My grandfathers farm

When I was around 6 years old I always loved going to my grandfathers farm. The country air was easy to wake up to with the bright yellow sunshine and roosters crowing in the open field near the barn.  Perfect place for a skinny kid to run about and find treasures and just be a kid! The wide open green fields of hay swaying in the hills just up ahead. I would get lost for hours in the old dingy barn my grandfather would use for his rusty tools and outdated farming equipment. The "blue river", my family called it, ran down of the middle of the back forty with its clear angelic water running down stream. I miss those early days.  Now it's all about being a grown up and I think to myself "only to be a kid again with not a care in the world".

"Nacho"

I was told puggles, which is a mix of beagle and pug, never shed and of course, never weighs over 20 lbs. But, Nacho is all that and more! Easily the most energetic and hungry dog at the dog kennel on the day he was purchased for a meager 100 bucks. Hopping around and stealing the other dogs food with great velocity. But in my heart I thought "What a great dog". I have never seen a animal eat the way this hungry grub eats!  Jumping around, barks and dances in a circles at the sight of any morsel available in the house. Nacho sheds just like a thick haired cat and easily weighs over 35lbs on his beagle shaped frame.  He has a calmness about him when food is not on his mind and he's the most loving and gentle creature you will ever meet.   He has been spoiled, so it was a big adjustment when our son was born.  So far, he has handled it really well.  Of course, we never leave him and our son alone in the room together, just in case, especially now since our son is walking at full speed.  Can never be too careful!

New York Yankees

Since I was around 11 years old, I loved the New York Yankees with a passion! The Yankees are easily the most hated team in all of baseball and with all the World Series titles, that would make anyone hate them. But, when I first started watching the Yankees they lost the World Series to the L.A. Dodgers but that didn't stop me from loving the" hated" Yankees. All through the 1980s they really sucked but I still took pride in them and continued to watch them no matter what their record was. My dream was to be a first baseman for the Yankees with scrappy play, scoop up grounders with nasty tobacco dripping out of my mouth and wearing the pinstripes with pride for all America to see. I could see myself winning championships, pictures in the Ada News, signing autographs, doing tobacco commercials with huge amount of chaw falling out of my mouth and let's not forget being front and center on my very own baseball card holding my favorite Louisville slugger bat. The Yankees will always be my team win or lose and hopefully I can teach my one year old son the tradition and love for the Yankees.

My last hug!

I give my wife and son hugs everyday! I love knowing that it's easy to express our love and how it will show our son it's not embarassing to show affection. I thank my wife for this because when I was a kid, you really didn't show how much you loved each other, but she is a loving person, always wanting to  give and receive affection and I love her for that! We have discussions at the dinner table and always talk about how our day was and for that, my family is everything to me! So, if someone ever asks me when did you get your last hug, I'll say "TODAY".

Book Report

Guessing I'll give a short report over a book I have read for US Govt class. I'm reading "Push" by Sapphire, and if you ever have to read this book, watch out. It's quite graphic and really makes you think about what a great life you have and should never complain about your own! I keep thinking after reading this book what kind of monster would treat their own child this way? The horrors she endured would make anyones skin crawl. But she makes it out of her hell hole and learns to read and write and finally escapes to only find out the father that mistreated her gave her HIV! But she still doesn't give up on life and is determined to give her children a better life than the one that was given to her. After reading this, it makes you thankful for your family and the ones you love.

My long night!

I never have trouble staying up the night before a long night of work ahead. But now it's totally different since I decided to go back to school and obtain my RN degree! I've worked 12 hour night shifts since 1994 and thinking this should be no problem for a guy who never has problems sleeping during the day. But guess what? I have homework now and I actually have to do something while I'm up with the vampires. I'm used to watching TV, playing video games and just really doing nothing but I've grown up now and hoping this semester is so much better than the last time I went to ECU in 1989. I'll say bye for now and I'll be posting more later....