with seeing how much money they can make than to continue with their public service.

The trip with my parents to Plains has been on my mind as I am currently reading Carter's new book, Our Endangered Values. It is taking me longer to read than it should as I have a lot of work related items to read right now but I am enjoying stealing a few minutes here and there to read Values. I highly recommend it.

Dinner Guest

There is a group of us that try to get together to eat and share stories at least once a year. Last night we got together with some special guests. Significant others were invited for the first time in a long time and wifey showed up after night class. We also had a celebrity join us with his wife; Ben Jones best known for his portrayel of Cooter on the Dukes of Hazzard in the late 70's and early 80's.

I have known Ben for several years. I met him first in 1994 when he was running for Congress against Newt Gingrich. He lost that year but he had been in Congress for 2 terms before that, which was the subject of a lot of his stories last night. Ben and his wife were in town for a car show, which I plan to be at tomorrow.

I cant remember all of the stories told last night but I do remember the laughter, the bonding, and finally the solving of some of the world's problems. The manager kept going by our table trying to figure out who was the person sitting in the middle. I dont know if he ever figured it out or not.

As we were leaving, we had to wait for the valet to bring our cars up. When he was bringing mine he asked what it was like to know Cooter. "The same as knowing anybody else I guess." Turns out this young black man is a big Cooter fan. He had recognized Ben when he got out of the car at the start of the dinner and had called his girlfriend to come bring a camera. As I was getting in the car to drive away, he was stammering through asking Ben if it was alright to have his picture made with him. Of course Ben was delighted.

Olympic break

Yesterday we watched some of the women's hockey games. WOW!! After a Thrashers game several weeks ago there was a lady's hockey game that we stayed for. It was boring. Most of the girls couldnt skate. Most couldnt handle the puck. There was some that could play pretty well but the majority of the players looked like I probably would on the ice (lots of falling down). This was not the case with the Olympics women hockey. They were quick. They were handling the puck very well. Team USA won 6-0 yesterday. Team Canada 16-0 over Italy. I cant wait for the gold medal match between these two teams.

Olympic men's hockey doesnt start for another couple of days. We watched the Thrashers last night at a sports bar since the game was only on satellite and not on local tv. I am looking forward to watching Team Russia during the Olympics. They will have the NHL's top scorer and the NHL's top rookie which should make for a fun to watch team.

Also yesterday, we went to the Atlanta Art House. Around 20+ galleries in Atlanta overly decorated a new, huge mansion. Probably over 5000 sq ft. The house was pretty and set up well for entertaining. The art was for the most part incredible (I dont get "art" that is a stack of paint can lids painted and glued together). Good day spent doing nothing with the wife.

In 1996, Atlanta hosted the Olympics. I regret that I was unable to go to any of the events due to a chaotic work schedule at that time. I hope one day to be able to go to an Olympics. I dont care if it is Summer or Winter but I would want to go to events that are indoors. I dont do too well with extreme hot or extreme cold...

Satellites

Tuesday I has to have my car serviced. I ended up with a loaner car that I returned Wednesday a.m. No satellite radio. I had to listen to commercial radio. I had forgotten how many commercials you have to listen to. 6 minutes of songs followed by 15 minutes of commercials. I was miserable and very glad to get my vehicle back.

Today XM radio announced that Oprah is going to have her own channel with some of her friends. That is huge... and yet some people say satellite radio wont last. HAHHAHAHAHA

Lucky Me

So I may not be lucky with my health but the rest of my life seems to know lady luck pretty well.

Last night we went with some newly engaged friends to a hockey game. The Thrashers Foundation was selling signed pucks for charity. Every puck was signed by a Thrasher. If it was signed in gold, you got to meet that player and have your picture made with him after that night's game. I asked if there was any gold signed pucks left at the table I was at and was told that there was still one left. I bought two pucks and of course, the first one I chose was signed in gold. It was the team's enforcer, Eric Boulton. He had also been one of my dealers at Thrasher's casino night and has a wicked sense of humor.

Our friends show up for the game and we asked if they were doing anything after the game. We filled them in on what I had won and they were pretty excited. After the game (which we won) we went to a waiting area. About 8 players came up after they had showered and put on street clothes (all suits). We had our picture made and talked to Eric for a while (complimenting his fight from Tuesday, how the team has been doing lately, etc.). He was quick to praise a teammate that had gotten into a fight Friday night.

We hung out and our friends collected autographs from all of the players that showed up (I didnt get any autographs as I already have the whole team on a pennet and some of my favorites on a jersey or on some trading cards). What a great time!

Long Weekend

Yesterday was a holiday for a lot of people which made it a long weekend.

Friday was hockey with friends. Saturday was a charity casino night for the Atlanta Thrashers Foundation. Sunday was get up early and go to the aquarium with my niece. Yesterday was a day to run errands and do a little dreaming.

The hockey was fun as always but the Thrashers barely beat the worst team in the NHL. That doesnt make you feel to good, but hey, a win is a win, right? One step closer to the playoffs... At every game, the Thrashers have a raffle. A winner is drawn and they get half of the money raised. The other half is split between the Thrashers Foundation and another charity. The chairty Friday is a group that takes dogs to hospitals in the Atlanta area. They brought some of the dogs with them which meant lots of people petting dogs. It also meant my dogs were jealous when we got home as they could smell that we had pet another doggie.

Casino night was a blast. Wifey and I bought mystery bags when we first got there, choosing bag numbers to correspond with 2 of our favorite players. We won: Thrasher tickets, Hawks tickets, signed 8x10 pics of a couple hockey players, signed Illya Kovalchuk puck in a display case, restaurant gift certificates, weekend stay at an upscale hotel, a nice cd player, a wooden case with Thrasher logo poker cards, and some other stuff. We had pictures made with several of the players who were also dealers that night. You started off with 1500 play chips (but you could reload throughout the night). I ended the night with around 60k chips. You got a raffle ticket for every thousand chips you had at the end of the night. They raffled off a big screen tv and other prizes. A silent auction with tons of stuff and a live auction with several big items (including a trip to an away game with the team on their airplane). We didnt bid on any of those items. Food was good. And the new Thrasher ice cream (blue cream de menthe with white chocolate chips) was delish!

My niece is 4 and we gave her a trip to aquarium for Christmas. She has been excited about it for weeks. She had a good time

Yesterday, after running some errands we went and looked at new houses. No we are not planning to move anytime soon. We just like to go look at houses and get ieas from them. One we went in had a closet that is bigger than our current bedroom.

Hockey, a Road Trip, and Satellites

Friday night was Hockey night. We went to the game and the Thrashers won. The Penguins rallied in the third period but still came up short, especially after #17 Illya Kovalchuk became the leading scorer in the NHL with his hattrick.

Atlanta has gotten some attention in the hockey world recently. They are on a great win streak and playing incredible. Last Monday they destroyed the best team in the NHL, the Ottawa Senators 8-3. Ottawa's main scorer is a former Thrasher (Danny Heatley) and he was booed everytime he touched the puck. I wasnt at this game but I am not happy the way Heatley was treated.

Fridays game we gained attention for how Sid "the Kid" Crosby was supposedly treated. First, let me say the kid is a crybaby. Anytime he took a little check (which is legal) he would go cry to the officials. He couldnt handle the puck with out someone stealing it from him. He got checked by Kovalchuk and responded by using his stick as a weapon for which he got a penalty (called slashing). He slashed one of our Defensemen, breaking his stick in the process, and went into the penalty box again. 30 seconds later Kovalchuk scored and pointed at the penalty box where Crosby was sitting. Pittsburgh players and fans weren't too happy about that.

Saturday we went to Alabama. A coworker of wifey had a bad car wreck 10 days or so ago. He was in the passenger seat, the car hit a tree, he went through the seatbelt and out of the car. He is lucky to be alive and looks good but with 2 broken legs.

On the way to and from Alabama we listened to a couple of hockey games. I dont know why I am getting addicted to it, but I really love watching hockey but will tolerate listening to it. We got home and went to a sports bar to watch the Thrashers play the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Crybaby Crosby had 8 penalty minutes for slashing, tripping, diving, and an unsportsmanlike conduct. Pittsburgh fans booed Kovalchuk every time he touched the puck but two goals shut them up pretty quickly. Atlanta won again and are now 7th in the NHL East.