For Sale

We officially put our house on the market today. I bought it when I wasn't even dating Chrissy in August of 04. It isn't too sad for Chrissy since she has slept there all of 5 nights. Our real estate agent seems to think we will sell it pretty quickly. There were many firsts for me at this house. My first new truck, my first dog, the first place I kissed my wife. I'll miss the old place. Quick story. I bought a used riding lawnmower a few weeks after I bought the house. I wasn't sure how I was going to get it off my truck. My coworker told me to back my truck up into the ditch in my front yard and drive the mower onto the street. My front yard has a pretty steep slope and the ditch is even steeper. I got it home that afternoon and backed it up to the ditch, just like he told me, but the tailgate was about a foot higher than the top of the ditch. I decided to park my truck in the garage and maybe buy some 2x6's the next day to use as a ramp. I was looking out in the yard that night at about 10:00 and I noticed a part of the ditch that was a little steeper than where I'd tried earlier. I figured I'd try it, but it was about to start raining so I knew I'd have to hurry. I tried to back the truck up my yard as it started to rain. Because of the steep slope, I couldn't get the truck to drive forward up the hill. The tires started spinning and pretty soon, I realized I was stuck in my front yard at 10:30 at night. I kept backing up and going forward but as soon as it hit the slope, the tires started spinning and slinging mud. I decided to back up into the back yard and then if I got up enough speed, I'd be able to get out. It was a great idea, and eventually worked, but I forgot about the tree in the back yard. After hitting the tree and slinging a bunch of mud, I finally got my truck back in the garage. I then decided to check the damage to my yard. About five feet into my front yard, I stepped in one of the ruts I made with my truck. My feet flew out from under me and when I landed there was a huge splash made from the mud. Covered in mud, yard tore up, and with the mower still in the back of my truck, I decided to call it a night. It wasn't the first, and I'm sure it will not be the last bonehead decision I make. It was a great house though. And I will miss it.

McLeod Family Reunion

A couple of weeks ago I experienced my first McLeod Family Reunion and what a great time I had. Our first night in Hazlehurst we went to a horse auction, and that was something that I had never done. I could not understand a word the auctioneer was saying except when he said "sold". Saturday we went to the big event. I had a great time meeting and spending time with Chad's family. There was also a lot of great food which we ate way too much of. Saturday we went fishing and that night we went to the state fair. Chad and I didn't ride any rides but we had fun watching his nephews on all of them. I can't wait for next year and do it all again.

Got the Baseball Blues

So, Maggie asked me the other day why the Sox were the wearing the wrong colors in the World Series. After I explained it to her, she gave me this look. Oh well, wait 'til next year

I Lift Mine Eyes

Here is the picture that Chrissy's aunt painted and gave to us. Pretty cool huh?

Busy Weekend

Friday night we drove up and spent some time with my parents. Early Saturday morning we started working on the house. Chad's job was to clean out the gutters (thankfully Dad showed up and did that-Chad and I both hate ladders-he saved us a lot of time and did a great job), pressure wash the house, cut the grass, and vacuum the house. I had the fun job of cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, painting, dusting, and Chad let me pressure wash some. We were both so tired by the end of the day. Sunday we had a great time. We went to our old church at Faith. It was so nice to see every one again and to worship with them. After lunch my parents, Chad and I went to visit my Great Aunt Sarah. It was so nice just spending time with her. Aunt Sarah is a great painter and she gave us a picture that she painted 2 years ago. "I Lift Mine Eyes" is a beautiful picture of a young girl and her mother looking up to the mountains. We are so glad that we had a chance to visit Aunt Sarah and we can't wait to visit her again.

The Whitson House (Chad's Thoughts)

I had the opportunity to visit this house earlier today. We were told a few weeks ago that Chrissy's Great Aunt Sarah had a painting she wanted to give to us (I'll write about the picture later). We were in Anniston for the weekend so we stopped by her Talladega home on the way back to Columbus. There were many wonderful things I could write about the house, but I'm sleepy so I'll only write a few. Sarah told me that her family had bought the house in 1865. I asked her when it was built, but she didn't know. She did however know that the first white child born in the city of Talladega was born in that house in 1832. The area was inhabited by Creek Indians up to that time. The dining room table could seat up to 20 people. She had an old victrola. My Father in Law (Jack) got it going and we listened to a few oldies; and I thought record players were old. Another interesting thing about the house was the main hallway. The house used to be two log cabins. They were later made into one house and connected by what is now a long, beautiful hallway. The main hallway is twice the size of the average living room. The front porch was about 500 square feet, and the backporch was very small. You can see a difference in our culture by looking at the layout of homes. Today's homes are built for more privacy. We have large family rooms and large back porches today. Is this a negative thing? I guess that depends on your perspective.

MLB Regular Season Awards Nominees

It is now time for the first annual Major League Baseball Awards nominations. This is when I sit down and look at stats, and try to reach back into the old noodle to decide who was baseball's best in 2005. I'd love to have some feedback so if anyone wants to comment, click the comments button at the bottom of this blog. Once you type in your comment, click on the button next to where it says other and put in your name (don't worry about putting in a website). I'll post the results pretty soon. If you don't care about baseball, go down to the next blog. Anyways, on to the nominations:
Cy Young Award (best pitcher of the year)
American League:
1. Bartolo Colon - He led the league with 21 wins, 157 K's, 3.48 ERA.
2. Johan Santana - 16-7 record, 2.87 ERA, 238 Strikeouts.
3. Mariano Rivera - 1.38 ERA, 43 for 47 in save opportunities,
National League:
1. Dontrell "D Train" Willis - 22-10 record, 2.63 ERA, 7 complete games, 5 shutouts. Only 23 years old. Can't seem to wear his hat straight.
2. Chris Carpenter - 21-5 record, 2.83 ERA, 7 complete games, 4 shutouts
When asked who his favorite pitcher was, he said "Budweiser".
3. Jake Peavy- 13-7 record, 2.88 ERA, 3 complete games, 3 shutouts. Only 24 years old. Plays for a team with little run support.

MVP
American League:
1. David "Papi" Ortiz - 47 homers, 148 RBIs, .300 Avg. Mr. Clutch.
2. Alex "I slap like a little girl" Rodriguez - 48 homers, 130 RBIs, .321 Avg. Mr. Not Clutch.
3. Manny "Being Manny" Ramirez - 45 homers, 144 RBIs, 292 Avg. Knucklehead, but a great hitter. 144 RBis even though he usually hit after a guy with 148 RBIs.
National League:
1. Andruw Jones - 51 homers, 128 RBI's, .263 Avg. Led the majors in home runs. Also an excellent defensive fielder.
2. Albert Pujols - 41 homers, 117 RBI's, .330 Avg. Best hitter in baseball today. Did you see his game 5 homer against the Astros?
3. Derek Lee - 32 homers, 115 RBI's, .335 Avg. Only good thing going for the lovable losers.

Manager of the Year:
1. Bobby Cox
2. Ozzie Guillen
3. Phil Garner

Rookie of the Year:
American League
1. Huston Street
2. Tadahido Iguchi
3. Ervin Santana
National League
1. Jeff Francoeur
2. Zach Duke
3. Willy Tavares

The Wonderdog

Meet Maggie the Wonderdog. What makes her the wonderdog? She has no special talents. No skills. She is just a wonderful dog. Don't let that cute look deceive you, she is vicious. Not the typical growl and bite kind of vicious; her weapon of choice is her licker. She didn't get a chance to write anything in the profile so I figured I'd let you know a little about her by asking her a few questions. Her answers are in red.
What are your interests?
Squirrels, laying on the couch, laying on the bed, laying in the crate, licking people, licking myself, licking the furniture, going sight seeing in the truck, long walks around the lake, wrestling, and the Red Sox.
What are your favorite movies?
All Dogs Go to Heaven, Old Yeller (except for the ending), Lady and the Tramp, Best in Show, and Turner and Hooch.
What are your favorite songs/musicians?
Who let the Dogs Out?, Little Bow Wow, and Snoop Doggy Dog.
What are your favorite foods?
meaty bones, squirrels, and pizza.
Are there any Bible verses that are special to you?
Matthew 15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Wait till next year

Wait until next year. Something a Sox fan is used to hearing. Yes there was a year hiatus after the 04 "idiots" made history, but now it seems like the heartbreak has returned. Bill Simmons says that there is a five year grace period after winning a championship where you can't complain about your team. I'm not complaining, but it still hurts to see what happened to them against the White Sox. After having a few days to think it over, I've come to the conclusion that the reason we aren't still playing boils down to one thing; clutch or lack thereof. I never thought I'd say that after watching the greatest clutch hitter in a long time play his MVP worthy season. He didn't play too bad in the playoffs, batting .333 over the 3 games against Chicago. He wasn't his usual clutch self. After getting crushed in the first game of the series, the Sox lost by 1 in game 2 and by 2 in the finale. The Sox did just enough to hang in there, but not enough to win. Their pitching has been average at best for the entire year (except for Timlin and Papelbon). They needed to score a bunch of runs if they expected to win. Granted, I'm not Theo Epstein, and I'll never claim to be, but there was one decision I would have made differently over the last offseason. I think the key to the Sox's 05 letdown was the trading of Orlando Cabrera. He was mister clutch. He knew how to get the job done. Who did we get to replace him? Edgar Renteria and his 30 errors. I agreed with Epstein not resigning Pedro and D-Lowe. Pedro's arm is gone (you'll see what I'm talking about next year) and he wanted too much money and D-Lowe is a headcase. Credit has to go to the White Sox as well. They hit when they needed to and there pitching was amazing. I think that in the next few years, Mr Jenks will be the next Eric Gagne. You'll here that name for a while. So, looking ahead. We've got 4 free agents to decide on. Cap'n Caveman (Johnny Damon), Millar, Mueller, and Mike Timlin. Its times like these I am glad I'm not a General Manager. Damon is going to want superstar money after only one superstar year. Millar can't hit, field, or run, but evidently he is really funny. Mueller is a great hitter, but he has a bum knee, and he is also getting up there in years (and there is a guy named Youkulis who is a good bit cheaper). Timlin is a great setup man, not a great closer. He still has the ERA now, but he is also getting up there in age. My advice (which I'm sure Epstein is eagerly anticipating) is to go after Damon, Mueller, and Timlin. He also needs to get a new closer or maybe Chris Hansen can fill the role. I just don't know if Foulke will ever be back to his 04 form. Also, watch out for the new kid Papelbon. I got a feeling he'll be one of the great ones. He will likely be in the starting rotation next year. As always, wait until next year and GO SOX!

Moving to Fort Benning (Chad's thoughts)

It is official. We are moving to Columbus, Georgia. A few weeks before the wedding, I was told I was being sent to Fort Benning temporarily. We were fine with that at the time since it was only for a few months. We loved Anniston. We loved our church. We loved being close to Chrissy's family. Things don't always work out the way you want them to. After only two weeks in Columbus, my new boss told me that he wanted me to take a permanant position here. I wanted to do everything I could to keep us in Anniston. I loved where we were. The more I talked to my old boss back home, the more I realized how much better it would be for us here. He couldn't promise me that he could keep me in Anniston, and my new boss is promising me work here for a long time. After much prayer and thought, we decided it was best for us to move here to Columbus. We found a church that we are happy with called Westminster. Chrissy is taking a part time job substitute teaching. We've even already made a few friends. Life is good for me right now (mostly because of my wonderful wife). The next step is getting our house sold and then deciding where we'll live here. That will be for another blog.

The Wedding (Chad's Thoughts)

Chrissy covered most of it. I'll just add my top five favorite things from the wedding (in no particular order).

1. The groom's cake was a small model of Fenway.

2. I got to wear flip flops at the reception.

3. It was short (less than 30 minutes).

4. Great food at the rehearsal dinner and reception (Thanks Dad, Jack, and Sheila).

5. And of course, the best part:

The Wedding (Chrissy's Thoughts)

I loved our wedding. I am sure that everyone says that, at least I hope they do, but I was very happy with the way it all turned out. My parents did a great job at helping us plan things. They picked out the cakes and some of the flower arrangements. I did start stressing out a little when the rain started pouring down before the ceremony. Everyone was supposed to walk in from outside so we had to come up with a backup plan to walk down the aisle. Eventually, it stopped raining so the wedding party could all walk in as planned. I am not one to cry very often, but I did once the ceremony started. I just couldn't believe that God had blessed me with such a great husband. I am so excited that I get to spend the rest of my life with him.