AWESOME!!!

That pretty much sums up the service I went to today....AWESOME. I chose to go to A Call to Salvation I really did not know what to expect, I mean I read their website and all but was still unsure. Upon pulling into the parking I knew that this had the potential to be good. They had greeters with golf umbrellas grabbing the guests as they came in since it was raining. I went to the children's area and Greg 2.0 was ready to go, the kids were really having a great time and he jumped right in. Worship started at 10:30am with some really good singing, the music was not live but the singing was. It looked like the music was usually live since they had instruments on the stage but with so many people out of town I figured they did what they had to do. Once the pastor took over she spoke of 'rebuking in the name of Jesus'. Very emotional. They gave everyone a chance to pray together and such as one of Kirk Franklin's songs played. Very cool. She then went into the fact that 2007 is nearly over and lets look forward to 2008. We did a report card on our spirituality for 2007 which was very humbling when we started grading ourselves. Bottom line it showed you where to improve for '08 and we know what we need to do. The entire church was very nice and the sermon was GREAT! Greg 2.0 seemed to enjoy the kid's area and I look forward to returning for another visit in the near future.

Since Fusion is Off this week...

Yep this week we have no service at Fusion Church so what am I to do? Not long ago I would just take the Sunday off but I feel like things are happening right now for me and I need to go somewhere. I am not sure where I want to go yet either The Sanctuary Church or A Call to Salvation both in Jefferson, GA. I am looking forward to the visit. I will update next week on how it went.

Comments

I have opened it up for anyone to post comments on my posts, so please place comments if ya got something to say. Thanks

2007 Year in Review

I decided to look back at 2007 and put down some highlights, so here we go:

• Disney World trip was simply awesome, ready to go back
• Sea World for my birthday was too sweet
• Took Greg 2.0 ice skating for the first time
• Only missed three Sundays at church during entire year (I think, no more than 4 though)
• Acted for the first time in front of people (I think I drove Shannon crazy though)
• Attended more birthday parties than I thought possible
• Met Spiderman at one of the parties
• Changed jobs
• One of my best friends got married
• Took Greg 2.0 to his first UGA football game
• Learned about the Power Rangers (Jungle Fury starts soon!)
• Read more books this year than ever before
• Read the final Harry Potter book which was easily the longest book I have ever read
• Went to Chicago for the first time (and second time)
• Went to Phoenix, AZ for the first time
• Attended TNA Bound for Glory ppv
• Attended my first Masters Golf Tournament
• Had quiet time for the first time
• Had my face painted for the first time (black Power Ranger)
• Learned a lot from the tweens at church (it is interesting what you can learn if you just listen)
• Made many new friends
• Watched my marriage grow to new heights!
• Realized blessings come from many places and in many forms
• Watched money change a few people and vowed I wouldn't ever be like that
• Decided what I really want to do with my life (can't tell you all now)
• Watched my church move and improve
• Realized that I impact many lives, more than I ever thought
• Started a blog (96 posts so far not including this one)
• Put on a ton of weight (2008 it comes back off)
• Reconnected with a few old friends
• Enjoyed watching Lil Greg grow each day
• Had thoughts of a second child
• Attended my first pumpkin carving party in October (even though it was originally scheduled for March of 2008), that was cool

That is all that is jumping to mind right now but I'm sure there will be more to come. I am looking forward to 2008 and making some new memories. I'm Going for Great in '08

You might be a redneck....

For many years my family had a Christmas tradition unlike many, we would meet at the Waffle House for breakfast. This last for about 12 or 13 years for me until Lil Greg came about and then Christmas morning became about him (not to mention I live pretty far away from the rest of the family). This year Greg 2.0 got up opened presents played some then said he was hungry. I put it out there of "let's go to the Waffle House" and bam we were off. It was sum good too, let me tell ya.

Then we also resumed another little tradition of bbq for lunch. Yep we had pulled pork and ribs, now nuthin says Christmas like BBQ ribs! That was sum good right there. We also had all the fixin's like mac n cheese, green beans(I understand they were good), stuffing, broccoli-cheese casserole, sweet tater soufflé, buffalo wings, etc. Good eatin'

So here we go, in honor of Jeff Foxworthy...
If your family eats at the Waffle House for breakfast and has BBQ for lunch on Christmas....you might be a redneck.

Blank and choosing a leader

Much has been made out of Arthur Blank's tenure with the Atlanta Falcons. When he took over there was much jubilation. He made an impact pretty quickly by enhancing the gameday experience, lowering ticket prices, and really getting the city and state behind the Falcons. He hired Rich McKay as GM and Jim Mora as head coach. Two guys that seemingly had things going in the right direction. Then the wheels started coming off as McKay did not made many good moves (the trade for Peerless Price, the 1st round picks of Michael Jenkins, Roddy White, and Jimmy Williams???) then Jim Mora who openly said he would rather coach at Washington (the university not the Redskins) lost the entire team two years in a row. Fast forward to the pick of Petrino to take over for Mora. This is the same 'classy guy' that talked to Auburn officals about their head job while his 'friend' Tommy Tuberville still had the job. He did nothing except incite all of the veterans on the team. Now Petrino bolts in the middle of the night for Arkansas and leaves the Falcons hanging. If we take a look at it maybe Arthur can run a business and market it well but is not exactly the best talent scout in the world.

Think I'm crazy? Lets all remember that earlier this year Bob Nardelli was run out as Home Depot CEO after not producing results and losing ground to Lowe's. Guess who he was hand picked by......yep Arthur Blank.

Hershey Kisses

Yesterday I went to buy some candy for work and was told to get some Hershey Kisses in Christmas colors. I got there and they had like 1500 different kinds it was almost like when my wife sent me to buy....oh never mind. Back to the subject at hand, I bought the following types; Candy Cane(white chocolate with candy cane bits), toffee(contains bits of toffee), Mint truffle, Dark Chocolate Cherry Cordials, and of course regular ole milk chocolate. Let me tell you those Candy Cane ones are off the chain, with the toffee coming in second. I am kinda hoping no one likes them so I can have mo' kisses all to me self. I think I may have a few for breakfast.

Holiday Catalogs?

Check out this video

http://www.citizenlink.org/Stoplight/A000005834.cfm

Dude...DUDE...DUUUUUUUUDDDDDEEEEE!!!!

Dude this is some seriously tasty stuff right here. Go to Sonic and get the Cheesecake Bites. Stop what you are doing and go right now and get'em. Arby's has their version they are good but just a glorified cheese danish. The Sonic version is cripy on the outside and contains just delightful cheesecakedness goodness on the inside. To compliment them they have a cinnamon-caramel dipping sauce. Ridiculous tastiness...

Still Funny!!!!!

The other day I was on NetFlix (a wonderful thing by the way) searching for Christmas movies / specials and came across A South Park Christmas, so I placed it on top of the queue. It came and I watched it the other day while Melissa and Greg were out (not exactly a kid's show). I was literally sitting there on the couch laughing out loud. I remember the first time this particular episode came on, I was watching it with my mom and we both had tears running down our cheeks from laughing so hard. One of the best parts is the commercial for the Mr. Hankey Home Kit, just hilarious.

How do you complain about FREE food???

People ask me what is my favorite kind of food and my answer is usually Buffalo Wings or BBQ Ribs but the real answer is FREE food. With that said I have never understood how people can complain about something that is free? For years I have ordered food for various groups and it is funny how someone will always complain. If it is pizza they want Papa John's instead of Pizza Hut or they want some off the wall pizza that only they like (why didn't you order pineapple, ham, and olive?). People want to know why you did not walk around to all 20, 30, 150 people and ask them what they would like instead of just ordering. I just look at them and ask "are you serious?" One time we had The Varsity cater an event and some people got mad because we didn't have chicken...HELLO IT IS THE FREAKIN' VARSITY YOU KNOW CHILI DOGS, ONION RINGS. I have even heard it when you bring donuts to various places where the question is "why don't you have more jelly filled?" or "why aren't there more glazed?" or "why not Krispy Kreme instead of Dunkin' Donuts?" However when those same complainers are tasked with the duty to order or pickup the food they quickly back down from that responsibility. I wonder why that is...just another thing that makes ya go hmmmmmmmmmmm.

#4 - Who Would Have Thought

The Bulldogs of Georgia started the year kind of promising by beating OSU however I noticed during that game we threw a ton of screens and could not block anyone. The next week we play South Carolina and can't do anything and I thought that this may be one loooonnnnggg season. A couple wins later including one in Tuscaloosa things are looking up then we go to Tennessee and get demolished. At that time I thought we may not even go to a bowl this year. We still had to play Vandy (who we lost to last year), Florida (lost last year), Kentucky (lost last year), Auburn, and Tech. Next thing you know we are 10 - 2 and ranked #4 in the BCS.
Not bad for a re-builing year.

Family Trees??? - gimme a break

In my own little protest I will not shop at Lowe's. I am not going to stand in front of their doors or anything but I will choose not to shop there and here is why...Click Here

P.S. I try no to go there anyway because they sponsor Jimmie Johnson in NASCAR

The Golden Compass - The Movie

I have received several emails about The Golden Compass movie that is coming out. According to the email it speaks of the writer being a member of anti-Christian groups and being an athiest (Check it out here)so what? Tom Cruise seems to be a little out there too as does John Travolta did you stop seeing their movies? One thing that really bothers me about the email is that I do not recall getting emails about Evan Almighty, The Nativity Story, The Passion, Veggie Tales Movie, Chronicles of Narnia, or Facing the Giants. Why not? We seem to be ok with the ones we believe in but not the ones we don't agree with. We do it all of the time, if something doesn't fit OUR agenda we get all upset. Look at Chef (Issac Hayes) on South Park, he had no problems making fun of everyone from Jesus, to Satan, to Santa, to Jews, to the handicapped but when it came to making fun of Scientology he had to put his foot down and left the show. We as a society have become way too sensitive. If there is something out you don't agree with at the movies don't go see it, if there is something on tv you don't like change the freaking channel. Or check this novel idea out...spend that time with your kids and family teaching them about God and about what is right and wrong. Then maybe they can differentiate between fantasy and reality and realize that the truth lies in the bible on not on some screen. If you have the right foundation whatever happens on some movie should not affect the way you think or feel.

A Flip Up is Good

I like change, doing the same thing over and over again just ain't fun to me. Ya gotta flip it up sometimes. This Sunday at Fusion Church we have Charlie Pharis coming and I have to say I am really looking forward to it. I always enjoy Charlie's message and his delivery. Now don't get me wrong here Tony bangs it out every week but a little flip up is good every now and then.

a change

Seatbelt Sign is Off

Why is it that when you land at the airport and the pilot turns off the seatbelt sign everybody jumps up like they are going somewhere? I just sit back and watch but all the passengers jump up grab there stuff and stand and wait, and wait, and wait until it is time to get off. Then everyone pretty much takes turns getting into the aisle and leaving. Just funny to me, personally I prefer to sit and wait my turn, when it is my turn I grab my stuff and go.

Monday's Group Thoughts

In our men's group the other night we were studying the Book of Mark. Let me set this up for you as we were focusing in on Mark 1:7 where John states "someone more powerful than I will come after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals" (HCSB) Well the discussion was about what can we relate this to today. Some stated Billy Graham and other respected religious leaders of our time. Well I was not remotely thinking the way the rest of the group was. My thought would be Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan stating that "you think I am good just wait until you see what is coming, one that I can't even come close too". We would be like "yeah right, you are the greatest to play your sport and you are saying that there is someone coming that you can't even lace up his Nikes?". Now that is somehing I can relate too. I guess my brain doesn't work like everyone else's. At the same time if I am speaking to someone about this verse that has little knowledge or belief in Christianity wouldn't I want to talk to them in terms they understand? That's exactly what I did for myself.
Hey I feel blessed to have the brain I got even if it is warped at times.

Holiday Greatness!

What is great about the holidays? Yeah there is the whole family get together, the presents, the turkey, blah blah blah. One of the best things is the White Fudge Covered Oreo Cookies that are only available during the holiday season. Man these things are sum good eatin' They say 'Limited Edition' on the box and in my house they definitely stay a limited amount of time.

Time to Pick Up the Donuts

When I went to Dunkin Donuts this morning to pick up my regular Sunday morning order of 19 dozen donuts and 9 boxes of coffee I was met with a locked door. There were about 5 cars in the drive thru so I knew they were open. When I looked in the window I saw one of the ladies coming around the counter. I was standing outside with another lady and her son. When Ms. Donut opened the door she told the other lady that only the drive-thru was open then she waved my on inside as the she and her son looked on. It seems as though the people that were supposed to be there at 6:30am "to make the donuts" did not show up. This resulted in no frosted or sprinkle or boston cream or custard or chocolate filled or cream filled, you get the picture. I usually pick up my order at 7:40am, today I walked out with my order at about 8:25am. Little later than normal but what can ya do? They had 6 people scheduled and only 3 showed up, they were doing the best they could. It was kind of funny as I started bagging my own donuts and they gave me the key to the door to get in and out. I was telling people in the parking lot that only the drive-thru was open as they watched me come in and out with dozen after dozen and box of coffee after box of coffee.

I had a choice to make when I saw this and that was either to get mad and frusterated or to make the best of it and help where I could. I choose the latter and now I can look upon this as a funny situation. What choice would you have made?

It's Time to Make the Donuts

Busy, busy, busy

You ever had so much going on that you don't feel like anything is getting done? I pace myself pretty well but man I feel so far behind but I am not really that far behind at least I don't think so. I ahve been out of town for a few days, will be out of the office tomorrow, then will be in Chi-Town next week for training. I am enjoying myself but feel like I can't get caught up. Ahhhh whatever ain't nuthin' I can't handle. You can only do as much as you can do.

Wasn't it Halloween?

I have been meaning to post this but I have been a lil busy t osay the least. On Wednesday morning October 31st I was getting everything ready for the day. Red Power Ranger suit...check, Tigger suit....check, Hooters Girl shirt....check, wig....check. Me and the little one (who later power'd up to become the Red Power Ranger) got into the car and started driving to school and work when all of a sudden I heard Christmas music on the radio. I though "ain't no way I just heard that". It seems as though I did hear it as The Fish 104.7 was playing Christmas music all day for Halloween. I was glad they said it was for Halloween becasue I though I had missed several weeks of my life. I thought wwell thats kind of dumb but guess what happened? Yeah that's what I though until I realized I kept tuning my radio right back to 104.7 and was singing Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls, etc. It was kind of fun.

Then I get to work and start to pull into the parking lot as I tuned to another station and all of a sudden I hear the lyrics "Sitting in a four corner room staring at candles" and I about jumped out of the car. It was "Mind Playin' Tricks on Me" by the Geto Boys. How much better can you get than singing Christmas music one minute to one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all time on Halloween. That's whut I'm talkin' 'bout!!!

Ya Gotta Love FUSION CHURCH

I love my church. What other church can you walk into and see a poker table in the lobby? Plus on stage is a sign that lights up and gives you a look of Vegas, plus there are oversized poker chips, cards, and dice. Lastly when was the last time you heard the song "The Gambler" at your church?

Another Recall....I think they missed this one

I was listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about yet another recall on a kid's item. This time it was one of those playstation/walker type things. From what they said if you have one of these items and take it into the store or let the manufacturer know they will give you a sticket that states not to place the item on a table. Yeah you read that right they will give you a sticker that tells you not to place the playstation/walker on the table while your child is in it. You know that means someone placed their kid in the saucer and put them up on a table, the kid fell off the table, and the parent blamed the company since they did not have a disclaimer on the toy. Instead of recalling the saucer someone should recall the parents.

Pop-Up Video

I happen to turn on VH1 Classic the other night and they had on Pop-Up Video. I really enjoyed that show. For those that don't know they would take a video and differnt pop-ups would appear with trivia about the artist or the video shoot and sometime even useless trivia. It was just a great show to watch, very entertaining. One of the videos I caught was Milli Vanilli which really took me back not just reading the pop-ups but just to how they really suckered everyone with the whole lip syncing thing.

Running in Circles

Why is it that when I take Rockie out to go poop he must run around the yard in circles? Then he spins in a circle settles down into the squat position and goes. I just don't understand. I have never had to run in a circle before I go, I have however had to run and have had the runs but never had to run in a circle. Just one of those things that makes ya go hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

What should I be???

Halloween is coming up and I was pondering the question of what should I be? I love dressing up in costume and have been many things over the years. When I was a kid I was Batman, Darth Vader, and Pac-Man. Since I have grown up I have been Batman, Tigger, Freddy Kruger, and a Pimp. Obviously I missed a few years in there but you get the drift. This year we have a contest at work and I have kicked around several ideas even thinking of wearing on outfit at work and another afterward when I take the Red Power Ranger (lil Greg) out that night. I looked up ideas on the net to see what was out there and they had some pretty good ones such as a movie theater floor (dress in all black and put cups, candy, and popcorn all over you), an idea to dress as a pimp and carry a water hose (get it your hose?), or combining costumes such as Darth Brooks (get it Darth Vader and Garth Brooks). I doubt I will go down any of those roads. I am however considering a couple of Disney characters but I'm not sure if I can accomplish "The Best of Both Worlds" here and come to an "accord" to wear them both on the same day. My other possibility might come to fruition as it wouldn't be too hard to put together plus no one would expect it, however I do hate wearing the color orange.

A return home?

As you may know my church used to meet at the movie theaters at the Mall of Georgia. Now if you didn't already know that before you laugh think about that for a minute.... We had the most comfortable pues in the state, we had drink holders, we knew what movies were playing, we knew what movies were coming soon, we had a concession stand if we wanted to buy drinks and candy, etc. Plus what other place could you go to where you could sit in the exact same seat and hear a great sermon then watch Saw 3? or drop your kids off for church where the sign out front says Jackass the Movie? Now back to my story, our church now meets in a high school (ha now what ya got to say?). Anyway while we met at the cinemas it was always cool to be able to go right down the escalator and grab sum grub right after services. Well today we did just that, sort of I mean now we have to get in the car and drive to the mall but you get the picture. Melissa had a pretzel dog, Greg 2.0 had a cheese dog and I had a cheese steak, it was like old times except for not seeing anyone we knew in the food court. Actually sitting there made me miss it a little (keyword: a little), it was always cool to go eat and see so many familar faces. I guess the easy way to fix that would be to ask others to go eat with you after church, maybe I'll invite them next week....to the food court.

Dust Mop

My poor dog Rockie looks like a dust mop. He really needs a haircut (as do I), I feel sorry for him. Right now with the way he looks I could spray the kitchen floor with Mr. Clean and just slide the dog across it for a new shine. Sad Sad stuff.

Bday Parties and your car

Birthday parties are fun and cool but man I did not know that when you have a child how many you would be going too. Not complaining here mind you but these things come up quite often. Let's see we went to Chuck E. Cheese the other day for one, got one this Saturday then one the following Saturday. I love the fact he has friends and the fact I am getting to know other parents but now I finally understand how my friends who had kids before me never had time for stuff anymore.

Next how is it that one child can jack up the inside of you car in 26 seconds? I try to keep my car pretty clean but then you look in the back and Tornado Troxell runs through it and BAM stuff everywhere. I used to wonder how cars got so messy now I know, just have a child.

Oh yeah after having the child you will gladly clean up and go to every bday party because it is worth every minute of it. Ain't nothin' better than walking in the front door and having your name yelled and hearing those footsteps running to see you. That is what it is all about right there!!!

TNA! TNA! TNA!

First time flies when you are having fun, I had no idea it had been this long since I last blogged. This past Sunday I attended the TNA Wrestling event Bound for Glory at the Arena in Gwinnett. This is their largest event of the year and was broadcast live on pay per view all over the world. TNA is only about 5 yeares old and has been built steadliy but has nowhere near the money or the worldwide coverage of the WWE, however they bust their butts everytime you see them. This night I knew would be good but I had no idea it would be this good. Top to bottom the matches were amazing. The Ultimate X match was first and afterward I looked at my friend and said that was worth my $50.00 ticket right there. It just kept getting better. This was easily one of the best live cards I have EVER been too. Remember that includes everything from the Royal Rumble to Wrestlemania to Starrcade to SummerSlam to Halloween Havoc. It was so good I may have to go ahead and order the replay on ppv. The crowd was hot all night and really reminded me of the old ECW crowds. It was just electric. I can't wait until they come back, however I did notice that they will be taping a few shows in Orlando while I am down there in December.

TNA comes on Spike TV on Thursday nights and replays on Saturday nights by the way.

TNA! TNA! TNA! TNA! TNA! TNA!

We need more DRUG Problems

Yes you read that right we all need more DRUG problems. We need to DRUG our kids and have those DRUGS in their system the rest of their lives. Do you think I'm crazy yet? Well I recently heard a song by The Bellamy Brothers called Drug Problems, here is a sample of the lyrics...

I was DRUG out the door to go to school, everyday
I was DRUG by my ears when I was bad
when I disobeyed my parents or my teacher, I was DRUG to the woodshed by my dad
and those DRUGS are still running through my veins, still affecting everything I do and say

I couldn't find all of the lyrics but you get the message here and now don't you agree we need more DRUG Problems in our society? If more parents would DRUG their kids we would be much better off. Now get out there and start DRUGGING.

a Cute Blonde

While greeting with Bryan right before second service at church I saw this couple walk out of the school and waved to them but the lady pointed to me a there I saw their daughter. She has blonde hair and is just one of the cutest girls you will ever see. When she saw me she came running to me so I put my Coke Zero down and ran to her and she gave me a huge hug. Across her face came this smile that just melts your heart. I know she is only about 5 or 6 years old and has no idea how much that smile and hug makes my day. It is amazing what God puts in our lives to brighten our days and make us see what really matters.

I got tagged - bad habit

It seems as though I got tagged to tell a bad habit and I didn't even know it. It started on Tony's blog who tagged Angela who tagged Kim who got me. So now you know where it came from here is a bad habit, I seem to have a problem spending money right after I get paid on usually on things ummmm I uhhhh don't ummmm really uhhhh need. That wasn't easy to say because I do need many of the things I have bought recently. I mean c'mon who doesn't need a Power Ranger action figure, a DVD, or wrestling tickets?

A Beautiful Thang

Right now Greg 2.0 gets in the car and says "I wanna listen to football" in which he is referring to a CD that contains The University of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band. He claps to "Glory, Glory" he sings "Goooooo Georgia Bulldogs" and says "Goooooo Dawgs, Sic'em, Woof Woof Woof" all on ques with the band. He even spells out G-E-O-R-G-I-A when it is time. That is just a beautiful thang right there!!!

It don't get much better

This past Saturday I attended the Georgia / Alabama game in Tuscaloosa, AL. Yes we won (which was a beautiful thing) however that is not what I mean by "it not gettin' any better". During the day we hung out ate BBQ and snacks, drank a little liquid gold, and just had fun. Sitting around talking football with good people including your brother and dad just makes for an almost perfect day. How does it really get much better? Well I must admit Georgia winning made it a little better for me than my bro and dad but still I know they had fun too!

ECW / Smackdown!

Last night I attended the ECW / WWE Smackdown! tapings at Philips Arena in Atlanta. I would not have gone had my friend not called with free tickets he won from Project 9-6-1. The seats were awesome, 4th row floor. I didn't care much about Smackdown! as I have not watched the show in several months. I really wanted to see the ECW show that comes on LIVE at 10:00pm on Sci-Fi. Well I walk into the arena and I hear the introduction for Extreme Expose and I was like huh? it is only 8 something. Well it seems they now tape ECW and then show it at 10:00pm on Sci-Fi instead of going live at 10:00pm like they were. I was none too happy about this situation. Honestly I may not have gone at all had I known that since I knew I was going to be late.

During the night we got to experience Teddy Long and Kristal's 'wedding', pretty stupid overall yet there were some funny parts. Looking at the groomsmen, Butch Reed and Ron Simmons, I thought back to Starrcade '89 when they wrestled as Doom. Then Kristal fell going up the steps and had to be helped into the ring. The best part was when they asked if anyone objected and The Godfather's music hit. That was funny especially when he left because all of the male wrestlers in the congregation left with him and his uhh "ladies". Near the end of the wedding skit the crowd started chanting "we want wrestling" as that is what we came to see.

The wrestling over all was ok, the coolest thing all night was seeing Rey Mysterio acknowledge this little kid on his dad's shoulders that was dressed just like Rey. It was cool because not only did he point to him he gave him a huge smile, big ups to Rey for that one. You could tell it made that kid's day.

I was going to leave early but since they announce The Undertaker would be there I waited since it is just cool to see his entrance. Overall not bad but I must say I am glad I didn't have to pay for the tix.

The WWE really has lost much of what it once had, too much story not enough substance. I remember when you would go to Philips for a Smackdown! or a RAW and you couldn't get tickets, last night they blocked off the entire upper level. Nuff Said!

Starbucks!

I love Starbucks. I have been there many many times and have spent so much money in there it is ridiculous. Here is the funny part I have NEVER had a cup of Starbucks coffee. Well not regular coffee, I always get the Caramel Macchiato or White Chocolate Mocha and sometimes I may try something else new but never a regualr cup of coffee. Not that I don't like coffee (I love it) I just can't bring myself to walk in and just buy a cup of coffee when they have so much other stuff. That is like going to Baskin Robbins and getting one scoop of vanilla, it just don't make sense.

On another tip who sat back and decided that people would buy $4.00 - $7.00 coffee drinks? The thought hey we could put these things everywhere and that it would work? Look at the Mall of Georgia where they now have two of them in the mall not including the one inside Barnes and Noble. Next time you walk by a Starbucks and catch that wonderful aroma sniff a little harder and you can smell the money printing.

Go Vote!

We all have opinions on Barry Bonds and the fact he broke the homerun records. Here is your chance to vote on what should happen to the ball that broke the record. Visit http://www.vote756.com and vote.

Communism or a Free Market Economy

Communism or a Free Market Economy.......... to which do these comments belong.?


(1) "We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."

(2) "It's time for a new beginning, for an end to government of the few, by the few, and for the few, and to replace it with shared responsibility for shared prosperity."

(3) "(We) can't just let business as usual go on, and that means something has to be taken away from some people."

(4) "We have to build a political consensus, and that requires people to give up a little bit of their own turf in order to create this common ground."

(5) "I certainly think the free-market has failed."

(6) "I think it's time to send a clear message to what has become the most profitable sector in (the) entire economy - that they are being watched."

________________________________________

Now you might think these were the famous words of the Father of
communism, Karl Marx.

And you would be on the right track in thinking so.

But you would be wrong.

These pearls of socialist/Marxist wisdom are from non other than
our very own, home-grown. . . .


Hillary Clinton!

Comments made on:
(1) 6/29/04
(2) 5/29/07
(3) 6/4/07
(4) 6/4/07
(5) 6/4/07
(6) 9/2/05

Be afraid, Be very afraid!!

PR Update...

OK I have now watched Power Rangers - Dino Thunder volumes 1 - 4 with only volume 5 remaining. Netflix has it but as sad as it may sound I can't wait that long to watch the last volume, which mean We-Be-Toys (Toy R Us) will receive a visit from yours truly. I have enjoyed this series and the coolest part was in Volume 2 they kind of gave a history of the Power Rangers and how there are various incarnantions all around. The last episode on volume 3 had the Rangers watching a tv show based on them from Japan. Pretty funny stuff.

Some people watch Heroes, some Grey's Anatomy, me I watch The Power Rangers with my son. We even wore our Power Ranger gloves last night as we watched. He wore red I wore black. DINO THUNDER, POWER UP, HA!

too much Magic?

The last few mornings I have been a seeker, one that hits the seek button on the radio until I find something I like then once that is over I hit it some more. Well I came to a station that was playing something I liked to I listened then the DJ came oin and said soemthing about Magic 102.1 well then came commercial so BAM! seek button. As unaual as this sounds the next station was playing something totally different but I liked whatever it was. Then came that DJ and guess what the name of that station was....Magic 102.9. How is it that not only can I pick up two 'Magic' stations but they they are on 102.1 and 102.9? Just thought that was funny

Communication...

Everyone says that communication is the key in any realtionship, personal or business, but is that really the case? Think about it for a second. How many times have you been asked to do something and thought you did what was asked only to find out you were wrong? I know I have many times. My philosophy is not communication but that ensuring understanding is the key. You must know who you are speaking to and adapt your form of communication to that audience to ensure that they understand what you are saying. I talk to my boss different than my associates because there is a difference in understanding of goals and accomplishments. So next time someone doesn't do something the way you wanted ask yourself "did I truly ensure they understood what I was saying?"

GEEZ!!!

I am sitting here watching the BMW Championship and Tiger Woods is just ridiculous. This is the final stop on the PGA Tour before The Tour Championship next week right here in Atlanta at East Lake as the top players in the world go for the inaugural FedEx Cup.

Tiger is just ridiculously good, the only way to truly appreciate how good these guys are is to go out and play a round. As of right now Tiger is 22 under for the tournament, I haven't even been 22 under on a vidoe game much less a real course.

Touchdown!

Today started the "Wedding Crasher" series at Fusion Church and man was it good. The series tackles issues that a man and his wife go through during their march down the field of marriage. Today we got the general gameplan as to what to do and where to look for those unforseen blitzes that try to sack your marriage. It looks as though the next few weeks will layout the specifics and will give details on how to read those defenses that are in front of us week to week. I was so motivated today after service I bought flowers on the way home. I can't wait for next week.

Over a year and finally Mill Creek / Fusion Church Disappoints

I have been attending Fusion Church (fomerly Mill Creek) for over a year and this past Sunday finally disappointed me. We had many new signs that were put up all around North Gwinnett High School and I must say they look awesome, so no disappointment there. The concession table was much more organized and looked good I must say, so that wasn't a disappointment. Kingdom Safari as always looked unbelievable, once again not the disappointment. Finally we come to the message, the message this week was not taught by Pastor Tony as he was taking a much needed day off. This week Anglea delievered the message and she did a bang up job, so that was far from the disappointment. So what was the problem area? Well after the worship part the band played a song that had to do with the message as they do quite often. I knew the message was going to be about prayer and how to pray so I had a song in mind that would have been perfect. I was like YEAH we fittin' to rock Fusion and they played something else. I was so disappointed I just knew they were going to play the classic "Pray" by M.C. Hammer.

All I have to say is...

That's word,we pray(pray,pray)
We got to pray
Just to make it today
I said we pray(pray) ah,yeah,pray(pray)
We got to pray
Just to make it to pray
That's word,we pray

Power Rangers

I have never watched much of The Power Rangers before but over the past few days I have seen many episodes as Greg 2.0 has gotten into them somehow. I have watched some of Operation Overdrive, the Mystic Force, Dino Thunder, and SPD. It seems as though each year they have a different version of the rangers. I bought the Volume 1 of Dino Thunder and once it got to the end we were like "well what happenes next" so guess what is on the top of the NetFlix queue? Yep, 5 discs of Power Rangers - Dino Thunder (I'm too cheap to buy each volume at $15.99 a pop). All I have to say is.... "DINO THUNDER, POWER UP"

Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

It is finally college football season. My DAWGS got off to a good start against OSU and hopefully that will launch this team into a great season. The huge news of course is that #5 Michigan fell to App. State in one of the greatest upsets ever in college football. Man week one and we already have coaches on the hotseat, fans upset.Plus we have other fans thinking they are winning the National Championship after beating an extremely young and undertalented Notre Dame team. Should be a fun year.....GO DAWGS!

What would you do?

The question was posed today on the radio...."If you were to win the Mega Millions lottery (that is currently over $300 million), what are the top 10 things you would do with the money?

Here are mine:
1. tithe to the church
2. pay off all bills
3. pay off my parents' and in-laws' bills
4. build a new house
5. travel the world to every Disney park
6. create a fund for Greg II, Roy dos, Kori, DJ, Jakya, John Richard, and Kyara for their college.
7. buy Melissa whatever car she wants
8. buy Melissa the ring she wants
9. take the family on a Disney cruise
10. buy a 1977 Trans Am and drive to Texarkana, TX and back with in 28 hours.

Home Sweet Home

Finally The Greg has come back to Georgia!
After spending the better part of three weeks in Greenville, IL I am finally home. I had a good time overall but it is nice to be back. Now I can concentrate on my things here in the ATL area including my duties at work and church and I can give my teams (at work and church) the attention they deserve not to mention my family. I am also looking forward to a weekend that will not be quite as busy as the last couple.

Hanging in G-Ville!

I have been in the major metropolis known as Greenville, IL over the past couple of weeks. This town is about 50 miles east of St. Louis and has pretty much nothing. Well there is a McDonald's, a KFC/Taco Bell, and a DQ somewhere but no Waffle House, Longhorn, Chili's, Applebee's, or even a good wing spot. You have to drive pretty far to find a Wal-Mart and even farther to find any other restaurants. To think I thought moving to Jefferson, GA was a culture shock, at least I can get to Athens, Commerce, or even Buford to eat in less than 30 minutes.

The entire first week was pretty freakin' boring, no one really wanted to go eat or entertain the outsider not that I need hand holding but a little hospitality wouldn't hurt. This week has been more fun as I have hung out with a couple of different people. I even met another pro wrestling fan that is more into wrestling right now than I am. It was fun watching RAW with a group as opposed to watching it on DVR sometime during the week. I am returning home on Friday however must fly back into G-Ville on Monday for another meeting that I just found out about today. While driving around yesterdai I saw a sign for Dudleyville, I wonder if that is where Brother Ray and Brother Devon are from.

Quote of the day

“Animals are extremely important to me. If you take the word God and spell it backwards, it’s God.”

—“American Idol” judge Paula Abdul attempting to record an animal rights PSA on her Bravo reality show “Hey Paula!”

Pro Wrestling coming to Atlanta!!!

WWE returns to Atlanta at Philips Arena when they bring the Smackdown! taping and the live ECW show on September 18.

TNA will hold their biggest event of the year, Bound for Glory, at The Arena at Gwinnett on October 14. Should be a good show, check out www.tnawrestling.com for details.

Hmmm just a thought maybe someone should run an independant show on October 13? Interesting idea...sounds kinda "sweet"

Extremely sore

Yeah I am extremely sore from hitting the gym this week. Today was day 3 and I can barely move my arms but that didn't stop my from getting in my workout this morning. I probably hit it a bit too hard for the first time back in a long time but oh well I will be ok. It hurts but it hurts in a good way knowing that I am doing something worth while. I will be right back in there tomorrow hitting it hard and staying on track. The real test is next week when I go out of town on business. I have already googled a fitness center and have a plan in place. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Dawning of a New Day!

fu·sion [fyoo-zhuhn] –noun
1. the act or process of fusing / blending; the state of being fused / blended.
2. that which is fused / merged; the result of fusing / merging

You wondering why I started this out with fusion? Well did you read the definition? How many of us like to mix things up? Think about it we have Dairy Queen has the ever so wonderful Blizzard where you mix up ice cream with a variety of things such as Oreos, Butterfingers, Kit Kats, Reeses's, and many more. I guess since my lil fitness kick I am starting I should also look at Smoothie King that mixes fruit with protein to make it even better for you. We love to combine things to make them better; peanut butter and jelly, turkey and dressing, chips and salsa, we even have soft drinks with vitamins now. These mix-ups are everywhere. Someone took an iron in golf merged it with a fairway wood and got a hybrid club. We have cars that run on gas mixed with electricity. All of these things are great by themselves but when we fuse them together what happens? They get better. Now lets look at our lives, our lives are great. No matter your struggles or your perceived short comings your life is great(if you don't think so imagine life without that cable, Xbox, TV, car, friends, etc.). Now mix that life with something else say a higher power and think about what you get. Fuse your life with God and think how much better it would be. You would have the greatest Blizzard (or the best smoothie) of all time. Now where could you achieve this? How about...CLICK HERE

Day #1

Yep today was day number 1 back in the gym. My workout today was very rewarding yet humbling. How you may ask? Well it was great to work out and get back into lifting some weights but I was humbled as to how much I could do. The amount of weight wasn't there which I really expected but the reps I could do was even worse. As they say you must crawl before you walk and I am crawling right now. I did weigh myself and I weighed in at a whopping 270lbs. I have a goal but it isn't all centered on weight as muscle weighs more than fat and I will be lifting to replace that fat with muscle. I think I will try working out in the morning tomorrow and see how it goes. I'll let ya know.

Not afraid to be a diverse person

In one word how would you describe yourself? Not an easy one to answer is it? I was recently asked that question in a job interview and my answer was "diverse". I am an extremely diverse person. Lets think back to a time soon after I bought my first CD player. I remember going into the store and in one hand I had Debbie Gibson's Electric Youth and in the other Hank Williams, Jr.'s Greatest Hits Volume 3, not exactly similar. I have been to the following concerts; Alabama, Lionel Richie, Ice Cube, KISS, Michael Jackson, Garth Brooks, Ice T, The Spice Girls, Hank Jr, Ozzy Osbourne, Vanilla Ice, Rick Spingfield, John Mellencamp, and Lynyrd Skynyrd to name a few. I enjoy a good debate about politics then like to discuss what is going on in the WWE. I love college football but also enjoy America's Next Top Model (I still say Mercedes should have won season 2). Here are some of my favorite movies; Star Wars(all 6), Smokey and the Bandit, Pretty Woman, Batman Begins, Pirates of the Caribean, Remember the Titans, Aladdin, The Emperor's New Groove, Undercover Brother, Friday After Next, New Jack City, BettleJuice, Willie Wonka(the original), Polar Express, Primal Fear, and Seven. Now how does that relate to the 'professional' world? Well I am a manager and the more I can relate to my team the better. I can have a conversation with just about everyone about a variety of subjects. I am not saying everyone should like everything but I find in my life that being open to new things is cool. Try it you may like it and hey don't be afraid to admit you like something that isn't exactly what society deems you should like because you are a man or a woman or over 30 or under 18 or whatever.

Technology is wonderful!

Who would have ever thought that we would have cellphones that would carry live TV? This is a beautiful thing I mean I can watch the NFL Network live and in living color. Ain't that sweet? Not to mention that I have so many on-demand features it is ridiculous, even full lenght movies. Now that is cool. What is next a phone with a digital and video cameras built in?.....oh wait is has that too. Just crazy stuff!

Don't call it a comeback!!!

I just decided I needed to get back into shape. Last year I lost quite a bit of weight but that was because I changed my diet but have since put much of it back on. I decided that I needed not only to change some of what I eat but I needed to get back into the gym. So starting Monday I will be back in the gym working out and getting ready for the rest of my life. It is frusterating looking in the mirror and thinking about the fact that I used to be in good shape, I mean it really wasn't that long ago. I guess the fact that I used to make money by being in shape makes it even more frusterating. So get ready for me to get in shape and possibly, just possibly make a come back into that alter ego that I have. You know you never really retire from that profession and to those reading this wondering what I am referring too....well you will just have to wonder but I will invite you to the show when it comes upon us.

Energy Drinks

I have never been a huge fan of the energy drink fad that is going on but have tried a few including; Rock Star and Redbull. I like the 'Bull but it is way too expensive for me. Now I have my favorites! First let me say I try my best to support the sponsors of shows, people that I like. Example #1 would be several years ago when I was looking to open a new bank account I chose First Union over the others due to their sponsorship of NASCAR. Just two years ago I bought a lawnmower from Yard Man due to the sponsorship of Kevin Harvick. Here in the house recently we have had Spiderman and Pirates of the Carribean cereal. So when I saw that Socko was coming out with energy drinks branded by Hulk Hogan and another for the WWE I thought I should try them. I bought the WWE RAW Attitude one first and thought it was pretty good. Strong tangeriene taste but good, then I bought the Hogan Energy Drink and it is extremely good, definetly my favorite. I am not just saying that because I am a Hogan or WWE mark but because they really are both good. They are high in caffiene and taurine plus they have B-12 in them so I guess you could claim that they are even good for you. If you like trying new things or like energy drinks give them a taste, both are available at Wal-Mart.

Next new product I just bought....Froot Loops Smoothie Cereal

The Freedom Concert

I went to the Freedom Concert the other night with my dad. The concert series is hosted by Sean Hannity and benefits the Freedom Alliance. The Freedom Alliance provides scholarships to the children of fallen soldiers that have served in our nation's military. No matter what you feel about the current war the cause here is not debatable. I'm not going to get on my soapbox and talk about the war what I want to talk about is the amazing experience this event was. The line up for the event included Lee Greenwood, Larry the Cable Guy, Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, Clark Howard, Scott Slade, The Charlie Daniel's Band, Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, and Montgomery Gentry. It was so cool to see so many people coming together (over 13,000 of them) to support our troops and their families. The standing ovations were just too sweet throughout the night. One of the highlights was the satellite hookup to four of the troops in Iraq and allowing their familes to see them on the big screens. Another highlight was seeing Hannity, Boortz, and Slade sing The Devil Went Down to Georgia with the best part being Boortz changing the line in the song from "and a band of demons joined in" to "and a band of LIBERALS joined in". One of my favorite parts was seeing 13,000 people stand and sing God Bless America then God Bless the U.S.A. with Lee Greenwood and the fact that I had my dad next to me as we sang was too cool. The feeling of the entire night was just special. Charlie Daniel's can still bring it, Montgomery Gentry just gained another fan, Lee Greenwood was awesome, and of course Larry the Cable Guy was hilarious. Oh yeah from what I understand none of the performer's were paid for their appearance and in this day and age that is a HUGE statement.

We should all thank our troops and keep them in our prayers as they sacrifice more than we can ever imagine. Thank you for all you do and may GOD BLESS AMERICA!

Here are a few links for you to check out:
http://freedomalliance.org/fa/
http://wsbradio.com/slideshows/7211/1.html
http://wsbradio.com/event_guide/071007_freedom_concert_recap.html

But where will we eat?

Yesterday was a big day at our church. This year marks the 5 year anniversary Mill Creek Community Church and from the beginning they have met in the movie theaters at the Mall of Georgia. Anyway yesterday Pastor Tony made the big announcement that we will be moving to North Gwinnett High School in August. Over the past couple of years the theater has become more of a challenge but the biggest challenge has been that the kids area of the church has grown so much that there is no more room at the theaters. Well from what we heard many things started falling into place that have allowed us to make this move and be able to expand Kingdom Safari. I am looking forward to it but for one thing....where will we eat? Usually right after service Greg 2.0, Melissa, and myself would go down to the food court and grab something to eat now we will have to change that too. I guess I will have to sacrifice the pizza slice that was re-heated from the day before or the bourbon chicken, or the frusteration that Chik-fil-A is not open. I know I can make it through this rough time and will find some places to eat there in lovely Suwanee, GA. Indigo Joe's comes to mind as does Five Guy's, IHOP, Taco Mac, Chili's, Jeffery's, hey maybe this won't be so bad afterall!

the NBA draft

Who Cares?

Where did June go?

What happened to June? Did anyone see it? I look up and BANG it is almost July 4th! I am not exactly sure what happened. It seems as I get older and really since I had my son a little over 3 years ago that time goes by a lot faster than before.

I guess the best part of June being gone means we are just that much closer to football season.

GO DAWGS!!!

Updated thoughts on Benoit tragedy

Well as we all know now Chris Benoit murdered his wife and 7 year old child. As hard as that is to write and say it is the facts. As I listened to the press conference yesterday I just couldn't (or didn't want to) believe what I was hearing. However the reality is this guy freakin' murdered his family, he sat in his house with the bodies, he then hung himself because the coward couldn't face what he had done. For someone who seemed so strong in the ring he obviously was a weak man.

Chris I pray for your soul however I am not the one who you have had to face for judgment. On Monday night I thought Eddie Guerrero and Chris had been reunited in that golden ring in the sky now I believe Chris has been sent elsewhere to reap what he has sown.

I pray for Nancy and Daniel and know they are in a better place, hey Eddie take care of them.

This tragedy should show us all that our time here is short. Tell the people in your life you love them, hug your kids, kiss your wife, and do not be afraid to show them affection as we never know when it will be the last time we see them. To all of my friends and family I love you all.

Chris Benoit and the past 24 hours

Yesterday I logged onto wwe.com to check the results from Vengeance pay-per-view the night before. I read that Chris Benoit missed his match due to a family illness and my first thought was "is this a shoot or a work?". I then checked 1wrestling.com and they had no answer. I went about the rest of my day as usual and then at about 6:45pm or so I decided to check some sites and went back to 1wrestling to see if they had any update and there it was "Chris Benoit and family found dead". I felt sick to my stomach. I was in disbelief and checked wwe.com and there it was again. I truly wanted to throw up. In only a few days we lose Sherri Martel, Chris Benoit, and Woman (Chris' wife Nancy). I didn't know how to feel. Here is one of the greatest performers ever and he has died mysteriously. I read one report that said he missed the house show Saturday due to Nancy and Daniel (his son) were sick and throwing up blood. Somehow I thought to myself "man I hope Chris had nothing to do with this". I watched much of RAW last night to see the tribute and recorded the rest as it was time to go to bed.
Then this morning comes and it is being speculated that Chris murdered his wife and son over the weekend then committed suicide on Monday. Again I got sick to my stomach. I thought "no way" not the person who was such a family man, one that never got into trouble. No rumors of drug use or anything like that. Not Chris Benoit he couldn't have done this. Then I heard it a few times on the radio and still tried to deny to possibility. I hope somehow they have this wrong and I can write another blog about how wrong the authorities were. I will stay tuned and will keep the entire Benoit family in my prayers.

Not another death....

I don't even have words right now as I just read about Chris Benoit's death. I will have words tomorrow as I gather what I want to say.

'Sensational' Sherri Martel - gone too soon

I could not believe the news I saw when i came back form Chicago on Saturday night. I had not been online for several days so when I got home I logged onto one of my favorite blogs and to my surprise it spoke of the death of "Sensational" Sherri Martel. Sherri was one of the greatest women of pro wrestling ever. I remember her when she wrestled in the AWA, then onto the WWE first as a wrestler then as a manger. She managed the likes of "Macho Man" Randy Savage and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels and really added so much to their persona's. She then moved to WCW where she worked with Ric Flair then Harlem Heat. Just last year she was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame which was well deserved. I had the honor of meeting Sherri on several occasions and she was one of the most humble, sweet women in the business I have ever met. She never acted as if she had been a superstar or anything like that no huge ego at all. She was just cool, she would talk to all of the young workers and help them in anyway possible. It was fun being able to hang with a former WWE and WCW Superstar and talk about all kinds of stuff not just wrestling. Rest in Peace Sherri it was my pleasure to have spent time with you and you were truly SENSATIONAL!!!

Here is a link to Sherri's WWE Hall of Fame bio: http://www.wwe.com/superstars/halloffame/sherrimartel/bio/

Tests, Tests, and more Tests

A few weeks ago the subject of the sermon at church was about tests. Ever since them I have been tested hard. Then I read Tony's blog and he seems to be getting tested too! As was stated in the message was sometimes we get tested to 'make us grow up' and man I need to do that in a couple of areas. I have really struggled with a few things which is kind of funny since I am reading a book called "Facing Your Giants" right now. I think I have slayed one of them but I am cautious that he may come back at any time but I am ready with sword in hand. I have another one to face and am diligently preparing for the match. It is really interesting how things happen in life and even more interesting looking at how you deal with them. Sometimes when it rains it pours but playing in the rain can be fun just depends on what you make of it.

A serious quote that makes you go hmmmmmmm...

"The American Indians found out what happens when you don't control
immigration."

Makes you think.....doesn't it.....

It Ain't Rocket Science

I have been a manager a looooong time, over 17 years and during that time I would like to think I have learned a few things along the way. One of my motto's I try to live by is "take care of those that take care of you".

If you apply this to your daily goal your team will have great respect for you and will bend over backwards to help you succeed.

Columbia, SC

Man I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post which goes to show you that I have been pretty busy. Over the past month or so I have been traveling quite a bit back and forth to Columbia, SC to get some thing str8 at our facility there. I don't know that they are where they need to be but only time will tell. While in Columbia I usually stay at a Holiday Inn Express so i can earn my rewards points but this past trip I stayed at the Comfort Suites where i place my team members when they go. To say the least I have now signed up on their rewards program because that place was sweet. They had a hot breakfast each morning with eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy, etc. You gotta love that but here is the kicker....each evening they had 'social hour' which included free wine and beer. Yes you read that right FREE BEER! I am not a big drinker but I do enjoy a nice cold beer every once in awhile and being able to walk into your hotel after working all day, sit, relax, and grab a beer ain't half bad. Oh yeah and they had a light dinner each night which included pork loin, London Broil, beef stew, mixed veggies, etc.

While in Columbia I met a coach Hampton University that was down visiting some recruits for the upcoming football season. I also met one of the local high school coaches that has some highly recruited athletes on their team. It was cool to sit around and listen to them talk about the process and how various coaches conduct visits. I really feel like I learned a lot just by listening to them. Overall good trip.

New Links

I have posted a few new links for all to enjoy.

If you have kids here are some good ones to check for events and things to do such as:
* Athens Parent
* Atlanta Parent
* Discover Mills
* Mall of Georgia

The there are the local sports teams:
* Georgia Force
* Gwinnett Gladiators
* Anderson Joes (not really all that local)
* Georgia Bulldogs

Of course my Pro Wrestling sites:
* JR's Blog
* 1Wrestling
* PW Torch
* ECW
* TNA Pro Wrestling

And more...check'em out

My Political Profile....what is yours?

Your Political Profile:

Overall: 80% Conservative, 20% Liberal Social Issues: 50% Conservative, 50% Liberal Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal Ethics: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?

a 'MASTER'-ful weekend!

This was a weekend I will not soon forget. As I stated in earlier posts we went to Stone Mountain for their annual 'Breakfast with the Characters' in which we got to meet Dora the Explorer, her friend Diego, and The Veggie Tales (Larry and Bob). That was cool and I will post some pics when I figure out how to do that.

Then it was off to a birthday party for our little cousin Joshua. The party was all Spiderman themed including two (yes two) Spiderman Inflatables in the backyard. When the party started each child was issued his very own Spiderman outfit to wear including a mask and the all important tights. Soon after they were in their new uniforms Spiderman showed up to train the kids on what it takes to be your 'friendly neighborhood superhero'. Once training was over we had lunch, cake, ice cream, and opened presents. As the kids were eating I went outside to return a phone as I was sitting on the steps I hear a gallop, I look up and there are two ponies standing there. Yep we have ponies ladies and gentlemen. Next we have Spiderman come back but this time he was captured and tied up by the evil Todd the Destroyer. The kids had been issued their official web shooting string and were off to capture Todd and untie Spiderman. They were successful and Todd was laid out under a spiderweb. Overall one cool party.....I wonder what Batman is doing later this month?

That brings us to Sunday well almost Sunday. During the party on Saturday I received a call asking me if I would like to have a couple of badges to The Masters the next day. What do you say to that? Sunday at The Masters? You say YES!!! Now of course the next day is Easter and I know I can't skip that no matter how badly I want to go to The Masters. So here is the test of priorities do you skip church or do you go to the most prestigious golf tournament around? Here is what I did, I went to my bible study class (where we had a record 21 kids attend), went to our Easter service (which was unbelievable), then jumped in the car drove to Augusta and watched The Masters.

We made the trip from Buford, GA to Augusta in just over 2 hours not bad. We pulled into the parking lot as the final group was teeing off. There isn't much you can say about Augusta National except WOW! When I saw the fairway I just wanted to go roll around on them, the tee boxes looked fake, and the sand traps looked like a beach in the Caribbean. We followed Phil for a while, saw Sabatini make an amazing putt, saw Tiger smacked his second shot into the water on 15, and just stood in amazement at how far these guys are off the tee. This was a cool experience. Sunday at The Masters.....what a way to end a MASTERful Weekend?

Easter Weekend!

Are you ready for the Easter weekend? I am! I have a pretty full weekend ahead. Tonight Greg Original (me) and New Breed Greg (my son) are going to the final regular season home game for the Gladiators. I am looking forward to it even though we will be unable to stay for the entire game.

Tomorrow we head to Stone Mountain Park to have breakfast with the Veggie Tales, Dora, and Diego at 8:30am. After that we will see the Easter Bunny and do a few activities while in the park. We will then head to a birthday party in which Spiderman will be in attendance and will teach the kids how to use their Spidey-Senses. Saturday night I will probably just crash.

We move to Sunday in which we will attend our first Easter at Mill Creek Community Church. We are expecting a large crowd as there are many people who only go to church once a year and that is this weekend. I hope to see many new faces in the Kingdom Safari class (bible study) that I lead and my personal goal is to make sure each of them learns something, has a wonderful time, and wants to come back. Of course if they want to come back someone has to bring them back (unless of course they are driving at 10 years old which would be a case for DFACS) and those of us with kids know their influence on what we do. When the parents come then our church will continue to grow and be a positive influence on our community. I can't wait....can you!

WrestleMania 23 this weekend

Can you believe it has been 23 years since Hulk Hogan and Mr. T teamed up to take on Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff in the first ever WrestleMania? I can remember it like it was yesterday. I have attended two WrestleManias #9 in Las Vegas and #10 in New York. I hope to attend next year as it will be in Orlando and I can pair that up with a trip to Disney.

Well back to this weekend, I am looking forward to a few matches like Cena vs Shawn Michaels, Lashley vs Umaga, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and the ECW Originals vs The New Breed but I am disappointed that more titles are not being defended. Consider this; the ECW World title, the Intercontinental title, the World Tag Team Titles, the WWE Tag Team titles, or the Cruiserweight Title are not being contested for. Now granted the ECW Champion, Bobby Lashley, and the Intercontinental Champion, Umaga, have a high-profile match with 'The Battle of the Billionaires' but what about the other championships? I'm sure that they will tie in another couple of matches considering this is to be a 4 hour pay per view but I wish they would give us a little bit more. Either way I plan to watch it and am looking forward to the show.

Here is the card as of now:

World Heavyweight Champion Batista vs. Undertaker
WWE Champion John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Battle of the Billionaires (Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga)
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (C.M. Punk, Mr. Kennedy, The Hardys, Edge, Randy Orton, King Booker, Fit Finlay)
ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Women's Champion Melina vs. Ashley
Kane vs. The Great Khali
United States Champion Chris Benoit vs. MVP

It starts at 7:00pm on Sunday on pay-per-view don't miss it beeeeeeee there!

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Frustrating situation

All I have to say is this...

"You can have everything you want in life if you help enough OTHER people get what THEY want"

Too bad more people don't subscribe to this thought.

Breakfast with The Veggie Tales, Dora and Diego

Next Saturday April 7 we are taking Greg version 2.0 and his cousin Joshua to Stone Mountain to have breakfast with Bob and Larry of the Veggie Tales, Dora, and Diego. I am looking forward to this as I am a huge mark for characters and enjoy having my picture taken with them just as much as the kids do. We have had the character dining at Disney World but nowhere else so I am curious to see how it compares but as long as the kids have fun that is all that really matters. Later that day Joshua is having his birthday party and Spiderman is coming to help celebrate. How cool is that? In one day we will meet Bob, Larry, Dora, Diego, and Spiderman now that is what I am talking about!

Go to www.stonemountainpark.com for more info.

Finished a book....

As I wrote in an earlier post I have had a hard time reading as of late and have been trying to finish The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki for weeks. Well I finally finished it! The most frustrating part of taking so long to read it was that the book was lent to me and I don't like hanging onto other people stuff too long. Well onto my mini review; to put it simply the book was a great! If you are going to start a small group, a business, a non-profit, a website, anything read this book. The author, Guy Kawasaki, was instrumental in the entire Mac launch at Apple and gives you mistakes they made and how they changed their approach as they went along. The book will give you so many ideas and will show you real life examples of what others did when they started companies or launched new products to the world. The book is easy to read and has quite a bit of humor in it. You could easily sit down and read this book cover to cover and not get bored. The Art of the Start reads almost like a prequel to Built to Last and Good to Great by Jim Collins. Check this one out and remember it is also available at the library and library cards are FREE!

Bible Study yesterday

Yesterday I had the privilege of leading a bible study class at church. Melissa has been a volunteer for several weeks but this was my first venture into Kingdom Safari (that what the kid's ministry is called). Well normally you get to observe a class first then come in and teach but this week I was needed to step up and lead and that's what I did. This was a very cool experience and one that I am already looking forward to next week. After the class I asked one of the kids if I did alright and here is his answer "yes you did good and I was surprised. Most teachers come in their first time and let us (the kids) lead but you jumped right in and started teaching and you did a good job." That meant a lot to me since I have never lead a bible class in my entire life. Next Sunday can't come soon enough.

Reading Ain't Easy

Man I have a hard time finishing a book. It seems like it takes me forever, I mean when I have time to read it seems like I really don't have the time to read. I have been trying to finish "The Art of the Start" for what seems like weeks. I also have "The Disney Way", Sam Walton's autobiography, "God Plays Golf", Eddie Guerrero's biography, I have three books at the library just waiting on me, and I want to read "Hardcore Diaries" and "Somebody's Gotta Say It". I am going to make sure I get back to reading at lunch time and at night after Greg2 goes to bed. I guess it just comes down to priorities but I must say I haven't watched much TV lately either so don't think that is where the time has gone. I will review the books as I go along so you can keep up with my progress.

Movie Reviews

I figured it had been awhile since I reviewed some movies so here we go:

DALE the Movie: this is a special look into the life of The Intimidator Dale Earnhardt. This movie is a special release only shown in conjunction with where ever the race is. The movie was very well done and includes many comments from Teresa Earnhardt, Dale Jr, Kerry, Taylor Nicole, Richard Childress, and Darrell Waltrip to name a few. It has some cool family pictures and home movies included in the movie. If you are a NASCAR fan at all this is a film you should see. One of the best parts comes during the closing credits as Dale has a few bloopers while doing an interview. I won't spoil it but if you go see it stay for the credits.

Toy Story and Toy Story 2: I know these have been out a long time but this is what I have watched lately. You already know these are GREAT movies but I wanted to point something out to you. In #1 when Woody is trying to catch Buzz the family van pull into a gas station. Guess what gas station they go to?....Dinoco. Make the connection? In Cars The King's sponsor is Dinoco. I thought that was funny, Pixar always makes reference to their other movies. In Monsters Inc. there was a Jesse doll on Boo's bed. I notice stuff like that.

Proud Poppa!!!!

Many know my interest in pro wrestling and many may know that I have been a fan since I was in the fourth grade. I have made an effort to not let Greg 2 watch it on a regular basis due to the fact he may try to be Sabu and do an Arabian Face Buster on some poor sap at daycare or something. Well last night I was laying on the couch and all of a sudden he said "daddy lets play ECW" then he grabbed a pillow and said "I got a chair" and he proceeded to smack me in the head with it. I'm sure my reaction of taking a bump didn't discourage him any. So of course like any proud poppa would do, I told him to go hit his mom with his 'chair'. She didn't seem to find the same amount of humor in this that I did, so as you can imagine I got into a little trouble over that one but it was well worth it. I guess that age old saying "like father like son" really does ring true.

On last thing from G-n-G.....ECW, ECW, ECW!!!

What I watch on TV?

It is funny how our priorities change as we get older and have kids. I remember when I 'had' to be home to watch several tv programs but not anymore. I was recently asked what tv shows do you watch and i just looked at the person. The only ones I watch EVERY week are The Apprentice (Sundays at 10:00 on NBC) America's Next Top Model (Wednesdays at 8:00pm on CW). and ECW (Tuesdays at 10:00pm on Sci-Fi). That's it, three shows, and most of the time I don't watch them in real time I watch them on my DVR.
Don't get me wrong I watch at a few other shows like Gilmore Girls (yeah I know, keep your comments), American Idol(seems like everyday during the week on FOX), and The Search for the next Doll (Tuesdays at 9:00pm on CW) but I don't watch them entirely or even at all some weeks. I more enjoy reading, attending the men's growth group, and just playing with Greg 2 (hockey or trains) or watching stuff he wants to watch (lately The Little Mermaid and Toy Story). It is funny how our interests change over time. Just one of those things that makes ya go hmmmmmmmm...

Firehouse Subs

Have ya been to Firehouse Subs yet? It seems over the past few years sub sandwiches have started pooping up everywhere. Once Subway started taking off here came Quiznos then here is Firehouse. Well I like Quiznos quite a bit but Firehouse, dude ya gotta check'em out. I don't know how they toast it or whatever but they put Subway to shame and are just different than Quiznos. I have had the Italian a few times and haven't tried the others. Plus their brownies are freakin' good too. Only down side is they have Pepsi products but I can live with that. I'm gettin' hungry just thinking about it.

Controversy - conspiracy theory

I am a sucker for conspiracy theories, some I believe, some I don't. For example the entire JFK assassination totally fascinates me. This all started with the Oliver Stone movie and since then I have watched numerous other documentaries through the years. I have watched some that say it was a conspiracy and some that dispute that claim. I even saw one that shows how the magic bullet theory can happen and Netflix has more that I plan to watch. By the way I personally think that is was a conspiracy.

Anyway here is the purpose of this blog as I have been shown a new conspiracy theory about Sept. 11, 2001. The website is www.loosechange911.com it claims that the terrorist attacks on 9/11 were all orchestrated by the government. They claim that United 93 never crashed and that the Pentagon was hit by something other than a passenger plane. They present these arguments and others in a well put together documentary that can be seen on their website. The video is about 90 minutes long and has some extremely interesting thoughts. Not sure what to think about their theory but it does raise some interesting questions about this infamous date in our history. The part I like about this group is that they don't seem to be some radical group screaming and yelling on the side of the road, they have their ideas and tell you to research it for yourself and see what you come up with. I'm not sure what to think but it does make me question a few things. I will research it more for myself and because like the JFK murder this is starting to fascinate me too. I don't put ANYTHING past our government no matter who is in control. Go check out the video and see what you think.

Rest in Peace - Mike Awesome

Mike Awesome, one of the greatest ECW wrestlers ever, has past away. This was one big bad dude that put on some great matches. Unfortunately he will be remembered for defecting from ECW to WCW and trying to take the championship with him. I will never forget his matches with Masato Tanaka and the chair shots they gave each other. Mike Awesome could have been one of the biggest stars ever had he been given a real chance. In WCW they had no idea what to do with him (remember the fat girl gimmick?) then in WWE he never really got a fair shake. I remember going to Birmingham, AL for an ECW ppv and seeing him throw Spike Dudley into the audience with ease. My most recent memory of him was from the ECW One Night Stand ppv in 2005 where he and Tanaka got it on again in another classic. Mike had recently retired from the ring and from what I had read was enjoying life with his family. Rest in Peace big man you gave us some great memories and entertained us in new ways.

Get with fellow stars Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido, Brian Pillman, and Public Enemy and take it to the EXTREME!

ECW - Extreme Championship Wrestling

After several months of the 'new' ECW I figured I would share my thoughts. I like some of you (well I don't know who reads this but whatever) LOVED the original ECW. Who couldn't love Sandman, Balls and Axel, New Jack, Shane Douglas, Francine, Public Enemy, Al Snow, Sabu, The Dudleys, Mike Awesome, and the list goes on. I remember traveling to Canton, Gainesville, Birmingham, and Philadelphia just to see ECW. ECW was special and we all knew it. ECW was always 'extreme rules' which made it different, and an alternative to WWF and WCW at the time. ECW appealed to the internet fan, the hardcore fan, the fan that loved wrestling not sports entertainment. ECW like everything else went through transitions at one time they allowed and encouraged fans to bring weapons to the matches. They had to stop that. Once they got national exposure on TNN they started toning down their product. Bottom line they had to appeal to a broader audience than they did before. Let's face it to be a national power and keep talent you can not make it traveling the country and drawing 12oo fans per event. Hence the fact Shane Douglas, Bam Bam Bigelow, Taz, Mike Awesome, The Dudleys, Public Enemy, Al Snow, Sandman and many more left for a bigger payday in either WWF or WCW. At the end of the original ECW think about the talent that was there. Do you remember EZ Money? What about Simon Diamond? Confederate Money?(or something like that) It is not like the talent was deep.

Fast forward to 2006 and the reincarnation of ECW. Is it what is was NOPE, would it ever be like it was NOPE. Here is the question, had ECW survived what would the product look like? Would it be like TNA? Would it be like WWE RAW or SmackDown!? Would it be like ROH? or would it be like the new version of ECW? Would it have extreme matches all of the time or would they be sprinkled in? Even though ECW is a WWE brand it is still better than RAW or SmackDown! There is more wrestling and the wrestlers seem to bust their butts. The matches mean more and at least there are new faces like Marcus Cor Von (Monty Brown), CM Punk, Elijah Burke, and my favorite Kevin Thorne. Don't get me wrong I don't like everything about the new ECW but it could be worse. There are many things I would have done different, I would have used the originals to build the new breed in the beginning as opposed to just now starting that feud. I would have phased out the 'extreme rules' gradually over time instead of right off the bat. I think we all agree there have been mistakes but it is getting better. Give it a chance and see how it grows.

WWE releases a lot of talent

Over the past few days the WWE has release several wrestlers including; Al Snow, Jazz, Bill DeMont, Tatanka, C.W. Anderson, and Tony Mamaluke. I don't know the reasons for all of the releases but the one that I am really disappointed in is the release of Seth Skyfire. See I have known Seth for many years. When I first met him he wrestled under a mask and has busted his tail to make it in pro wrestling. He had been signed to a developmental deal with WWE and has been wrestling in OVW for the past few years. The kid is good and I really hopes he gets another chance with WWE or can try his hand in ROH or TNA. Good luck and keep your head up.

Book Review: Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff

I just finished Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff. If you don't know who Eric Bischoff is he is the one who built WCW up to the number 1 pro wrestling company in the world in 1996 - 1998. This book gives his account from his start in pro wrestling with the AWA to the rise of WCW, the creation of Nitro to the eventual demise of WCW. He disputes many claims that other books have stated and even admits many of his mistakes such as how he handled the Arn Anderson retirement. Unlike many other 'wrestling' books this is not one huge ego trip. Eric doesn't pull too many punches but you can tell he was p.c. on a few opinions, after all the book was backed by the WWE so I'm sure he held back a little. If you were a wrestling fan during these times this is a must read, it will really take you back to the height of the Monday Night Wars.

Another good read is The Death of WCW by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez which is kind of some of the same story but from another point of view.

Just started reading Better Dads, Stronger Sons by Rick Johnson. I will give a review when I am done, until then please leave comments and visit some of mu fav links.

John Daly's Book 1-17-07

I just finished John Daly's book, My Life In and Out of the Rough. If you don't know who John Daly is here is a little information. John is a pro golfer who has always been a rebel on the tour. He used to be know as Long John due to his length off the tee which by today's standard really isn't all that long. He won the PGA Championship as the 10th alternate, thats right 9 people had to drop out of a major championship for John to even get in the thing. John is also one of the few to have won two majors before the age of 30 putting him up there with Jack and Tiger.

Anyway here is a little about the book. It pretty much gives a history of ole John's life from growing up in Arkansas to today, well almost today as the book ends sometime in 2006. Not a bad book but not overly inspirational either. It explores his trips to rehab, his many divorces, how he loves his current wife (they have filed for divorce since the book was written), his gambling problems (claims to have lost over $40 million), life on tour, etc. There are some really funny stories in the book plus some sad stories (his temper, his divorces) and even an inspirational one (he donated $30,000 for college to two girls who lost their dad at a golf tournament when he was struck by lightening). The book reads well and is interesting to hear his stories about how he got into the PGA Championship and how it is over seas. It is refreshing to hear someone not be politically correct on everything they say and do. If you are a golf fan, a fan of John Daly, or just a sports fan this is a good read.

I am currently listening to Built to Last by James Collins in the car and will start reading Controversy Creates Cash by Eric Bischoff today so stay tuned for reviews on each of these.

More Random Thoughts 1-15-07

Well my Super Bowl prediction is already wrong, Here is my new one New England vs. New Orleans.

I forgot to thank Reggie Ball for his four years at Tech, great job in helping UGA each of the past four years you will be missed.

Church yesterday was great as it usually is, I can't tell you how much my life has changed over the past few months since finding Mill Creek. I really look forward to going each week and look forward to the growth groups too. I invite you to attend sometime soon, we meet at the theaters in the Mall of Georgia on Sundays. The first service is at 9:00am and the second is at 10:30am.

I love The Apprentice, what other show can you actually learn something from? I know many people have soured on this show but to me I love seeing the dynamic of many personalities trying to handle tasks together. Being a manager at work I always think about what I would do in the various situations. With this season being in LA that puts a new fresh spin on the show. Check it out on NBC Sundays at 9:00pm or replays during the week on CNBC.

Does anyone care about the NBA? I only know that the Hawks are horrible as usual.

TNA Wrestling just keeps getting better, I hope they can actually start being true competition to WWE in the next few years. It is nice to see such stars as Kurt Angle and Christian leave 'the big boys' to come to TNA as they see the potential. Also I like seeing AJ Styles getting the true recognition he deserves as he is truly a nice guy with great morals and a hard worker.

2007 goals are coming soon.

Until next time.....

Random thoughts 1-12-07

I figured I would steal this title from good ole JR from the WWE and his blog at www.jrsbarbq.com.

After a few days have past can you really believe the "All World" offense of THE Ohio State University was held to under 100 yards? Under 100 yards in a real football game not EA Sports. Crazy! SEC, SEC, SEC

It is way too cool to see my almost 3 year old son on roller blades with a hockey stick in his hand and by his choice. He actually goes and puts his skates and helmet on! Now the stick and puck go with him almost everywhere even to bed. Gretzky's records could be in danger.

Super Bowl prediction - New England vs Philadelphia

Thank you Calvin Johnson for going pro!

I will review the books on my list as I read them. I am reading John Daly's right now and he is a little nutty but has been a decent read so far. I am listening to Zig Ziglar's "View from the Top" which I recommend to everyone. It really gets ya going!

I checked out a new BBQ spot up on hwy 211 down from Chateau Elan. Not bad, the sauce was ok nothing to write home about but the rib meat fell right off the bone. Great service though as they really seemed like they cared. I wish they had a couple more sauces though.

We have a new Starbucks down from my office which makes $5 coffee very accessible. The white chocolate mocha is off the hook!

This past bowl season was one of the best, most of the games were close and very well played at least by the offenses.

Have you written down your goals for 2007? Next post will be some of my goals so place some of your in the comments.

Until next time.....

Movie Reviews

Rocky Balboa
Very enjoyable, a perfect close to the series of movies. Not anything like that Rocky V stuff they tried to push on us several years ago. I thought it brought the character full circle and was well done, of course there were some flaws but still very enjoyable movie. Here is a cool note about Rocky V though, right before it came out I met Evander Holyfield at the movie theater I was working at and I asked him for an autograph. As we walked back to the office to get some paper we looked at the Rocky V poster on the wall. He told me he was offered a part in the movie but said they wanted him to lose to Tommy Morrison. Evander stated that Tommy couldn't beat him in real life and that he wasn't going to beat him in a movie either. By the way I still have the autograph.

Hockey Mom
I got this one from Netflix thinking it would be a good family movie.....wrong! From the first time the *s* word was said I knew this wasn't what I expected. I think it was trying to be a drama or an inspirational flick but I am not sure. Basically a woman challenges a men's hockey team to a game and turns the entire town upside down in only four weeks. Very predictable, should have watched something from my own library of movies.

Stick It
This is a gymnastics movie (yes I like gymnastics) that looked like it was going to be Bring It On but with gymnastics instead of cheerleading. If that is what they were going for they missed the mark. This movie jumped around a lot and didn't even have good gymnastics in it. It had a bunch of unknowns in it but did have Jeff Bridges as one of the stars. It kind of jumped from a story of a rebel girl to a story of how gymnastics meets are controlled by judges. If you liked Bring It On or are a fan of gymnastics skip this movie. Here is how good it was; the two sequels to Bring It On were better than this. For the record I did see the Bring It On trilogy!