The cars & colleges around me

The parking lot underneath our building is full of cars with those Alumni tags or plate covers. Here is a list of the colleges and universities the kids from our condo attended:

University of Geogia

Georgia Tech

Virginia Tech

Florida State University

Emory University

Auburn University

University of Kentucky

Baylor University

Cincinnati Christian University (that’s us!)

I think that’s it. I’ll keep looking.

WHO LIVES AROUND YOU?

I just want the gum

There are days here and there when I notice, or feel, myself rubbing shoulders with frankness and short-talk with people, namely the ones behind the counter. Most days I’m slow and patient; most days I’m at ease and chill with whatever goes down. But lately my steps have been quickening with the staff at the stores I frequent, and it’s all over these ridiculous “member cards” or discount rewards cards that are crowding our key chains.

I think it all started at Radio Shack years ago.

Guy behind the counter: “Is that all?”

Me: “Yep, just the batteries.”

Guy behind the counter: “Cool. Can I have your zip code?”

Me: “What?”

Guy behind the counter: “Can I have your zip code, please?”

Me: “For batteries?”

Guy behind the counter: “Yep.”

Me: “Uh, okay. Um…45718.” (At this point you should know that the zip code mentioned in this little replay script is fake, just like the one I would give at the store.)

Tonight, it went down like this:

CVS employee: “How are you tonight?”

Me: “Good. You?”

CVS employee: “Good, thanks. Do you have your CVS Card with you?”

Me: “No. I don’t.”

CVS employee: “Well, do you know your phone number? I can look it up.”

At this time I can feel the angst in the line of people behind me. I feel like a bad club member, or worse yet, like a non-member! I didn’t look behind me, but I just know that people were looking me up and down, saying: “Figures. Why don’t these people go back to Rite-Aid where they belong?” There’s also a panic inside of me because I really don’t remember WHAT phone number they have in the system. Like any good family, we have three: the house phone (which has never been plugged in) and the two cell numbers. Was it one of those or some mystery number that we gave them a long time ago and have since forgotten?

But watch what happened next:

Me: “No.”

I’m not sure, but at that moment I think I heard the music stop. If it were a musical (perhaps titled: “The Man Who Said ‘No’”), the customers would have started singing and dancing, shouting out words that had to do with my defiance and bravery to go against the grain. Okay, so I made that part up. Back to the story…

CVS employee: “Oh.”

Me: I swiped my debit card, punched in the info, and walked out.

The revolution has begun.

Grant Park

We went to the zoo today and were treated with some musical goodness on the way out.

Decatur to Midtown in 60 seconds

Video: Filmed with a FLIP camera tied to the front of my Timbuk2 bag while scootering back to the office from an early meeting. (My battery ran out before I got to Buckhead.)

Sameer is funny

My son’s favorite subjects are: Math, Art & Indiana Jones. That’s it. Things like English, French and Reading are way down the list. He struggles the most with spelling. Not that he can’t spell; he just hates doing it.

But every subject has its Rock Star.

Last night the 2008 National Spelling Bee was on. I saw it as a chance to prove to my son that spelling skilz are cool. I think it worked. And Sameer was funny.

Worth a thousand words

I’ve always loved this picture. That’s a Fender Precision bass in it’s last moments. It’s the cover shot on The Clash’s 1979 London Calling record, a record Rolling Stone titled “Album of the Decade” (80s). I remember wondering how it edged out The Joshua Tree, but being okay with it because I loved this band.

The picture is blurry.

Out of focus.

Confusing.

Chaotic.

I love how there’s a random fan on the stage.

Rock-n-roll.

What picture best describes rock-n-roll for you?

Shot of the Day

Picture: Field Day, Sarah Smith Elementary School
Location: Some park near by

Family Night at the Lanes (Complete with some E.L.O. goodness)

Place: Midtown Bowl, Atlanta.

At $32 a lane per hour, we bowled two games and three frames as fast as we could. Alden gave the bumpers a run for their money, which made for a nice back-beat to the already stellar set list the alley was playing.

WE HEARD:
Midnight Oil
INXS
REM
E.L.O.
Billy Idol
Cindi Lauper
…and some others I can’t recall.

Family Nights anyone? What do you do?

E.L.O. goodness right here.

What’s in your bag?

1. Nano (Red)
2. Shure ears
3. Lotion
4. Phone charger
5. Camera chord
6. PC power cable
7. A random battery
8. Throat Coat tea bag
9. Chapstick
10. Gum
11. Hand sanitizer
12. Checkbook
13. Thumb drive
14. Notes from last night’s leadership meeting
15. Sunday morning punch list
16. This week’s to-do list
17. Train / Bus card
18. Bus schedules
19. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
20. ROOTS Journal from this month’s sermon series
21. Sharpie, 2 pens and a highlighter
22. Sermon journal
23. Bible
24. Phone

NOT PICTURED: Canon Power Shot G9

What’s in your bag?

Three minutes in midtown

PICTURE: Midtown station, 12:15pm

For the most part, the platform in the midtown station is a cold, uneventful place. It has a stand-offish vibe. No one talks. And no one sings. Ever. But this kid broke the seal. I heard him from the top of the stairs and the tone was nice. I hurried down to the landing with enough time to take this picture and to hear the Ben Harper influence in his music. Three minutes later he boarded his train and was gone. It was a nice between meetings break. Music in a subway station is about as good as it gets.

Cool train song here.

Where are the best street singers in your town?